Selling your bed and breakfast or guest house in Provence: a seller's guide

what you are really selling

A guesthouse combines your accommodation, furnished rooms (usually with private bathrooms), common areas, and often a loyal clientele. According to regulations, a guesthouse is limited to five rooms and fifteen people, provided the accommodation is in the owner's home, breakfast included, and must be registered with the local town hall.

A property operated within this framework is sold like a residential house with a business activity. Beyond these limits, it falls under the category of hospitality, which involves different regulations (public establishment, fire safety, accessibility): a savvy buyer will verify this, so it's best to clarify it before putting the property on the market.

Estimating the price: the house and the business

The property's value is determined based on actual sales of comparable houses in the area: surface area, land, condition, energy performance certificate (EPC), swimming pool, and view. The business's value is reflected in your figures: turnover, number of overnight stays, seasonality, average price, customer reviews, and the percentage of direct bookings.

A successful guesthouse with clear financial figures sells better than a beautiful house with no history. Our valuation calculator provides an initial idea of ​​the business's profitability; an on-site appraisal reconciles the two approaches.

The file that reassures a buyer

Prepare the last three years of turnover and bookings, platform statements, customer reviews, the declaration to the town hall, the classification or any label (Gîtes de France, Clévacances, Accueil Paysan…), the diagnostics (including the DPE) and the planning permissions for the rooms and annexes.

If a room has been created without authorization, or if an annex is not regularized, initiate the process before the sale: an unresolved issue lowers the price or blocks the buyer's financing.

Choose the right timing

Listing at the end of the season allows you to present a full year's figures and gives the buyer the winter to finance their project and settle in before spring. Allow several months between listing and closing: planning a year in advance avoids a rushed sale.

Finding the right buyer and transferring the clientele

Those taking over bed and breakfasts are often couples changing careers, buyers from Northern Europe, or investors seeking a lifestyle and income. They are looking for someone who understands the business, not just the house.

Existing bookings, the website, platform accounts, and customer database can be transferred: include this in the preliminary sales agreement and offer a few days for the handover. This is a strong selling point and a real relief for the buyer.

My support

Spécialiste des gîtes et chambres d'hôtes en Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, je vous aide à estimer votre maison d'hôtes, à préparer le dossier et à la présenter aux bons acheteurs, en France comme à l'étranger. Estimez votre bien gratuitement, ou parlons directement de votre projet.

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