To ask you how you go about choosing a holiday cottage?

[Movinghouseatlast]

My disclaimer is that I am setting one up! It is an annexe attached to my house.

There seems to be so much choice of area I don't know how anyone makes a decision!

So do you pick a general area, or a specific place? Eg Cornwall, or a specific village.

In terms of cottage companies, do you stick with one and look at every suitable property? Or look at loads of companies?

Is price most important? Or a view? Or the interior?

Mine is very high end (luxury dare I say) inside, big log burner, massive furnished terrace but we don't have a sea view. Next door has a sea view, but is very basic (but lovely) inside. We are more expensive as I have compared our house with nearby ones with similar interiors and facilities.

Is it important to you to be able to walk to a village/pub/beach? You can from ours, but some of the most popular cottages in my area are a drive from anywhere at all. Yet they are expensive and booked all year round- and don't have additional facilities to mine.

I am.just trying to get my head round it all. I want to get my pricing right and give people a fab experience.

Thanks.

It depends on what we're doing on that particular holiday really, so a lot of what you are asking about will change, ie sea view, walking distance to pub etc.
We go away with my mum, and this is what we look for -
Guaranteed parking (ie nothing the neighbours can grab while we're out
A walk in shower and a bath (surprisingly rare, most showers are over the bath and no use to mum)
Proper bedrooms (nobody sleeping on a sofa bed)
Somewhere to sit outside
Plenty of sitting area for the number of people staying
A feeling of privacy, we don't really like to be in a situation where the owners can watch us coming and going
A well equipped kitchen that isn't full of old food left by previous holidaymakers
A welcome tray with tea, coffee, sugar and some milk in the fridge, and tell us it will be there is useful.

When we plan a trip away we often just search for what we want in the cottage, see what comes up and where they are, then decide on location based on that.

Oh, and no stupid rules about leaving the place as we find it. We won't. We will be living in there for a week and we're not going to clean your bath for you when we leave. We'll bag up rubbish and put it out and leave things sensibly tidy. Get a decent cleaner lined up. When I read on here about people stripping beds, putting a wash on, getting the Hoover out... I'm frankly gobsmacked.

We go to Dorset every year, sometimes twice. Weve never stayed in the same cottage twice but always use the same cottage company.

We have a 2.5 year old whose been coming with us since he was 4 months but also holidayed in Dorset when we were just a couple.

Things I always consider:

Parking
Wi-Fi
Washing machine (didn't care about this pre kids)
Bath not just a shower because of ds.
Location such near beach, shops is lovely but we're happy to drive and don't go out in evening so not too important.
If the place looks comfortable. We've stayed in some ones with awful sofas which aren't great when we're in all evening as ds is in bed.
Number of bedrooms- don't want to share with DS.
Now we have ds I consider how safe the place looks as rentals never have stair gates for example. If possible I choose one which is all one level.
Price is obviously important as we have about 4 holidays a year so some need to be a bit cheaper but also in turn happy to pay a premium if the cottage is well equipped and presented nicely.

We look for the following:
Dog friendly in an area with good walks.
Beach nearby.
Not more than 3 hrs from home .
Clean and comfortable.
Parking.
An enclosed garden.
Space for cooking and storage of food.

I have a list of things I'm looking for, number for bedrooms, dishwasher, Wi-Fi, etc. Date availability and price next, then location. Once that's been narrowed down it's simply the one I like the look of. If there's a lot of choice, being attached to the owners house would put me off a bit as rightly or wrongly I feel like you'd be checking up on me! Not a complete deal breaker though. Good luck with your business.

For us, we care about:
WiFi (shit WiFi last year and we won’t return to that cottage)
Dog friendly (we have 2 small dogs and need to take them)
parking and accessibility
Washing machine, microwave, dishwasher, decent telly and comfy sofas are a big plus too

Once I find a company I like I tend to stick with them. I would search by area, for example if I wanted to go to Cornwall I'd be specific about which area within Cornwall as some are better than others.

I'd want a property that is means I don't need to be in the car all the time. We've just booked a place for this summer that has a lovely pub, cafe, beach and coastal path within 200 metres. It doesn't have a sea view but has a view over fields. I'm not so fussed about the interior - it's doesn't need to be high end as we're not planning on staying in that much, but it needs to be clean, comfortable (and wifi - some places don't offer do to the rural location) and have a well equipped kitchen - sharp knives - annoying when somewhere has blunt kitchen knives.
It needs a decent garden to be able to sit out in and I don't like properties that are attached to the owners - I'd feel like they would be watching us.
Price is important, I don't want to feel like I'm being ripped off. We are -paying £2500 for a 2 week stay at the beginning of July so not quite peak and that is about the maximum I'd be prepared to pay.

I pick a general area (Wales for example) then google holiday cottages in wales, find one I like, read reviews, look at what’s in the local area and then book.

Most of the cottages I’ve booke have been via Trip advisor tbh

However I need the cottage to have
WIFi
Guaranteed parking for my car (especially if I’m going someone at a busy time of year like summer)

If I’m booking rural I want something for the kids to do without me having to drive them, so woods/streams/beach etc right outside the door where they can mess around without bothering neighbours. I also want a view and somewhere to park and a few places to visit and shop/pub within 20-30 min. I don’t drink but I imagine walking distance from pub appeals to lots of people.

If we are going on a city break I want to be within walking distance of attractions and public transport.

