To be wary of moving next to a holiday cottage?

[Sallygoround631]

I’m due to move soon, I rent and live in the Lake District. Have lived/worked here for past 5 years and am very happy in general. My partner lives in Lancaster although we stay at my place mostly when his work allows.

I am self employed, work from home. Mid forties, no kiddies. Major priorities for me where I live are usually peace and quiet and not in a flat block.
Been to view and been offered a gorgeous place in Ambleside, close to the museum. It is a lovely period property, not overlooked, mountain view and access to great walks (I’m a keen fell walker) a great price and has only one joined on neighbour - a couple who stay in summer only.

Since putting down a holding deposit I have done a bit more research. There are a couple of nice holiday cottages adjacent to my property, which looked quiet and empty when viewing. Since doing a bit of web research it seems the one right next to me is a 4 bed family friendly cottage allowing 3 pets.

It is not attached to my property, but about 6 steps away from my door/side.

I love kids, and dogs, and Im fairly cool with most of the touristy stuff in the lakes - am used to it now. But this worries me a bit as we’d share the side patio (our outdoor sheds are in it, so their comings and going would be close to my front door). The place sleeps 7 and is permanently fully booked, according to the agents who let it out.

Would I be mad to take this?
Their parking is also close to my door but I don’t use a vehicle so not too worried about that.
If I back out I loose the £100 deposit, so just not sure.

And yes I ought to have researched prior to slapping the money down but hey ho, it’s been a funny few weeks.

No nosy neighbours is a definite plus!

If you are renting why not give it a go. You can always hand your notice in when your six months are up. You'll know after a.summer whether you can tolerate it longer or not

Think of all those lovely doggos that will be walking past your door ready for a scruffle and a fuss! ❤️

Gonna do a diagram!

X post with @Fr0g ,
I only want a pic of the house not the dude in pants

I’m a sucker for a toy poodle ❤️

Waits with bated breath . . . . . . . . . . .

No wonder it’s popular if it allows 3 dogs. Those properties are quite hard to come by.

OP Iive in the Lakes near Ambleside. All our neighbouring properties are holiday cottages with shared parking and access. In some ways it's much better than having permanent neighbours because if someone is crap with parking or a bit noisy they've gone within a week. When we first moved in one of the neighbours was living there permanently and was an arsehole - when he moved and it was sold as a second home we were really relieved

If you're going to be renting then definitely go for it as you can move out after six months if you don't like it anyway.

Ok this is my diagram, apologies I had to do it on iPad.

Red - the holiday let
Blue - their shed, patio area.
Orange - my utility shed.
Green - my home.

I would go for it, it sounds perfect and it’s not like the Lake District attracts late night ravers anyway. Most neighbours would have the odd bbq and drink in the summer and knowing the lovely lakes weather it’s not like they will be doing that every night 🌧

here are some toy poodles to coo over

The show one www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/462463455464327544/
The cute one www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/462463455459978089/

The umm toy one
www.amazon.co.uk/Gund-23cm-Nayla-Cockapoo-Soft/dp/B004MFVL34/ref=asc_df_B004MFVL34/?hvlocphy=9046634&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=310135546545&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos=1o3&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=aud-882903033794:pla-436576081383&hvrand=10991429339907205954

@lakeswimmer, thanks, this does swing me towards it, and the alternative is further away from my beloved hills. Windermere is a bit too pricey for me and I do need the great bus routes that Ambleside affords.

Bravo for that diagram. Best ever 3D diagram. More like a sketch!

Have you looked at the reviews. It might give you some insight into the type of people you get staying? Also, is it a good rental cottage company or one you know has a poor reputation locally?

In Ambleside you’re more likely to go to a restaurant or pub for a meal than fire up a holiday cottage BBQ anyway, because you’re not spoilt for choice.

Nice diagram, OP! Your property looks to be catty-corner to the holiday let. They might store things in the shed like bikes but that makes them more likely to be off out and about all day.

I definitely wouldn't buy next to a holiday let just because when people are on holiday their schedules/activities/noise levels are different from when they're at home and working. However I might give it a punt with renting as it's easier to move.

That said if, at the end of the six months, it really has proved to be unbearable that's six months of aggro plus moving out of rented is an expensive hassle ime - waiting for deposit refund, often paying two lots of council tax and rent for at least a week and often two, plus the usual expense of hiring movers and the usual hassle of redirecting post and sorting utilities, time off work to move/organise, extra expenses for convenience food etc. I'm not renting any more but when I did I found you need to have well over a grand to cover it all, a lot of which you won't get back. So, in short, I dunno.

@AICcalavicci the cute one made my day!

Most people who visit the Lakes are out and about for a fair percentage of the time and if there are noisy folk they wont be around for too long.

On the plus side the kind of people who spend time there aren't the same demographic as kiss me quick hats etc?

I live next door to a holiday cottage and it's totally fine. You know at least that it will be maintained and the garden kept neat.

I'd take it without a second thought.

More likely to be Max and Paddy clones....

OP if you aren't buying, that changes matters more in your favour as it could just be for 6 months.

I live next door to my own holiday cottage. We don't let it out over the winter at all. It sleeps 5 and we allow up to 2 dogs. Most people who come are lovely. They share our garden and park outside our window so it doesn't block our garage. They don't tend to get up very early but spend the middle part of the day away, coming back early evening. Round the corner and side on to us is another holiday property. This one is much larger - 4 beds, sleeps 6/7 and no dogs. Those owners don't live anywhere nearby so have no idea about their guests. Most are families or extended families and we do hear the children in the garden if we are outside. However, we don't hear anything else.

Our cottage has a term in the contract about not causing a nuisance to neighbours. In your position I would check that out with your prospective neighbours. However, as others have said, even if you get rubbish guests, it's only for a fortnight at the most and over 95% of our visitors have been really nice and considerate.

I agree to look at the reviews to see what the tenants (and also owners) seem to be like.

I’d imagine the majority of holidaymakers will be considerate and any bad ones will only be there for a week.

It’s not so much that it’s a holiday let as how many it sleeps.

I’ve been around a few holiday let’s in the time I’ve been here but none were as permanently booked as this.

The agency that lets the cottage do seem hands on and decent. Lot of owner involvement and it is very well cared for and pretty. Still, that amount of neighbours permanently - even if they change each week - sort of worries me.