The mountains were as beautiful as ever, the snow, the sun, the rain, all the elements met with us in that place.
The chalet stood sturdy, unchanged, loyal and faithful in its certainty and presence.
And arriving, I took that deep breath and uttered the words a wonderful child on our charity weeks had once voiced, ‘I am home’.
The place looked amazing but maintenance issues showed up as the days went by and it was a relief that it was the end of the season.
Tiles blown in a warped like fashion on the surroundings of a bath, damaged kitchen cupboards and leaks in various places. Electric heaters hanging precariously off walls and a massive shortage of hot water. That is the beginning of a much longer list.
Remember the importance of maintaining your rental properties. Would you live in the place you are charging others to live in? Not only is it the right thing to do, to create a place they can call home, but also it will cost significantly more in the long run if you leave a property to fall more and more into disrepair.
As the sunset on the mountain outside the window and the moon seemed to appear early so big in the sky, the colours and the stillness struck me as it always does, as though seen for the first time.
How amazing is it when we can create places for people to go where peace abounds and beauty so great, it is hard for anyone to ignore.
As beautiful as many places are, if you are buying holiday lets but the priority is lifestyle, then the profit is a bonus and the pressure to generate income probably not there but if you are buying to generate income and create a good business, be extra careful to understand and know the market, the foot fall, the costs, the probable margins (allowing for error) and the profits.
Our world for many may seem a confusing one, a fearful one and a challenging one but it is staggeringly beautiful and if we can mix business and sharing property in phenomenal places with others, who knows what might happen to those visiting, perhaps healing, reconciliation, peace, joy and more, and if it makes a positive difference in some way to their lives, their attitude or their future ……. how incredible is that?!
In a world of inconsistency my hope is I will continue to visit for many years and it will remain sturdy, reliable, and a constant and while I am custodian it will be given the love care and attention it needs to remain in its true form.
To be honest the chalet has never been about business for me and 35 years on I feel blessed to have been part of it’s story from the beginning right up to today.