Holiday cottage - what is important

tiernsee

We are purchasing a house in South Devon which initially we will let for holidays. We are going to make it as allergy-free as possible so no pets, wooden floors, leather settees, hypoallergenic bedding etc


I would be really interested to know the key features you look for when booking a UK holiday home. For me I look for parking and wi-fi, convenience for attractions and shops/restaurants, I prefer detached but this isn't essential. Properties which don't accept pets are also on my list.


Thanks for any suggestions

Auntie-Dolly

Parking, Dishwasher, en-suite as we usually holiday with another couple rather than children and a nice outside seating area.

theonlywayisup

We have a couple of cottages in Cornwall. My number rule is they must be immaculate. My number two rule is TELL your guests what is going to be there. Don't let them be delighted they've found beach towels when they filled their car with them! Tell them in advance what they can expect.

Your cottage/house is what it is (ie detached, rural, good/bad parking etc) but you can help people have a brilliant break with (in no particular order):

Wifi & access code

TV stations (sky/freeview/netflix etc), dvd library. Info on how to work the telly!

Quality bedding/towels/mattresses.

Things you take for granted at home and would be easier to leave at home - hairdryer, mirror, fan and the likes of loo roll, kitchen roll, travel adaptor (for foreign visitors) etc.

Welcome pack - regional bits and pieces, info and places to visit etc, coupons to local attractions or restaurant deals.

Welcome pack to eat - milk, bread, butter, juice, fruit, tea, coffee, wine and anything local to you - cookies, cream tea etc. Anything that helps them make a cuppa or have a glass of something nice when they arrive. It must, absolutely must all be new, not leftovers!

Emergency info - give the FULL address of the property (this helps for pizza deliveries too!) with lat/long coordinates. Telephone numbers of the local doc surgery, where nearest hospitals are and their contact info. Supply a first aid kit.

Dustbin day arrangements - be clear what the visitor has to do on what day.

We supply universal phone charger, rechargeable batteries with charger and a couple of torches, iphone docking station & speaker.

Bikes, card and board games and books. Colouring books and crayons. Umbrella and selection of wellies! Fold up chairs, windbreak, body boards, wetsuits, bbq, charcoal/gas, picnic rug and hamper, cool box/bag.

Buy good quality furniture and replace it when needed. Keep everything in excellent order and redecorate once a year. Make sure your glassware and crockery match. There is nothing worse than it feeling like someone's second home.

Luxuries - this is subjective but it may just be a nice cafetiere and a bag of coffee. We have hot tubs.

If you are catering for children then don't forget a high chair, kiddie cutlery and crockery, stair gate, steriliser etc.

vikingaero

It varies. Some people want a cottage in the middle of nowhere. Others want it to be close to attractions. I'm not too bothered about spending time travelling as long as I come back to a spotlessly clean and well maintained cottage.

Gloomendoom

A cheese grater and some pint glasses.

Both missing from our Easter week rental. We rented a seven bedroom country house near Bude with a heated pool and a decidedly high end spec.

But no cheese grater or pint glasses.

The wifi was barely better than dial-up too. That seems the norm for rural Devon though.

Timpu

Clear instructions to everything. From local directions, to how to operate the boiler/hot water timings/hob etc. etc. Also, keep them up to date. We're just back from a cottage where instructions regarding the shared bins were not comprehensive and it transpired, key instructions had not been updated. We didn't like bothering the owner any more than they wanted us bothering them.

As others have said, it's important the place is clean and comfortable, with decent quality stuff. To me, comfortable means a supportive sofa and good quality mattress.

A welcome hamper is a bonus and makes a difference to getting on with the holiday. Please do include soap (I kid you not, this happened to us and we couldn't use the loo before finding a shop after spending most of the day getting there).

On a personal note I won't rent places with leather sofas. I understand they are durable but they are cold (plus noisy) to use. Appreciate this won't apply to lots of people!

kingfisherblue

I'm a bit awkward - I look for disabled access. I have a disabled son, and need to take his needs into account.

