Newsletter #1

Tu Casa Baja - Concierge Property Management


The Season is Upon Us!
The beach is busy and the town is packed!
As the tourists arrive, your houses are filling up!  Whether you are a seasoned renter or new to the game, surprises come around every corner.  This newsletter is to keep you updated on the latest and greatest in the area, and with our business.

Business News:
Our Mexican Corporation is officially formed.  We submitted our paperwork 7 months ago, and are finally official.  Our corporation name is -TCCPM-. We will meet with our accountant shortly to see if there is any information you need as our client.  We will let you know as soon as we know more. 

We survived the rain: 
As we all know, Baja construction is not built for rain.  From our 3-day rainfall last week, most houses had some leaks or water coming in through doors.  There were guests that understood, and others that were upset. Lots of towels were used to mitigate the rain coming into your homes.  Next steps: It is important that you decide as an owner how you want to handle the inconvenience of rain. We see a few potential options  1) offer some type of discount or gift certificate for the trouble of a home leaking, or 2) state something in your listing about not being responsible for weather or inconveniences due to weather.  Either way, I think a good idea for all is to put in the listing a blurb about infrequency of rain in Baja, but if it does rain, please be aware of the following - leaking, rain in doorway, etc. Please let us know your preference so we are able to accommodate your guests accordingly.  Also, when we do have heavy rains, you may incur extra laundry costs outside the normal cleaning bill. Depending on the size of the house, we have seen an extra 2-5 loads of towels when there is an abundance of water.  

End of the year bonus: 
According to the Mexican work laws, all employees are entitled to 15 days (two weeks) of pay as a Christmas bonus. How does this impact you? If you have gardners, housekeepers, cooks, or anyone working for you (even if it is as cash only exchange), this is the time of year to pay their bonus. We are happy to facilitate this for you if needed. It is important to uphold this law, and as a general standard you have incredible people working for you on your homes so we want them to know they are appreciated. 
https://www.focusonmexico.com/christmas-bonus-mexico/

What can you expect from your renters: 
This is the time of year you will make a large majority of your rental profits.  We will do our very best to make sure all renters have a great experience. We always provide a welcome package from Tu Casa Baja including 4 beers, limes, chips, and avocados. We want renters to come in and enjoy a little snack and drink as they get settled into their new home.  If you would like to add something to this from the owner, please let us know and we are happy to make it happen. We also continue to communicate with renters when they are in-house, and quickly respond to their needs. All that being said, there are times that no matter what we do, renters are just not happy. Many times people come down to Cerritos and Pescadero thinking we are just like Cabo, when we are truly still rural Mexico with a few extra perks. We have found our best defense is first to continue to be kind, and second, to be preventative by managing expectations of the area - dirt roads, no major grocery stores, etc.  This is truly the charm of the area, but it takes some people a little longer than others to see it! ;) We will do everything in our power to give your guests a fantastic experience, and get you a raving review! 

Communication and work timeline: 
We pride ourselves on quick communication.  That being said, we also have to prioritize our tasks at times.  Please know, when vacation guests are in house, they are always the first on the list! We will drop whatever is necessary to help them with immediate needs.  If owners are in house, we know our response time is important as well. We do ask for 24-48 hours response time for non-emergency but more immediate needs. If a task needs to be accomplished that is not an emergency - we will have to schedule this for the future.  With so many guests in house and reservations actively coming in, unfortunately we are not able to jump at each non-emergent task. Alex is doing very little handy-man work, so these types of tasks will likely be sourced out, or put on hold until the season slows down.  Thank you for understanding! 

Keeping your home stocked: 
As your home is more frequently occupied, you will run out of certain soft goods, and from time to time items may go missing or break. We will make Costco runs and local shopping trips for supplies.  We are happy to purchase items for you if you are not here to resupply yourself. We do upcharge 20% to cover cost and time on all items. If you need a larger item, we are happy to negotiate a fixed price. 

SOFT GOODS: 

• Dish soap
• Dishwasher soap (if needed)
• Liquid hand soap (one per bathroom)
• Sponge/dish cloth (one per rental) 
• Tissue/Kleenex (one per bathroom) 
• Paper towels (one per rental)
• Toilet paper - 2-4 rolls - per bathroom per rental
• Laundry detergent (if needed)
• Disinfectant spray/wipes
• Salt and pepper
• Coffee filters
• Trash bags

Exceptional offerings: 
IN HOUSE CATERING: We have a fantastic local chef that will cook delicious multi-course meals delivered to your home.   The chef and his wife deliver the food, set the table, and then return a bit later to clean. We’ve had a handful of guests take advantage of this and absolutely LOVE the whole experience.  Prices: Between 28 - 55 USD per person depending on meal specifics and number of people. (plus tax and service fee) 

IN HOUSE MASSAGES: We use a local and licensed massage therapist.  She will visit your home to give a professional massage on your private patio or in your room.  This is a great offering to guests that are looking for the full relaxation experience. Prices: 65 USD for 60 minutes or 90 USD for 90 minutes

Please help us promote these offerings as it makes your guests stay absolutely memorable!

​TCCPM
Cerritos, BCS
tucasabaja@gmail.com
720.354.0022
203.892.5133