To think a Beko fridge might put people off a luxury holiday let

[questionsandquestions]

AIBU? New business for us - combination of newby and nerves. Is 4 bedrooms in Lakes. Kitting it out with excellent mattresses, luxury 500 tc Egyptian cotton bedlinen, great towels, blackout curtains, furniture from Laura Ashley etc. Rest of kitchen is nice. Had read holiday lets should give people stuff they don't have at home where possible, so twin slimline Bosch dishwashers (is a thing in the US apparently), really good stove, steam oven/microwave combo. Was going to get American style fridge/freezer but actually prefer this Beko which has fridge at top (big, well lit, water in door but no plumbing needed/no ice), then a drawer which is a flex-zone (can be fridge or freezer), then a freezer at bottom. I would like this in a holiday let as I could have more freezer or more fridge. And these massive American ones put me off I hate scrabbling at the very bottom of them for veggies. But I can't find Samsung or LG or Kenwood version of one I want, only Beko. Other half says Beko gaff. Is 750 quid, vs. about 1100 for American but for me it's not the money. So AIBU to put Beko in luxury holiday let?

Yes I'd notice the cheap make. But it wouldn't be high on my priority list. Comfy mattress, good wifi, power shower would be at top.

What I really want in a holiday let is quilts appropriate for the season - thin in summer, thick in winter. Yet all they seem to have is thick quilts, which means I boil and don't sleep well.

Plenty of tea towels and dishwashing cloths. Even though I use the dishwasher on holiday, when we go away with that amount of people there is always a bit of hand washing going on, and I hate only being left with one tea towel that gets damp on day 1 and manky by day 2.

Honestly, no potential booker will even know what type of fridge you have. Instead of canvassing mners for ideas and tying yourself in k ots trying to please people who'll never even stay there, get a couple of agencies in to have a look. Even if you decide to market it yourself why would you do that, they'll tell you exactly how far you need to go with what you see as 'essentials.' As long as there's a decent fridge in situ, the brand won't affect bookings which is basically what you're after.
Our place was kitted out by the Scheister of a builder, so we didn't get to choose the white goods. Five years later, we've replaced the fridge, and the slimline dw is still going strong! It's a bit of a pita, but nevertheless people are willing to spend ££ to stay there because it's lovely, clean, and has sea views in a fab location. I can't stress enough - listen to a local agency and not randoms on the internet.

Don't give a shit about fridges but 500tc is not what I would consider luxury

Oh, and our shower is a trickler because that's just how the water is in this particular town. Will probs put a pump in at some point. But it's still booked solid through the season and people return and give glowing reviews.

Doh "its" not "it's"

We're still going strong with our Beko fridge 20+ years on. One of the hinges is a bit iffy after the hammering it has taken from the kids over recent years and I would fix it if it wasn't for the fact we are refitting the kitchen in the next couple of months.

I also like to see mugs (not just teacups), pasta bowls and egg cups. A set of melamine plates and beakers is handy when travelling with kids so less risk of breakage. Please also put in more than 1 set per person of cutlery and crockery. There's nothing worse than having nothing to use because it's all in the dishwasher.

Oh, and our shower is a trickler because that's just how the water is in this particular town. Will probs put a pump in at some point. But it's still booked solid through the season and people return and give glowing reviews.

Thanks again everyone for all the helpful responses. I don't think I would be allowed to put the link to it here but thank you so much for the positive feedback!!!

Dishwasher(s) and washing machine both have a 30-minute cycle (like PP I always want domestic stuff quick and easy in holiday lets), the rings are induction, there is no Aga. I will supply tablets for dishwasher(s) so even if we go for twins, that part shouldn't worry people.

Beds are 1 x CA King (zip linked but super-comfy one from John Lewis cost 2.5k, I love it and I am like Princess and Pea with beds), and 3 doubles. One small room can have a single made up if necessary (currently is a tv/teenager's hangout room at top of house). Beds were the best ones we could afford, and mattresses all positively reviewed. Linens all top end (will feel sad to lose, get them stained but ready for it). Two mattress protectors on each bed and on all pillows. Two changes for each bed for cleaners. One round of extra bedding (duvets, pillows) in plastic zipped bags in wardrobes in case people get cold (because lakes...).