In addition, parking (preferably off road), wifi, DVD player, and immaculate condition are all important. Including things like toilet rolls (including spares), fresh milk (for that first cuppa when you get there), and a folder of attractions is very welcome to guests.

I agree about clear instructions - laminated rather than tatty.

Kynthia

If it's more than a 2 bed then I think having those beds that can be a double or split to be 2 singles are good, and specify you can chamge tge set-up to suit clearly in the listing. Sometimes we go away a two couples with a child each or go as a family with my parents and only having one double bed is annoying.

I like the master to be a king-size bed as we're a tall couple. Plus if you are targeting families then having a bed guard, high chair, steriliser, monitor, children's plates and cutlery, booster seat and toys would be good, plus good tv/film options for parents who are sat in during the evenings and CBeebies to keep them sane in the morning. A clothes airer to dry washing or beach/swimming stuff. Plus info on takeaways that deliver and quality or kid friendly restaurants.

If there's outside space then garden furniture and a bbq is a plus as it would be frustrating not to be able to fully enjoy it. Plus im a sucker for modern decor rather than old flowery sofas and dark wooden furniture.

I think the key is to know who your market is and cater for them as you can't please everyone. Also find out what is expected at your budget, but even at a lower budget you can do little touches that make it more personal and makes your guests lives a little easier. Tea, coffee, fruit juice and biscuits for when people arrive doesn't cost much but is appreciated after a long drive. Plus the restaurant info along with details of local attractions is inexpensive but useful.

OneYorkshireLass

I'm often disappointed with holiday cottages when they haven't been cleaned properly or they're poorly maintained. Hate finding the last occupant's crumbs in the cupboards and their hairs in the bath.

I stayed in one in Cornwall a few years ago where I slept on the floor for a week because the mattress was so bad - ratty old foam thing, had been in use for many years

I look for wifi, detached, outside space, off road parking, decent bathroom (must have a separate shower or shower over bath), good furniture - I hate it when the home feels neglected and stuffed with granny's old furniture, wardrobes - can't believe how many I see nowadays with just some hangers on hooks behind the door, not too many ornaments/bits 'n bobs - guests need to be able to put their own stuff on the surfaces, but then again add some homeware bits to make it feel homely, washing machine and tumble dryer is a must for us.

Probably a good thing to do is look at some existing holiday cottage pictures, expensive ones, and try and replicate them (on a budget). Try Perfect Stays, Unique Home Stays, Boutique Retreats. I don't book with these companies, I just look at the pics and drool

Ooh, and lamps - lamps make places feel cosy and homely. Hooks behind doors. And at least one full length mirror. And a mirror near a plug socket to dry hair in front of.

Best of luck with your venture.

Tigsteroonie

If you're going to market to families with young children, I would recommend virtually no ornaments (if you must, have them up high!) and fix the television in place - these flatscreens are nowhere near as stable as the old CRTs, very easily wobbled.

Don't invest in anything too complicated. Our last holiday rental had an induction hob with heavy pans - I wasn't used to it, I had to read the manual to understand how it worked.

If you provide a dishwasher, have the weekly cleaner leave sufficient tablets for a once-a-day run. If people don't have a dishwasher at home, they won't appreciate buying a pack of 48 tablets when they only need 7 for their holiday.

Sharp knives. Plastic beakers and bowls if going for the family market. Plenty of baking trays.

As someone else said, clear bin collection / recycling instructions, including a supply of recycling bags if used by your local council.

I like leather sofas! But whatever furniture you get, make sure the cleaner hoovers the crevices, I don't want to find a soggy crisp from the previous occupants.

Torry_Quine

As long as it's stocked with the basics then I'm happy. WiFi not essential. Although there are usually more than enough towels, it's rare to have one of a decent size for after a shower/bath. Plenty tea towels and some oven gloves needed as well. My bug bear is out of date information, please update leaflets and throw out old ones.