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!

Please please pleeeeease wash the bedding and towels in something fragrance-free and environmentally friendly such as Surcare. Don’t use fabric conditioner as some of us can’t bear the smell, and I’ve stayed at a few places where I was itching all over for the first few days. Think allergy!

Make sure the loo roll is unperfumed too, otherwise we’ll get thrush. None of this coconut-scented stuff.

Make sure the towels are large enough for larger people. If you’re a size 10, ask a size 20 friend to test them out.

If you have a folder full of info with local restaurants etc, check through it every few months to make sure it’s up to date. We’ve stayed at places where there were still leaflets there for places that had closed.

And bearing in mind those of us who don’t drive, please give detailed information about public transport, how to get there and how to get around etc. If there’s a bus timetable, it is reliable? If you need to get a train to somewhere and then a taxi, are there taxis available at the station and did you need to book in advance etc? If it’s off equal distance between two stations, is one of them more reliable than the other?

@ErrolTheDragon , agreed, but when I had a little moan about this on another forum, I was roundly ticked off and sternly told that ‘roughing it’ was part of the ‘fun’ of going on holiday!

Not to me, when we’ve paid ££££.

We plan to allow dogs, (obviously!) would you provide dog bedding?

No - however well you wash it, it would still smell of other dogs to a dog's nose.

OP, in case nobody else has said it, nice big cosy throws/blankets for the living room - and preferably no cold leather sofas, please.

Whilst dishwasher tablets are great, please make sure the dishwasher actually works properly. Keep it topped up with dishwasher salt and rinse aid between guests, and test it to make sure it actually cleans the dishes. The number of times I've stayed in a holiday let and the dishwasher is crap. It's so frustrating.

Very comfortable beds and pillows.
very good quality bed linen
large, good quality towels
tea towels
a decent set of kitchen knives
scissors
bottle opener
Enough comfortable furniture for everyone
Adequate crockery and cutlery
half way decent glassware
a dishwasher
fridge and freezer
washing machine
oven
microwave
coffee machine with a starter pack of pods
parking appropriate to the number of guests.
Harmonious decor
tea towels
coat hangers
washing up sponge
good wi-fi
tv with Sky/Netflix or the like
board games/cards
garden furniture
bbq
bedside tables with reading lights
appropriately placed sockets
excellent showers
hairdryer for each bedroom
toilet paper
kitchen towels
a welcome pack with details of: places of interest, local restaurants/pubs/takeaways. Useful phone numbers, bus services, taxi companies etc.
it has to be as clean as a new pin.

😂😂😂😂😂😂 Spot on!

I can see I'm going to want to stay in my own holiday home!

@PopsyPie4 I did myself, at one point Maybe mn took out the / for some reason then quickly put it back when they saw what it said 😂

Someone mentioned about how hairdryers often go 'missing'; how much of this stuff would go walkies? It's sad to think of but it would be upsetting to keep losing stuff you had to replace. I'm guessing you really just have to hope that people are decent?

@lifesabitchandthenyoudie we haven't lost much at all.

One of our rules is that dogs cannot be left unattended in the property unless they are crated - the local pub allows them so there's no excuse. Dogs aren't allowed on the furniture or beds and owners have to bring a bed and bowls etc. @BodegaSushi thanks for your nice comment. I have given up sugar-coating it, so I am brutally honest about what we don't have. At least it stops most of the moans.

I include an aerial photo of the property which I took when DH flew us over. It shows fields around with livestock in them. Yet we still get guests moaning about tractors and cows. I'm not sure how I am meant to resolve it.

@tectonicplates yes! I use Smol at home and is all ff, and family has allergies so will make sure in that regard; also as someone said upthread will ask first re plant milk, food allergies etc.

@Malbecfan haha people moaning about country smells - you couldn't write it!

I hadn't realised how specific the details of provision/rules can be; will certainly provide as much info as possible and be specific where we need to, then at least people can't complain (well, they can try I guess!)

Good points about washing. I use non-Bio powder for all towels & bedding then white vinegar instead of fabric conditioner. Everything is line-dried. Zero complaints in 16 years.

White 100% cotton bedding gives a hotel feel with minimal cost

Same with white towels

A little selection of useful local produce

Usb points near bed

Local information

Something to wash up with

Things that would make it easy to be there.

1. Bedroom;

Good quality mattress in an enclosed protector.

Extra pillows and blankets.

A change of bedlinen.

Somewhere to sit and dress in case you can't manage it standing up.

1. Bathroom;

Lots of towels.

