Holiday cottage - what is important

Newly_retired

I expect to find full information on the website. If I can't find out about something that is important to me, I don't book it. For me that includes seeing photos of the bedroom, so I can sure the bed head is not in front of a window or under the eaves, also the lounge area has seating I can see I will be able to get up from. I want level access from bedroom to loo in the night.
All the kitchen items should be listed, though not a full inventory online, but I certainly expect to find enough of everything I might use.
I am always pleased to find salt, pepper and some cooking oil and washing up liquid as I don't want to have to buy this. If there is a dishwasher I only use it if tablets are supplied. If I know there is a washing machine ( not essential ) I take a couple of tablets.
Welcome packs are a bit of a nuisance, to be honest. Things I havebrought with me, ,or prefer my own choice of brand, or won't use....they rarely save me having to go out shopping soon after arrival.
Usually I take as a minimum a sharp knife, tin opener, scissors, cheese grater, pepper, loo roll. On arrival I do a quick recce of what is there, checking for spare loo roll, size of casserole dishes, bowls, jugs etc, and shop accordingly. Over the years, places have got better, but sometimes we hit in a throwback, or somewhere where the reality isnotwhat we expected and this can be a real disappointment.
One year in France, we had a week in a perfect place, spotless, fully equipped, then arrived at a second place which was the total opposite. The local manager had just done a bunk, and had taken the TV with her! There was not even a radio or any form of entertainment.fortunately a new local agent was called and next day they came and helped us out with missing items eg a tin opener, and brought a hamper of goodies which was most acceptable.

pineapple

I have dire water pressure and no washing machine in my own home so the next cottage I book will have to have a washing machine. Plus a real bath - which I also don't have!
The main thing for me however is they have to accept dogs. Unfortunately my experience of cottages which take dogs is that the flooring is hard and the carpet - if fitted - is the sort of cheap stuff that dirt clings to. The vacuums in these places are often rubbish. I spend so long loading up the car to go and so long trying to leave the place spotless, I wonder if it is worth it.
Oh and my pet hate is a two seater sofa. Have you ever tried to recline in front of the TV on a two seater sofa? :mad:

Pennywise

Newly_retired wrote: »

Welcome packs are a bit of a nuisance, to be honest. Things I havebrought with me, ,or prefer my own choice of brand, or won't use....they rarely save me having to go out shopping soon after arrival.

Have to agree. I don't regard a generic welcome pack as being a good thing, rather quite annoying thinking that part of the hefty rental has gone on a tenner (or more!) of stuff I won't use. Time and time again, most of it is still there at the end of the holiday. A bottle of wine, in particular, is a waste as none of us drink much, so we'll just have the odd glass just to use it up,or bring it home with us to give someone else.

A small carton of milk, a few tea bags, a few sachets of sugar and some coffee is fine - anything more is potentially money wasted (for both the owner and renter). In fact, something like a hotel "tray" is ideal, with a few sachets etc just so you can have a brew when you arrive.

I usually either take the basics with me, or stop on the way at a supermarket close to the cottage before I get there.

It's local/home made stuff that makes a difference to us. I.e. a jar of jam made on the next door farm, or a home made Victoria sponge cake. They're the kind of things I remember, not a load of cheap own-brand stuff from the local Tesco!

And definitely DON'T leave any opened/partly used items from the last guest, such as half a cartoon of milk, or half a packet of biscuits, or half a bag of frozen peas in the freezer! I despair at the number of times there are "leftovers" or out of date unopened tins/packets left in the kitchen cupboards. We stayed in one once where the cupboards were jam packed full of all kinds of tins and packets - including half a packet of corn flakes that were 5 years out of date!!

isplumm

Pennywise wrote: »

I don't regard a generic welcome pack as being a good thing, rather quite annoying thinking that part of the hefty rental has gone on a tenner (or more!) of stuff I won't use.

It's local/home made stuff that makes a difference to us. I.e. a jar of jam made on the next door farm, or a home made Victoria sponge cake. They're the kind of things I remember, not a load of cheap own-brand stuff from the local Tesco!

I think your statement above is important - a welcome pack needs to have a few basics - but must then have local produce - as you say not something from Tesco!

Mark

PasturesNew

Reading through this thread, it's a different world! It's a shame people didn't put their price-point alongside their comments as I bet the price would be very high to meet some of those expectations.

For me it'd be: definite off road parking, right outside, wifi would be nice but I can do without the Internet/connectivity on holiday. It should all be clean and everything work. No complex telly that I have no idea how to operate.

Job done. But I've been priced out of holiday accommodation since standards got silly-high ....

I want sheets on the bed, couldn't care less if they cost £2 at Woolies ..... I'd begrudge paying a premium price because I was told they were "Egyptian, organic, cotton, hand blended" ....

bethl79

My only two absolute must-haves are a parking space close to the property and a washing machine, I discount automatically if a cottage doesn't have one of these.

Anything else can be worked around, I'm not fussy about decor etc and enjoy having a break from technology!