Holiday cottage - what is important

p00hsticks

there's a big thread on the same subject from a couple of years ago here;

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2520915

knightstyle

A couple of years ago we arrived in the dark to a power cut so a decent torch by the entrance door would have been handy, plus instructions on where the consumer unit is and how to reset the RCD safety breaker which the kettle kept tripping.
A couple of small plug in night lights for the corridors and stairs are a good idea.

theonlywayisup

Gloomendoom wrote: »

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.

Bude is in Cornwall so I'm guessing you were over the border. But yes, any form of phone/internet up here can be patchy!

p00hsticks

Gloomendoom wrote: »

A cheese grater and some pint glasses.

Both missing from our Easter week rental.

Yes, we've also been disappointed to find no pint glasses in the past.

At various times we've also been caught out by lack of a kitchen timer and oven gloves.

elsien

Blankets, throws and choice of bedding - I've stayed places which pride themselves on their down pillows/duvets which unfortunately I am allergic to.
Plus I like a cool room to sleep in but feel the cold so often need an extra throw or blanket on the bed as well as the duvet. Plus they're nice features to snuggle up in of an evening.
Bedside light is essential. Blackout curtains so I can snooze late.

Pub and half decent eaterie within walking distance. A mile to so, anyway.

Mojisola

We've thought that people renting out self-catering places should get a friend or relative to stay and test-run the place and point out what's missing.

Tarry

I'm different from everyone else on this whole thread as I stay in the dog friendly accommodation..you can easily avoid it as it is clearly stated when you book...and there are loads of dog unallowed ones.
What I like is them to be damp free, as much as I liked the location of the last cottage I stayed in in Ireland, it had bad damp in one of the bedrooms.
I also like a nice welcome pack just tea, coffee, milk, are good, but sometimes there has been leftovers in the freezer like chips and one time I discovered ice lollies- fantastic
Cleaning stuff is also preferred.....and toilet rolls please...
I was also met by one owner who had made tea and had scones - lush.

What I look for typically is

I like a cottage as opposed to a house..not sure why..
Washing machine
A shower as opposed to a bath
In a more rural location than a town, shops do not need to be that close in
A location that I've not yet stayed in..
A functioning kitchen - one time the cooker didn't work and that was a nightmare...as didn't want to eat out so had to make do best possible
All equipment including an egg cup
Laminate flooring is preferred.

I have self catered for the past 7 years..so it suits.

jackieblack

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

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.

I just buy a box of 10 £1 in B&M/Home Bargains


Parking and wi-fi are a must for me.
If holidaying with other adults en-suites, or an equal number of bathrooms to bedrooms, are a must.
Patio furniture is a nice touch if the property has an outdoor space, and if there is a washing machine either a washing line or dryer (don't understand providing a washing machine but nowhere to dry the wet laundry once it's been washed!?)
Not bothered about TV/DVD player.

Mojisola

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

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.

The last place we stayed had a big box of dishwasher tablets but no washing up liquid - could have been okay except the house was for six people and there was just six of everything in the kitchen - 6 mugs, 6 plates, 6 bowls, 6 knives, forks and spoons, etc.

Did the owners expected renters to use the dishwasher after every cup of coffee and each meal?

Washing up liquid is one of our standard packing items so it didn't inconvenience us but it was a bit strange.

I usually skim through the visitors' book comments and it's not a good sign to see the same problem raised three or four times over the previous year and for us to find it still hadn't been fixed.

PasturesNew

You can advertise it as pet free all you like - but you have to accept guide dogs.

A person with a guide dog trumps a person with severe life-threatening asthma.