Arriving & leaving

Keys

Spare keys for the rest of the property are kept indoors — ask whoever gives you the key.

Turn on, in this order

1. Mains electricity on — nothing else works until this is on
2. Water pump on
3. Gas on at the tank
4. Boiler on — only works once gas and pump are on
5. Mains water on at the garage hose

Where each of these lives, and the details, are below.

Electricity

The mains switch is in house #1, in a cupboard immediately to your left as you walk in. Turn it on first — nothing else works until you do.

Water pump

The well pump lives in the basement under house #3, in the right-hand corner closest to the door as you enter. Turn it on at the red and white switch on the wall. You can also control water flow at the main pipe using the levers lower down — levers parallel with the pipe means water is flowing.

Well water should not be drunk. Use it from the taps for washing only.

Gas

We rent the tank and have it refilled roughly annually. Lefty loosey, righty tighty to turn the gas on and off at the tank.

Boiler

The boiler for house #1 is in the kitchen, and gives you hot water and heating. It won't work unless the gas and the water pump are both on, so do those first.

Mains water & drinking water

Mains drinking water comes from the hose attached to the garage. Follow the hose down to a concrete slab, move the slab aside, and turn the knob underneath.

The pressure is strong enough to break the hose fittings, so use the knob on the mains to turn it on and off — a quarter turn is plenty. Let it run a while, as it's sometimes discoloured at first. Fill large bottles to take to the kitchen for cooking.

If you can't get to the water for any reason, there's a public tap in the graveyard a short drive away in Brillac. Use the second gate, not the first one you come to; the tap is just behind the gate on the right.

Toilets

House toilet. The cistern is small, so please put all used toilet paper in the bucket beside the toilet. It goes in with the general waste.

Compost toilet. In the first door of the old pig shed by the big barn. It separates the wee, which drains away by itself — you don't need to do anything. For solids, add some wood shavings when you're finished. When the wheelbarrow underneath gets full, take it to one of the compost areas. Toilet paper can go straight into the compost.

Washing machine & pantry

The pantry door is on the ground floor, just left of the floating stairs; the key should be in the kitchen. The washing machine is in there, plumbed into the sink, and is fairly straightforward. If you need a dryer, there are some by the Intermarché in Brillac.

Oven

The hobs have a tendency to stay on even when the knobs are turned off. Double-check the light is off and the hobs are cooling down.

The timer knob on the far left must be set to off, or the oven won't work at all.

Post

Please check the post during your stay. We regularly pick up fines from bills nobody spotted.

Before you settle in

It's worth reading the rolling handover notes for anything left by the previous visit — and adding to them for whoever comes next.

Mice

Clean up everything you've used thoroughly, wipe down all the surfaces, and don't leave any food out. There are a few mouse-proof spots in the kitchen for non-perishables — mainly the top cupboard in the large cabinet. The drawers in the wide cabinet should be mouse-proof for utensils.

Leave all surfaces clear: mice will crawl everywhere and anything left out will have to be re-washed. They get into most drawers, so empty them and pack things away in plastic containers. They're also keen on fabric, so pack away dishcloths, sheets and clothes or they'll get nibbled.

Close the dishwasher, as they climb into it. If you're defrosting the freezer, do it the day before so it can be shut when you leave. Make sure all the cupboards are firmly closed.

Windows & doors

Close and latch every window, and lock the doors across the whole property. Do go and check — high winds blow things about and have smashed windows in the past.

Then, in this order

1. Mains water off
2. Gas tank off
3. Water pump off
4. Boiler off
5. Mains electric off
6. Lock all the doors
7. Return the keys to the kitchen
8. Leave the main key back in its hiding place

Bins

Take out the rubbish and recycling before you go.