Kwestions:
Please explain the name?
"Klassy" refers to the fact that the property is a bit like a lovingly restored 1950s Chevy.
"Karrot" refers to the fact that Holtville is the Carrot Capital of the world and yes we do
know how to spell but we happen to be of the radical opinion that English needs to change its spelling - a hard "k" sound
ought to be a K! We are not being Kutesy.
"Kottages" refers to the fact that the apartments started out as separate units
for agricultural workers. Most have had living rooms added but they still feel kind of Kottage-like or maybe
not since they are more Hacienda-like but hey Kottages alliterates (if you know what I mean).
Can we rent by the nite?
Most of our units are complete apartments with full size kitchens and sleep up to 5 people. Mostly
we rent them by the week. But yes we can rent them for a single nite. We generally charge about $50 per nite. We
also have one unit that does not have a complete kitchen and shares a bathroom with the office. We call it our
trucker special cause it is ideal for people who are not home during the day. We rent that for as little
as $100 per week or $30 per nite. Call to see if what is available.
Do you rent houses in Holtville as well?
Yes we do. There are photos and info about both of the houses on the navigation
bar. Both are flexible and rent short or long term. Call for details.
Do you have safe parking?
Holtville is such a small town that there is very little crime - well except for the occasional
barking dog if the paper is to be believed. There is plenty of on the street parking. Or if you prefer, there
is parking in the rear. We also have a large front lot - almost 1/2 acre where there is room to park Semi- trucks.
We welcome truckers and RVers.
Who pays the utilities?
We do, including those sky high air conditioning electric bills. We also pay water, trash
and gas. We now also have both WiFi and Direct TV for an additional $5 each to help defray the costs.
Do you have a cap on the electric bills?
Yes, residents pay over a certain amount but we set the cap high enough that with energy saving
habits, residents rarely have to pay extra. Just remember to close doors and windows when the A/C is
on. We tend to purchase oversize Energy Saver A/Cs appropriate to our desert climate. The A/Cs are almost always
replaced when they are no longer under warranty and we have brand new back ups so residents never have to wait for annoying
summer repairs. The 3 bedroom, 2 bath house has cental AC.
Are the units well maintained?
The owners are the managers, so anything that needs repair is usually taken care of within hours or a day
at the most. If something is not working let us know. Ask any of our long term residents or guests who come
back year after year. We hop to it.
How can you afford to charge such reasonable prices and yet provide customized service and garden and all
that?
Well it is kind of a hobby. Also the Kottages are our own headquarters so, for example, we have the garden
for ourselves. It does help that we have other income from other properties.
What about furniture?
We mostly provide one quality double bed in each apartment. And a second twin
size bed. But the 2 bedroom apartment sleeps 4 people so generally we have 4 twin beds in that apartment. We
add beds as needed. We provide TV, comfortable living room lounge chairs, kitchen table and wooden kitchen
chairs. We buy used furniture which is real wood, avoiding the particle board fake-a-likes. Some we restore but
mostly we paint the furniture. We do not over furnish so there is room for your own
things as well. If you do not want something, let us know and we will store it. Or we can add things as you need
them.
Do you provide other things as well?
We try to provide everything you need. If there is something you need which we have not
provided let us know. Often we have it in storage or can buy it soon. We provide a few pots and pans,
plates, etc. We also have lots of working 1950s Kirby Vacuum cleaners so ask for one if you want to use a classic machine.
We provide one mix and match set of sheets, blanket and pillow for each bed. Most people buy or
bring their own within the first week or two. Also towels. We customize what we provide. For example ask
and we can provide a juicer or a Vitamix blender. We try to provide everything you will need during the first
nite or two. Just bring a toothbrush. We aim for Charm!
What about stove and frig?
Most of the apartments have a refrigerator which is a year old or less. All the apartments
have a gas stove - mostly with electronic ignition so that a pilot light does not heat up the space in the
summer. All the apartments have 1 or more ceiling fans to help with cooling.
