catcrazyaf

Washcloths.

Demon22

corkscrew and decent wine glasses
coffee mugs - not just cups - I need a big cup first thing in the morning
second the oyster shucker - nothing worse that sitting looking at a couple of dozen fresh oysters and no easy way to get to the contents
and second the instructions re weighing fruit and vegies - still you only make that mistake once - and apologies to all those people I held up because of it!

Frances

Egg-cups, particularly if there will be children staying. Whilst you can improvise most things, an egg wedged in toilet paper in a small wine glass is not AS easy to eat!
I just wish the owners of the villa we are taking in Tuscany on the 1st September were as thoughtful, I still don't know where it is leave alone the fine detail!

Pvoyageuse

"nothing worse that sitting looking at a couple of dozen fresh oysters and no easy way to get to the contents"

Put them in the oven (heated at 200°C). As soon as they open - it takes approx 2 min - remove from oven, open and put back on ice.

bilboburgler

Fantastic, I was reading a book in the library about what to do if the world ends and I can now solve the oyster shucking question that had leapt to my mind unaided at the time. One less thing to worry about. still that means you need a good oven with reasonable temp control and a load of ice, so....

Pvoyageuse

As well as an oyster fork,lemon, shallots, vinegar, rye bread and butter.......

Cathinjoetown

Yours must be a very high-end rental to offer table linens, bathrobes, etc. Either that, or you are very considerate, in which case please send me rental details! I would provide decent place mats and trivets to help protect the table but which are easy to launder.

On a serious note, I do think two bath towels and one wash cloth pp should be provided. Scrimping on that reallly annoys me. If you have a pool, have separate beach/pool towels so bath towels stay in the house, hopefully.

Rentals often have really poor kitchen knives, so I would ensure that things most people will use daily are of good quality, particulaly paring and bread knives, coffee maker, toaster. When driving to a rental, we often take a box of what we consider "our" essentals, but people flying in don't have that option.

farrermog

Box/es of tissues (with plenty still in a box already opened).

Cathinjoetown

At the end of the day, I assume you are in this for profit. Paper goods in France aren't cheap and are going up. Most rentals provide stater packs, two loo rolls per bathroom, a roll or two of kitchen towels, ideally a new box of good tissues.

Focus on quality, not quantity.

If a large place, provide large pots, pans, skillets, casseroles.

Oh, and if on a fosse septique, strategically placed reminders that only toilet paper can be flushed.

gwan

This may be included in table linens, but tea-towels. At the apartment we just stayed in in Norway, not only were there none, but they didn't even seem to understand the concept (once explained, obviously - I know the word may differ in different varieties of English).

Along the same lines, a dish rack for draining dishes. I would second spare towels, plus spare pillows. I would say almost everyone I know uses two pillows per person, so why do so many hotels etc. give you only one?

Adequate rubbish bins (so many are tiny or not enough of them) and basic cleaning stuff - presumably quite helpful for you as well as your guests. Perhaps some info on recycling or three separate bins for rubbish/paper and plastic/glass.

A filled ice tray in the freezer might be nice.

A lot of the suggestions (perhaps including some of mine) would be really nice touches, but I also think you don't HAVE to go OTT if you don't want. I certainly wouldn't think "screw that apartment owner" if I didn't weigh my own vegetables at the supermarket, but then I might well think "I'm glad they told me that" if you did. In some ways though, figuring some of these things out for yourself is part of the fun. Norway was great, but there were moments where I thought "everyone speaks such flawless English and I don't know a single word of Norwegian, I'd hardly know this isn't an English-speaking country". Of course, some of that is my fault, but there's something to be said for finding a foreign country a bit challenging and even frustrating that I don't think needs to be guarded against 100%.

NeoPatrick

Frances, you must be British? Here in the US, most people I know don't even know what an egg cup is. I knew, but hadn't seen one in years. But when a couple of Brits rented my Florida guesthouse, they knocked on my door the first morning and said, "we've looked everywhere and can't imagine where you've hid the egg cups." I had to buy some then -- but I'm sure they were never used again.

gwan

Is it that you use something else, or that you don't tend to eat soft-boiled eggs?

AussieFrance

Well, thank you everybody. It's true that I didn't list everything because some of the things seems to obvious. I can see they are not. My rental is www.closeriefalaiseau.com if you'd like to see the pictures! I do have an expresso machine and a drip machine with filters but some people prefer instant coffee and tea bags! The milk is hermetically sealed good quality long-life and the date is on the bottle. I have instructions for all the appliances. Also paper towels and toilet paper, local area maps, local restaurant information (with print-outs of my blog reviews), local grocery shopping information, full set of tourist information, police, fire, doctors, pharmacies, bakeries, fresh markets, etc. (I shall add computer and hardward stores). My knives are super-sharp (I'm a fanatic) and of course there is an oyster shucker, good pots and pans & overware. (I'll add the breadbag). Info about garbage and fuse box. And yes, electric plug adaptors for Australia (I'm an Aussie!), UK and US. Don't have a tub but will remember that for the future. Light bulbs, yes. Corkscrew, definitely. High speed wifi and computer. The Loire wine is pretty cheap so you can buy good bag-in-box and bottles. The binoculars were sitting around doing nothing. They are too big for anyone to want to steal them! The rental is for two people and we have plates and cutlery for 12. And yes, cups and MUGS. There is a little room for cleaning utensils and products, shoe rack, hanging space for coats, umbrella rack, etc. Collapsible clothes rack too. Two sets of house keys (key code box to get in). Kleenex tissues. I'll add the shopping bags because it's true that our supermarket doesn't have free ones. Three towels (different sizes) per person + wash cloth. Extra towels if needed. Egg-cups (but the rental is not suitable for children), good glasses and porcelain plates. Oyster forks and grapefruit spoons. Yes, place mats (both fabric and plastic), paper napkins, coasters (to put under cups). No swimming pool. Toaster, bread knife, tea-towels and hand towels for the kitchen, dish rack, 3 pillows per person (square and rectangular), spare blanket, adequate rubbish bins, filled ice tray. And yes, I'm trying to give people everything they need even if it seems OTT.
Any other suggestions welcome.

bilboburgler

CathinJoe. You are so right about blunt knives and nothing to sharpen them on. I think it is worth having good knives and either a shadow board or a block so the customer knows where to stick them back and the owner knows they have not been pinched. Sticking good knives in a drawer is dnagerous.

NeoPatrick

Oh, Aussie, it looks LOVELY. Now I want to go, even if it isn't in town (where I usually like to stay). And shame on you -- you failed to tell us the most important thing you include -- a raclette "machine". Sounds like those who have stayed have already told you that you have "everything". Good job.

Cathinjoetown

Wow, am on my way.

Great place and obviously very thoughtful owner!

AussieFrance

Thank you NeoPatrick. I wasn't sure anyone would know what a "raclette" machine is! Yes, we prefer to stay in town too, but in the Loire, since you'll be driving about and visiting all day, having some peace and quiet in the evening can be very attractive! If you've had a good lunch, you can just buy bread and cheese and wine (or maybe oysters!) and sit in the garden and relax.