A small hygiene pack - doesn't have to be fancy, a travel sized set of Dove shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, two flannels and a packet or Kotex/Boots cheapest night time towels/tampax would be brilliant. And four new toilet rolls.

If it's large enough, a waterproof shower seat - they're good for children as well as anyone disabled or elderly.

Shaver socket and well lit mirror at dumpy woman, not 6'5" strapping Rugby Player, height. Same goes for the shower - if it's a cold trickle by the time it gets to my head, it's not very nice.

1. General;

Somewhere to dry towels (tumbledryer would help) and somewhere to hang up other clothes to dry, including pegs.

Access to a wardrobe - one place had tons of them, but they were all locked, presumably because they were being used to store linens/vacuum cleaner/cleaning supplies/the owner's stuff.

A mop, dustpan and brush (preferably longhandled, so disability is taken into account automatically) and broom.

Binbags. Full roll.

Notepad and pen.

Wifi code on a sticker in front of the router - in 14pt font and a simple code instead of something like oifha;ofhv''q$TT{$ {TI)IQ$)XM IlIIIIIlll11llliillL===$X)C Q{) {XC{)MX{C{) GT E)_(Iflihv hlfh voijp jxvm/s;v mo vmpfvx a0e49r=23903909

Optional lighting. I'm a sucker for LED fairylights and lamps rather than the brightest overhead strip lighting or spots.

1. Kitchen:

Chopping boards

Knives that are useful and not ornamental.

Scissors.

More than one saucepan + lid, a frying pan + lid - couple of half size baking trays would help.

Sea salt, pepper, a tiny bottle of olive oil (sealed).

If you're leaving bread and milk, can we have an option for gluten and lactose free?

Yorkshire tea. Those mini packets of PG Tips/random catering brands are horrible.

Washing up sponges, kitchen roll and teatowels.

@NeverDropYourMooncup I love your extra thoughts for different needs, thank you; they're on my list!

🤣🤣. So true

@lifesabitchandthenyoudie don't worry too much about things going missing. I have a holiday let and I manage several others for the owners who live away. I've had the same hairdryer for 5 years although recently the little end nozzle has disappeared.
What I have had over the years is a broken bed, doors off their hinges, dog diarrhoea on my cream carpets, dog scratches on the walls and doors, human vomit everywhere, mirrors and pictures off the walls, stains, marks and scratches all over the paintwork, ruined bed linen and all the normal broken cups and plates etc that you do expect. It is a hard job. And with some booking agents you will have to pay for the guests new accommodation if something like the above prevents you from being able to fulfil the next booking.
Be aware that rules around holiday lets, planning permission and business rates etc are changing and at the moment we don't know what the new rules will look like. The government consultation has just closed. Some places (Anglesey) is putting a stop to any new holiday lets, so do check with your local authority what their rules are. And someone has already mentioned the pink book, get a copy asap.
Also check out your neighbours carefully. Not everyone is happy with living next door to a holiday let and they can make your life hell.
Otherwise good luck!!

@TinaTotal thank you for the heads-up about things to expect! I imagine there's no come-back for damage? (apart from a civil suit which would just not be viable). Would insurance cover things like finding another place?

We've an eye on the new regs, thank you; most possible ones seem reasonable and doable so far, although tricky! Will get a pink book 👌

@lifesabitchandthenyoudie most of the big booking companies offer a deposit scheme for damages and/or their own 'insurance' type thing but yes do get a policy that covers accidental damage etc because I have not been successful in claiming on the damage deposit as yet!! The companies (Airbnb I'm talking about you!) definitely side with the guest over the host in most situations.

Nespresso machine and a dishwasher always make me happy😊

@TinaTotal will do, thanks!

very unscientific but it looks to me like a Nespresso (other coffee machines are available) and a dishwasher are tops!

along with a welcome basket, some supplies, lots of information and good quality, useful items.

Seems weird to me that clean is also on the list; wouldn't have thought it would ever be an issue! Of course it has to be cleaned in between, and very well!

This is a big ask because it really adds to your laundry, but two or three of those spa-like white cotton robes would be wonderful. You'd have a hard time getting them washed and dried between guests so would need to invest in two sets.

A few beers and a bottle of wine. Just for convenience; I'd totally expect that to be factored into the price. And a couple of cokes, which is my morning beverage. Not coke zero but original coke.

If you allow dogs, a spare lead; they have a way of getting misplaced.

A Dettox spray - I’ve seen how and with what some cleaners ‘clean’ these holiday lets - esp dog friendly ones 😐👍🏿☘️