How do you decorate?
We have a hobby of going to garage sales and swap meets and looking for REAL art
- paint on canvas. We call the paintings "Hobby" art. The paintings may not be world class quality but some creative
human being actually cared enough to spend hours putting paint on canvas. We are slowly adding one painting to
each room of each apartment. We have some "starving artist" paintings as well. Those are touched up by a real artist
but mostly paint which is kind of rolled onto canvas. Some of them are remarkably well done.
We also decorate with oriental carpets, home made curtains, blinds, silk leaves
in baskets. natural stuff like that. Anything that you dont like, put it outside. We will use
it elsewhere.
Do you provide cleaning or linen laundering?
Everything is clean when you move in and we will launder bedding one time when you move out. We do not
do regular cleaning, but we often provide cleaning SUPPLIES like buckets, rags, you can keep in the apartment.
Except for bedding, we charge $20 per hour for any cleaning we have to do when residents move. There
is a fairly complete checklist reminding people of what should be clean when they move in and when they move out.
Do you provide cable and phone?
We provide the lines for both. Don't let the phone company charge you for line maintenance
as we do that. We also provide Direct TV for $5 more to help defray the costs.
Do you provide WiFi ?
Yes! We have finally joined the computer age and we now have WiFi. We charge an extra $5 for the password
to help defray the extra expense.
How many apartments are there ?
There are only 7 apartments. But there are 2 houses as well.
Can you describe the surrounding area?
The apartments are located on a full acre of land... Surrounded by trees. Unusual
for the desert. There is more vacant land south of us that is zoned to become a mall some day. Across
the street 1/2 block away from the apartments is Imperial Hardware Store, just West of that is Rabo Bank, the Park and
the library. 1 1/2 blocks east is Del Sol grocery store. Residents can walk through our west side gate
to the laundromat and a 100 feet further to the Pharmacy.
On the other side of our section of Fern Avenue there is a SCENIC "Seed
Factory" Since a seed factory is all but silent, that means no noise, no traffic, no neighbors. The feeling is thoroughly RURAL!
How big is Holtville?
Holtville has a population of about 5000 people. In the winter when the
agricultural workers are in town, the streets are quite busy. On hot summer days the streets may look
all but abandoned. People dont come out until the cool evening.
Holtville has only 1 stop sign on the main street through town and
not a single stop light!
What else can you tell me about Holtville?
Well aside from the world famous Carrot Festival and the fact that
2008 was the 100th year since it was founded, there is the fact that it used to be a main stop for people before heading
through the dunes for Yuma Arizona. Since Interstate 8 was built, it has become more of a bedroom community for
booming Imperial and El Centro than a pit stop for travelers. The main "industry" in town is vegetable growing -
much of it Organic.
One very special thing about Holtville is that it lies atop an extensive
geothermal aquifer. Just a few miles east of town there is a geothermal plant and a couple of cement ponds with
hot water surrounded by Palm trees. There is seasonal non hook up camping across the street costing
only $140 per season. Imagine camping for less than
$25 per month including the use of a free to the public hot springs.
How big are the apartments?
The apartments have grown "organically" so each is different. One apartment is a studio.
Another is a 1 bedroom with a very large bedroom. There are 2 apartments which we describe as 1 1/2 bedrooms because
people tend to use the rear of the very long living room like an extra bedroom. The 2 bedroom
is the same size as the 1 1/2 bedroom apartments but feels bigger because the living room and kitchen are one space
with lots of extra windows. Another one of the apartments has a full size kitchen with
an old fashioned large dining room table and a separate bedroom but no living room. The rear apartment
consists of a small kitchen and a small living room but a huge bedroom people use like a living room. Our
smallest unit is about 400 sq ft and our largest is about 600 sq ft. One of the houses is 800 sq ft and the other is
about 1200 sq ft.