We stayed somewhere once that was an annexe next to the owners house and she was a pita. She complained that the kids made too much noise playing in the garden/around the pool then criticised them when I made them go on iPads to keep them quiet and she complained that we cooked in the kitchen (she said she expected us to just use it for making sandwiches even though there was an oven and hob and pans). She was overly precious about her furniture/plates etc, which were all lovely things but it was a holiday let and we should have been able to drink a glass of water without her standing over us telling us to be careful we didn’t break anything. I basically want to be left alone. I recently didn’t book somewhere on a lodge/cabin type site because ther was an ‘optional’ cleaning fee of £50 and a huge list of things you must do before leaving if you chose not to pay it. I do tidy up when I leave a place and I’m not especially messy but I don’t want a ‘relaxing’ break somewhere where they are telling you off about cooking grease on the splash backs before you’ve even paid the deposit.

Having seen some of the repossess above, I'd add I avoid dog friendly properties as it doesn't matter how much you clean you can never get the smell of dog out. We've been caught out by that before and had to spend money on air freshners.

WiFi ( got a teen)
Dog friendly ( not everyone wants this)
Twin beds in at least 1 bedroom
Parking
Outside space
Walking distance to a pub is nice
No longer than 2/3 hours drive from home
Nice but not all cream carpets and expensive stuff/ornaments I need to worry about

We look for:

Parking
Sofas and dining tables that seat everyone
Privacy from owners
Bedroom/bathroom set-ups

I like information. The more I see the more I know it's right for my family. So - the walk to the beach - on a path? Busy road? Steep steps? OK with a pram?
Terrace - is it secure or will I have to be within grabbing distance of my toddler? Are there steep drops?

I go for one in the middle of nowhere right next to water where you can swim (and middle of nowhere so I can skinny dip without worrying about traumatising strangers!). I definitely would not want one that is an annex to the owner's house, that would be far too close for comfort and I wouldn't be able to relax.

I've never stayed with one company but the last one was good and I'd look there first next time.

I look for guaranteed parking and ease of access, good WiFi, to be able to walk to places, good furnishings (as nice as I have), no dogs allowed, some food shopping nearby (I like to spend my money locally). If you have stocked the kitchen with 4 plates for 4 people etc I will never come back, especially annoying when there is a dishwasher.

Near a beach
WiFi
Dogs allowed
Clean

We have a holiday cottage. If you haven't got a view there's nothing you can do about it. Focus on the making the best of it. Include towels, good bed linen, spotlessly clean.
Make sure the description is very clear and you highlight the best bits of yours eg. "Cosy modern interior"
"Short walk from village where you will find restaurant, pub, shop"
"5 minute walk to the beach"
Etc.
If you using a letting company they will have ideas how to price it. Discuss with them.
It's low season now but ours still has bookings because it's very cosy inside and is in an area with lots to do all year and popular with walkers.

I look in a particular area, look at various holiday companies plus direct.
I look for somewhere that looks comfortable. So has to have actual beds for everyone, have enough chairs for everyone to sit in in the living room and at the dining table, have enough plates etc for everyone. You would think this would all be basic, but many places that look lovely, do not meet this criteria.

Then I look at decor, look at reviews - cleanliness is very important to me, view, whether it has a log burner.

I then look at price. I tend to ignore any that are an annexe to the owner's property. I worry they would be intrusive, or keeping an eye out on us. And would only book this kind of accommodation if it was cheaper than comparable properties or had something special I wanted that other properties don't. So I probably would not book your place.

I find if you hunt around you can usually find a really nice place at a decent price. I have only once paid more than surrounding properties and that was because it had a full size heated outdoor pool, while others only had tiny pools. IME good properties are often booked out way in advance.

Not bothered at all about WiFi even though I’m glued to it at home.

Agree with twin beds and no cream carpets etc. Washing machine is a bonus.

It’s surprisingly difficult to find cottages that work when I go away with my parents. Our basic requirements are 2 en-suite bedrooms with double or king size beds, but so many places only have one bedroom with a double / king size bed and all the other bedrooms with twin beds.

We have 2 very small dogs (smaller than cats) so that is the first thing we look for. Pet friendly.
Then as a Pp said it’s not nice when there are signs everywhere telling us to do cleaning/strip beds/etc, slightly menancing notices at times.
So yes book a good cleaner for once guests have gone and factor in price maybe.

Have some experience managing a luxury holiday let for 7 yrs.

If you have a log burner supply a good amount of logs and firelighters - I gone to cottages where you have to pay for a log basket of logs. Not impressed especially if staying in a luxury property.

We supplied a welcome pack - Tea, coffee, local milk and butter, biscuits and fresh bread.

Welcome book which tells the holiday makers all the relevant info - medical numbers - local and main hospitals, GP, emergency dentist. How to use appliances guides, Local walks and attractions, wifi code.

A clean property is the MAIN thing.

If you have stocked the kitchen with 4 plates for 4 people etc I will never come back, especially annoying when there is a dishwasher

This so much!

one of the nicest places I stayed had no WiFi, no tv, just a tiny toaster oven thing for cooking on but it had a huge crockery cupboard and loads of ‘stuff’ like oil/salt/cling film/tea/coffee/vinegar and even had thermoses and picnic things. It was such a lovely easy place to stay

Sleeping arrangements (I always want an ensuite, but most people are probably more flexible).

Cleanliness and photos of the interior - I once got burned renting a place that turned out to be filthy! For this reason I would also prefer to rent through an agency, because then you have some comeback if there are problems.

Good reviews. I would take some bad reviews with a pinch of salt, though, as they are sometimes clearly by nutters.

Proximity to beach or other attractions.

Privacy.

Preferably a pub or restaurant within walking distance, but this isn't a dealbreaker.

Wifi.

Not so bothered about a supermarket nearby because I don't mind driving one trip to stock up.

Guaranteed parking.

Outdoor space for kids to play.

Location and privacy are important to me and I won't book a holiday cottage unless I know the exact location. Some websites are vague about these things e.g. no exact map and no photos of the immediate surroundings so you can't tell how close neighbouring properties are.