Would appreciate any marketing advice/ideas

[Hollyberry]

Good evening
I would really appreciate any advice/ideas.
I own a house in France which is registered as a B&b and which I have run for the last 2 years as a holiday retreat. Under French law I run this as a "non profit making organisation" This was purely my choice.
Following a medical diagnosis, I will have to sell and return to family in the UK, so the house is for sale. So far I have:
Built website with all house info, approx 50 photos (house internal and external, and local area) described local attractions and do a monthly update page (what is happening in area, with photos)
Priced the house realistically (allowing for an offer 15k below asking price), but I cannot afford to pitch it lower as I would then lose too much money.
Placed as many free ads online as I can find (this house more likely to be bought by Brits or Dutch than French)
Paid for ad on largest French site which is also translated into all european languages.
Paid ad on large Uk site
Have an ad with colour photo in Place in the Sun mag (show edition). These last 3 have really used up all my "advertising budget"
French estate agents are very passive (and charge 7-8%) Have 2 "acting" for me--but I use the term loosely!
I am worrying that my med condition is going to worsen before I can sell property--either as a house/home or B&B, holiday accommodation.
I've decided I'd pay €1000 (is this enough?) to anyone who finds a buyer-but no idea how I make this known.
Can anyone tell me anything I've missed?
Many thanks

[kate1]

Hi there, I have just sold my house in France, in January. It took a year to sell, I used an agent. Funny enough we sold it to a couple from Paris - so there is a good chance that it could be bought by the French. Our agent was Dutch - so she could market it to Dutch people too.

Where abouts is the house?

I dont think you can do anymore than you have done, I think alot goes down to current climate

[kate1]

Forgot to add, some friends of ours sold their French house on Ebay, not sure how that works.

[Hollyberry]

Thank you for your reply--you've given me hope1
I'm in the Dordogne.
Trying to find the right Estate agent here is a challenge.

[kate1]

I wish you luck, it has been very slow in selling over there, but I believe it could be picking up a bit. I did gumtree aswell, you could try that.

[Searcher]

If you come up with the right answer then let me know ! My parents have been trying to sell theirs for over a year now. The agents aren't pro-active enough. Like the idea of ebay though.

[kate1]

Hi Searcher

I think its the climate, we had quite a few viewings, but it took a year, it went on the market November 2008 - and sold in November 2009. I think our agent was pretty good, a Dutch lady. Which meant we really had a more of a wider audience.

I just think the French way of doing business is just not as proactive as us. Very different attitude - could they try another agent?

[Hollyberry]

Met another agent yesterday (at the garage! I have magnetic sale signs on the car0 so hope he might be a bit more proactive.
Maybe I'm expecting things to move too quickly-only been on the market since Xmas.

[kate1]

Hi Holly,

Yes that pretty much is early days.

[Inkywillow]

Hi Holly,

I live in France and have just built a website for the house that my mother in law is trying to sell as she is moving back to the UK (www.tdworks.eu/houseforsale). So far most of the interest has come from a free ad that we placed on www.leboncoin.fr. If you haven't used it before, it's an excellent French (free) ebay style website and is well worth a go.

By the way, Parisians love their "little place in the country" so think about targeting them too.

Bonne chance!

Tom

[Hollyberry]

Thanks. Will definitely look at leboncoin.
Seem to be more enquiries now the weather is sunnier.