Holiday cottage - what is important

Tarry

Oh yes parking is essential here too. TV is not necessary. Wifi is preferred but not essential.

Teapot55

We went to a family wedding recently. Most of the guests stayed in the nearby holiday cottages. There were six of us sharing our cottage (three couples). There was only one bathroom & even going for a quick wee was a nightmare, especially on the morning of the wedding. No lock on the door either. :eek:

Tammykitty

Some of the things listed that people have missed are strange


Cheese Grater
Kitchen Timer


I don't even use these at home )occasionally use a cheese grater, but never use a kitchen timer.


I want a quiet location, lots of outside space for kicking a ball around or playing tennis etc. I also want to be within a mile or 2 of a pub or shop, and with roads safe enough to walk on.


As long as the house has beds, bedding, and basic cooking facilities I am happy!


I do love it when tea and coffee are available


I will generally have toilet roll or at least tissues with me, so that will suffice until I get my shop done.

jackomdj

Good shower
Good sharp knives
Plastic beakers/snack bowls (for children)
If you say you have towels make sure they are big enough
If you have a BBQ have tongs
Some games, books, DVDs (loved the house whose bookshelf said something along the lines of "if you borrow a book and haven't finished it take it home, but leave one you have finished in its place")

Tigsteroonie

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.

jackieblack wrote: »

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

That's only an option if you're staying near a B&M / Home Bargains. Nearest B&M to last year's holiday cottage was an hour away!

But that raises a good point - how much you pre-equip the holiday home (toilet roll, fairy, dishwasher, milk, coffee etc) probably depends on how close you are to civilisation. If it's an hour round trip to fetch milk because your cottage is miles down a single track road, you might want to provide some on arrival.

greenbee

Lots of good ideas here. The other thing I'd suggest is plenty of room for drying wet clothes. If people are likely to be out during the day, and sunshine isn't guaranteed, they need to be able to dry coats/wellies/walking gear. And if you're on the coast, wetsuit rinsing/drying facilities outside will save your bathroom from being filled with dripping wetsuits...

melanzana

Plenty of clothes hangers in the wardrobes please! Just a bugbear of mine seeing how stingy some places can be with their supply of same. I always throw a few spares in the car just in case.

A welcome pack is brilliant too. The basics, tea, coffee, pack of biscuits, sugar, milk. Just enough to get you started if you arrive when all the shops are shut. Although I always bring supplies anyway, but it's the thought...

A booklet with directions, information etc. is essential.

Other than that I must be a slattern, because once the place is clean and tidy it's all good.

Don't want TV or internet thanks. I need a break from all that.

We all have different wants and needs don't we. But if you want high end everything, you pay for it, if you are happy with a clean place with the usual comforts in place, it's fine too.

p00hsticks

Tammykitty wrote: »

Some of the things listed that people have missed are strange

Cheese Grater
Kitchen Timer

I don't even use these at home )occasionally use a cheese grater, but never use a kitchen timer.

Which goes to show that someone letting a holiday home needs to ask widely to ensure that all tastes are catered for, as we all use different things. I'd be lost without a kitchen timer.

I wouldn't miss wine glasses, but would hope to see pint glasses for beer, but for wine drinkers it would be the opposite.

chucknorris

Tarry wrote: »

I'm different from everyone else on this whole thread as I stay in the dog friendly accommodation..

We are the same, a holiday without our dog would be awful for him, and I would spend the whole holiday wondering if he was OK. We have given up on holiday cottages now, the two main problems that we found were that cottages that allow dogs aren't (generally) as good quality, and also because they are fewer of them, you have to book well in advance, without a clue as to what the weather is doing. So we are going to buy a touring caravan and take plenty short breaks (probably mainly 3 to 6 days), that way we can go at short notice when the weather looks favourable and we know exactly what accommodation that we will be getting.

Tarry

I booked a year in advance for my main break later this year CN because of the dogs. The one I stayed in Ireland in 2015 for a dog friendly cottage was pretty good.