House is older and wood floors ideally could do with refinishing and not all stuff is great (e.g. some sash windows paint peeling but work), everything is as spotlessly clean as I can make it. Modern loos. Plenty of space for boots, coats etc (is lakes after all...) even bought one of those things to help you get your wellies off. Maps, compasses, waterproofs also in cupboard for borrowing.

Thanks to PP who suggested hot tub. I did consider but 8k to put in and then cost of filling heating and then... do I want rowdy younger people who like hot tubs? I'd prefer families (and gone to lengths to have large video library/rainy weather games in house).

Unavoidably because of location, internet speed not great. Will fully disclose in adverts because don't want to be dinged on reviews. If people need super high speed, ours is not right place (yet... rumored high speed is close...)

Beko is low end, would expect Busch, Samsung etc for a luxury property.

Decent pair of binoculars (and a clear bird i.d./ wildlife spotter-type guide, for those unfamiliar with such) is always appreciated!

Good luck, OP.
All sounds very welcoming and practical.

We stay in luxury cottages and they don't always have high end appliances- some do, some don't. The appliances don't usually sway my decision about hiring, especially if they are integrated- I probably wouldn't notice. I would notice a budget toaster or kettle before I'd notice a budget refrigerator unless it had the name plastered across the from, in which case don't buy it!

I like ice and we use a lot of it but I always schedule an Ocado delivery for the evening of our arrival and include ice in the delivery.

I would prefer 2 slim line dishwashers as we don't eat elaborate meals in the holiday homes or use a lot of dishes which means a larger dishwasher ends up being run partially full.

The other stuff sounds great. Good luck, OP.

I have a plain, ordinary Beko fridge and its the bees knees. The space in it is so well designed and, even though the build quality looks cheap, in places, it outlasted the bosch that it replaced, which started getting too warm at the top. We've had to replace the handles a few times, but that's an easy DIY job and when we had the matching freezer (which we replaced with something bigger, rather than because it had worn out) we got sent a set of drawer fronts to replace one that had cracked, for free.

So nope, it wouldn't put me off at all.

Re your linens - can you not use a service? We have become friends with the caretakers of one of the holidaybplaces that we let and they use a service that provides absolutely lovely linens and bath towels for their lets.

I have a beko fridge freezer and washing machine...am I common?

Best oven setting to cook a pizza I use 180oc for everything at home. Unless the dial actually said pizza I wouldn't faff researching the ideal temperature on holiday.

Get the Smeg fridge if it goes at all with your kitchen. I had a smeg fridge freezer in my old kitchen and everyone who came in commented. It appeared on work video conferences sometimes if I worked from home in my kitchen and people commented then too.

Simple, roomy, mine lasted for years and almost everyone smiles at them. The cuter colour the better. Mine was baby blue.

Bloody hell - I literally just ordered us a beko fridge freezer today for our kitchen
Will I get looked down on??

We have Beko fridge, freezer and dishwater. All have managed so far for approx 5 years with no problems. Wouldn't hesitate to buy Beko again if the spec fitted with what we needed. Our Bosch as washing machine had a problem after 14 months and we had to stay home all day to wait for the "engineer".

Don't go to the bother of making a home look luxurious if you want to dress it up with laminated manuals. Have a really well thought out and designed file/brochure that holds all the information people will want in one place.

I'd be pissed off with laminate sheets hanging off things and throw them in the bin.

If you want honest opinion, I don't like Bekos. I don't think they are right for a luxury holiday cottage. And I would never buy one. I'm certainly not flush with cash but I don't trust the brand.

We have two holiday cottages in the lakes both are classed as 4 star plus.

People don't care about the make of the fridge. Most of our appliances are built in though so no one would really be able to tell.

People care most that it is properly clean when they arrive, that it is easy to get into, that it isn't littered with lots of rules and instructions and that there is a friendly welcome and a bottle opener.

We leave local guides and maps in the cottage, a small library of books games and dvds. We don't have wifi, yes it possibly puts some people off but others book it specifically for that reason. We get very good 4g and 3G signal so unless people are wanting to watch Netflix all week they usually manage.

We provide one tea bag per person and a jug of milk for a cup of tea on arrival and also leave fresh flowers homemade cake and a bottle of wine/local beers. We also give them 2 dishwasher tablets and a fresh dish sponge per booking (people swipe dishwasher tablets if you leave a full box!)

Feb - Oct it's very rare we have a vacancy. Nov - Jan we occassionally have an empty cottage every few weekends. Most of our trade is now repeat bookings so we must be doing something right.