The questions we get asked
On the trade, on fees, on looking after a villa on Arcachon Bay, and on what happens when nobody is watching. Twenty-seven answers, without hedging.
The trade
What is private estate management for a property?
The technical stewardship of a building over time: documented visits, inspection of the fabric and equipment, planned preventive maintenance, coordination and supervision of trades, maintenance of a technical record, and periodic reporting. It differs from a concierge service, which serves the stay, and from security, which provides a presence.
What is the difference between a concierge and Maison Aubier?
A concierge serves the stay and often the letting: welcome, cleaning, linen, bookings, arrivals and departures. Maison Aubier handles technical monitoring, preventive maintenance and the documentary record. The two are complementary and we regularly work alongside local concierge firms.
Does Maison Aubier manage holiday lettings?
No. Maison Aubier does not market any property: no listings, no bookings, no guest arrivals. The stewardship subscription does not depend on whether the house is occupied. Where an owner decides to open their house to stays, the mission falls under a separate written mandate, signed, with remuneration known before it begins — Maison Aubier never takes the initiative. If you let your property, a letting concierge remains your contact for that activity.
Do I have to choose between a concierge and estate management?
No, and framing it that way is usually a mistake. They cover different risks. Our Veille module was designed specifically to be added to an existing concierge arrangement, covering the technical monitoring a concierge generally does not provide.
Fees and commitment
How much does managing a second home on Arcachon Bay cost?
Maison Aubier tiers start at €390 excl. VAT per month for Vigilance, €790 for Sérénité and €1,490 for Excellence, plus a standalone Veille module from €290. The final fee depends on floor area, exposure, equipment and visit frequency.
Do you take a commission on works?
No — not on the works coordinated under the subscription. The cost of interventions is invoiced to you directly by the firms, and Maison Aubier's remuneration is a monthly retainer independent of the number of interventions. Overseeing a renovation, where requested, falls under a separate written mandate with a fee fixed when the mandate is signed.
Is the estate diagnostic free?
Yes, free and without obligation. It includes a full technical survey and the delivery, within fifteen days, of three documents: a vulnerability audit, a costed projection of the cost of inaction, and a stewardship checklist. They remain yours whether or not you become a client.
Is there a minimum term?
Term and termination are set out in the contract and discussed when the stewardship protocol is drawn up. The technical record built up belongs to you and is handed over in full when the relationship ends.
Looking after a villa on the Bay
What annual budget should I allow for a villa on the Bay?
Between 1.5% and 3% of the property's value per year, including charges, local taxes, routine maintenance and a provision for major works. A 200 m² villa with a pool commonly falls between €25,000 and €55,000 a year depending on the commune and the condition of the fabric.
How often should an unoccupied second home be visited?
Every two to four weeks in winter depending on exposure, with an additional visit after any wind event above 80 km/h. Beyond a month without a visit, a fault has time to spread widely before it is discovered.
Should an empty house be heated in winter?
Yes, on frost protection, between 8 and 12 °C in the body of the house. An unheated house reaches outside temperature and humidity, which moves the dew point into the walls and causes condensation and mould. Frost protection costs far less than remedying mould.
Should the water be turned off when leaving a second home?
Yes, as soon as the absence exceeds a few days, closing the main valve and then draining the system. It is the only measure that removes the risk of water damage rather than reducing it, and most insurance policies list it among the expected precautions.
Which month matters most for maintaining a coastal house?
September. It is when the house is prepared for the autumn gales and winter rain: gutters, roof covering, joinery, drainage. A fault left untreated in September works away for six months before anyone sees it.
How many maintenance interventions does a villa need each year?
Around forty counting routine tasks, of which roughly ten require a professional: boiler, chimney sweeping, roofing, pool, garden, drainage. Each has its own seasonal window, generally a short one.
Damage, security and insurance
What is the most common claim on a second home?
Water damage, by a wide margin ahead of burglary and storm damage. In an unoccupied house a leak can run for weeks before discovery, which multiplies the cost of putting it right by five to ten depending on how long it goes unnoticed.
Is a connected leak detector enough?
Not on its own. A sensor detects and notifies, but does not act. It needs to be paired with a motorised valve that shuts off the supply automatically, and above all with someone able to be on site within the hour.
Can an insurer refuse a claim on an unoccupied house?
It can reduce or refuse a settlement if the unoccupancy clause has not been complied with: water shut off, frost protection, periodic visits, equipment servicing. These obligations appear in the particular conditions, and compliance must be capable of proof.
How do I prove a second home was being supervised?
Through dated, illustrated visit reports produced continuously before the incident, and servicing certificates for the equipment. A document reconstructed afterwards carries little evidential weight.
Is an alarm enough to protect an isolated villa?
It detects and signals, but does nothing further without verification and an intervention. Monitored alarm services address intrusion; they cover neither water, nor freezing, nor deterioration of the fabric, which account for most of the cost over time.
What happens during a power cut in an empty house?
Frost protection, ventilation, alarm monitoring and pool filtration all stop at once. Because the alerting system is itself mains-powered, the failure does not announce itself. Only a self-powered supervision module on an independent network will tell you.
Regulation and tax
Is second-home council tax increased around Arcachon Bay?
Several communes on the Bay classified as high-pressure housing areas have voted a surcharge on the communal share, from 5% to 60% depending on the council's decision. Rates differ between communes and may be revised annually.
Do I need a registration number to let my holiday home in France?
Yes. Every furnished tourist rental must be registered through a national service issuing a thirteen-digit number, which must appear on every listing. The legal compliance deadline was 20 May 2026.
Is clearing vegetation compulsory around a house on the Bay?
Yes for land within two hundred metres of woodland, which covers a very large share of the built environment locally. The obligation extends to fifty metres around buildings and ten metres either side of private access roads, under the Gironde prefectural order.
Must an owner deal with pine processionary caterpillars?
The 2022 decree classifies the species as harmful to human health, and the applicable measures are set by prefectural order. Depending on the zone, surveillance and nest destruction may fall on the landowner. The order in force in the Gironde and your local mairie are the references.
Joint ownership and succession
Who decides on works in a jointly owned house?
Protective acts, needed to prevent damage, may be decided by a single co-owner. Acts of administration, including routine maintenance, require a two-thirds majority of the undivided shares. A sale requires unanimity.
Does a maintenance record increase a property's value?
It mainly acts on the discount: a buyer who does not know the condition of what cannot be seen assumes the reasonable worst and prices it in. A documented record removes that uncertainty and shortens the time to sell.
How do I prepare the succession of a family house?
By documenting the property while the person who knows it is still there: plans, service runs, equipment ages, works history, firms used, quirks of the fabric. That knowledge is almost always oral and disappears at a stroke, leaving heirs to rediscover the house through its failures.
A question not answered here? Write to us or request the estate diagnostic. We reply within one working day.