What would you expect to find/love to find in a holiday let?

[lifesabitchandthenyoudie]

We want to set up a small cottage quite near a beach, about mid-range. We want to make it friendly and homely, a nice space to 'get away from it all'. What are your essentials in a holiday let? What would you like to see more of? What small extra things would give you that 'special' feeling? Thanks!

Pint of milk on arrival is nice and some fruit. Towels and soap

Stuff to make a cup of tea - no need to go overboard though just milk, sugar, tea and coffee (sachets are fine and good for keeping fresh).

A clean, comfortable space is what’s needed - don’t get caught up in all the bells and whistles that basically mean you either need to charge more or lose money. Comfortable beds, a reasonably equipped kitchen and enough seats for everyone is important.

Enough of the following to last a couple of days until we can do a big shop: dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent, salt, pepper and oil, hand soap, loo roll, kitchen roll.

In terms of equipment, I like to find good quality knives, boards etc not just the owner's old stuff.

We run a holiday cottage and make sure the above are provided. We have good feedback on how well-equipped the house is.

Tea and coffee, toilet roll, fairy liquid, dishwasher tablets, bin bags. Non-perishable things that otherwise every guest has to buy individually. Also leave a couple of tea towels - for some reason you often don’t get one!

Plenty of glasses, plates etc - glasses in particular will get broken.

I don’t want your house’s discards, whether that’s furniture or kitchen equipment. And virtually all holiday lets claim to have a ‘fully-equipped kitchen’, and almost none do. Cook a full meal there yourself for the number of people who are likely to be staying there. What do you need?

A source of warmth and an area to dry wet clothes/ rinse off sand. Beach cottages are lovely in warm weather but if it is rainy, cool and damp , I need to cocoon somewhere dry.

This is brill, thanks! A lot of it was in my thinking already, so good to have it confirmed. We're thinking good-quality used for furnishings etc, but obviously linen and kitchen stuff will be new. Is including a vacuum cleaner cheeky? We would clean in between but not during a week's stay.

How about tv, books and games, stuff for rainy days? Would dvds and cds, a radio be enough? My oh thought a few bikes, wdyt?

It really winds me up when there is no toilet roll or hand soap. Especially if there are several bathrooms. I don't want just enough for the first day or so either, I want it to be provided for the duration.
It is nice when there are some board games. Also a selection of leaflets that is kept relatively up to date.

We are going to a lodge in a few weeks and I'm really impressed by the list of stuff they provide including:

Nespresso machine and coffee pods
Fruit basket and locally produced bottle of wine on arrival
Robes and towels
Free fast wifi
Log burner and logs
BBQ
Portable Bluetooth speaker
Hand wash, shampoo and shower gel (all local)
Smart TV in living room and bedrooms
Dishwasher and dishwasher tablets
Discounts at local restaurants

Hope that helps!

I have a holiday let cottage. The best thing in my opinion (and pretty much always commented on in my reviews) is for the place to be spotlessly clean! Followed by nice furnishings/decor (not mismatched hand me downs). Good quality linens and kitchen equipment and comfy beds. My guests also get tea/coffee pods/sugar/milk/bread/butter/jam (enough to cover a couple of days) and local biscuits and fizz. Never had a complaint!

loo roll, local shower gel/body lotion, a few dish washer tabs and clothes wash pods. 2 tea towels. I could go on!

Expect - minimalist decor (nothing twee or chintzy and no clutter)

• dishwasher
• 1 x bathroom with shower for every two people.
• comfy beds, and the correct number of beds to fit the house (squashing 4 doubles into a two bed house just puts me off)
• Well equipped kitchen
• at least some outdoor space to sit and have coffee/wine or eat outside. A secure garden if I'm bringing the dogs.
• All bedding and towels provided, beds made up
• to not be expected to clean the house when I leave beyond leaving it tidy and surfaces wiped down
• free unlimited wifi

Love to find - A bottle of fizz/wine in the fridge and a box of chocs

• interesting art on the walls
• a beautiful garden
• waterfall shower
• stove top coffee pot (and pack of French roast coffee)

smart tv, Bluetooth speaker, books, games, iron and board, airer, washing line/pegs, hoover, good quality garden furniture, bbq.

I think a little starter kit with a sponge, a couple of dishwasher tablets, that sort of thing. I have also always thought a brand new toilet brush would be nice. They cost less than a pound and I HATE the old stained toilet brushes you always seem to find festering behind the loo in a pool of poo water. Yuck!

Haven't read the thread yet but:-
Zip and link beds
Blackout blinds
Not sold as "2 bed" if the second bed is the sofa in the living room
Enough crockery for however many it sleeps
A mop and dustpan and brush for any spillages
A smart tv

And wifi

Bikes - lovely idea but impractical. which sizes? What happens if the brakes fail and someone is injured? Also they need constant maintenance! That said 1 bike so an adult/ teen can nip to the shop without getting a car out then that’s really great. And if you had space to store an old balance bike for toddlers, that is useful too (and very few moving parts).

Yes hoover!

Salt and pepper and olive oil are always missing from the kitchen. Extra blankets and fans for the summertime. A guide to the local area. A little bit of coffee and tea and a little bit of milk.

Yes to vacuum

No to bikes - maybe fit a bike rack in the garden/drive and put it on the booking so people know they can bring their own and there is safe storage.

See I don't expect fully stocked loo roll but enough to start us off and that would do a weekend.

Dishwasher tablets should definitely be provided, one per day minimum.

Two pinter of milk (one barely stretches) enough dishwasher and washing machine tablets for a stay, box of tea and jar or sachets of coffee. Enough loo roll for stay too.

nice to haves are biscuits, crisps and wine, but o would prefer the above. Maybe a loaf of bread and spreadable butter and a jam - again, more useful than biscuits and wine and cheaper.

towels for bathroom and separate towels for beach, if that is a thing

Decent sharp knives
A cafetière
Some people might like a Nespresso type machine: specify what you have so that people like me don’t pack a cafetière, and others can bring the pods they like.
A good corkscrew
Good cotton bedding
Variety of pillow thicknesses and squashinesses
Not mean with the (fluffy) towels
Clean, not scented
No twee tat. No motivational messages or wooden hearts etc.
Nicely kept ‘outside’, some flowers if possible. I would love a BBQ, but that gives you potential cleaning issues.
A few comfy throws / blankets in the sitting room. Not manky, bobbly or stiff.
Decent full length mirrors.
A mirror in each room in reach of hairdryer plugs.
Will you provide a hair dryer? They do get nicked but are good to provide in case someone forgets.

-Zip and link beds, so can be twins or a larger bed depending on who is visiting
-Blackout blinds or curtains for bedrooms
-Enough comfortable seating for however many the house can hold
-Kitchen to include spare bin bags, dishwasher tablets (if you have a dishwasher of course!) washing up liquid, sponges, tea towels, kitchen roll. Basics like tea, coffee, (pods if you’re offering a nespresso!) sugar, salt, pepper, oil, tinfoil and clingflim
-Smart TV
-full length mirror somewhere!
-good towels, bath sheets not those teeny bath towels

Definitely board games. A deck of cards And Scrabble as a minimum.

If it’s a property that appeals to families then family friendly ones. Stick to classics.

If it’s very rural and very dark at night, some motion activated nightlights in hallways would be great.