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.

Before I moved in lived (in a VERY quiet North Yorkshire village, close to the moors) next to one of those very large holiday houses that can accommodate two or more families.

They would sit in the garden and chat and kids would play but it was never intrusive. Only had one really miserable time, when the house was hired to host a party, which went on all night and ended at 5.30am with people leaving, beeping their horns to say goodbye and lots of rowdy drunks walking round the village. Other than that I hardly ever heard the occupants.

I'd say go for it. Most people on holiday in the Lake District will be out all day and tucked up early at night!

As you're renting - go for it!

If you were buying, then I'd suggest more caution.

catwithnohat we once stayed in a cottage where they asked you to clean out the fire and make it ready to light for the next guests.
A full ash pan and a fire that wouldn’t catch because they’d used McDonald’s cups and cartons to make the pyramid shape instead of kindling.......yes, I Judged them. I Judged them hard. A discarded Kiss Me Quick hat would have been preferable.

My Mum has had a holiday let next door.

It’s good because they will be out all day, and won’t have raucous late night parties.

But. They will fill your bins to overflowing because holiday self catering seems to generate tons of rubbish and visitors never understand or abide by the rules for bins. I bet your council only collects twice a month? So be prepared to get on to the letting agents and make them remove rubbish sacks at the end of the let.

And they will park massive XC90s and Range Rovers outside your windows.

We are in a semi detached. A few years ago our neighbour, a developer converted next door into air b&b flats. They are at the higher end of the market. Been far less noise than previously when tenants.

Surely they’ll be out for a lot of the time though? I think that will probably be better than living next to a family full time?

Are you an artist OP? Very stylish diagram.

I'd give it a go, by the way.

But if you are 3 couples with a dog each who want to hike or cycle then choices are limited. Or a set of grandparents with a dog, plus their children with 2 dogs and a couple of grandchildren....
Popularity likely to be to do with that imo.

Agree with others to look at the listing and reviews to see what the demographic of their market is. Also that if there's a hot tub definitely swerve it. And just walk past at different times of day to gauge noise levels.

Apologies if I seem ignorant, but not having kids of my own, do people take them out all day, cycling, hiking and whatnot? I see a lot of mums with Baby backpacks in hills but not many actual family groups.
Perhaps they do more sightseeing, Beatrix potter, etc?

The reviews for the holiday cottage a few and far between, considering it is so popular! The people seem fine, a few families with pets and the occasional overseas visitors.

I’d be tempted to go for it, as it fits your requirements in every other way. If there are problem holiday visitors, let the agents/owner know - don’t forget they will be relying on you not to cause any problems for the visitors so they should want to keep you happy.

Absolutely NO WAY!! Do any of you who have said they would ever lived next to a holiday cottage! My very good friend does and it has made her life a misery. Sleeps 8..BUT..sneak a few more in..kids screaming in the hot tub..Then running around screaming till 11pm some nights...adults doing who knows what in the hot tub! ..constant banging of the ball on the fence. People putting their small kids to bed then sitting outside till early hours having fun..EVERY NIGHT from Easter till November! Then the owners let their 16yr old have an after prom party.. the police and ambulance attended that..It has been years of this..Please think very carefully about this. Forgot the leaving dogs howling and barking at the house whilst they go to the beach..ALL DAY! Against the rules and my friend has complained but the owners/letting agency don't give a stuff. Think carefully OP

I would go for it. In my experience (we have an annexe on Airbnb) holidaymakers are out most of the time anyway.

BEST SKETCH EVER

Take the house!

But then again, having just read Marylou62’s post, maybe not!

I would go for it. Sounds lovely!

PIL bought a house in a mid terrace and this summer just gone the people who lived next door have started letting the house as a holiday let. They were worried at first, but it’s been fine. There’s another holiday let across the courtyard from them and that sleeps 8 and again they never seem to have any issues with it.

Hah, I am an artist, which renders the diagram even more embarrassing!

Ok, so the house has one double bedroom, one twin, one single.
So I’d say one set of parents plus 3 children.

Just a bench/picnic area at side of house, no hot tub!

I would hide me freaking bin for sure ! I already get the wekenders Prosecco bottles where I am in Windermere. I’m prepared 😎

Based on your (excellent) sketch: go for it

You a renting in a tourist village - you are always going to have neighbours unless you live in a rural isolated cottage - would you want that? If not you need to compromise as this seems fine - it's not like they are the other side of a semi.

Although just thought one plus about holiday lets with dogs vs neighbours with dogs is that often the let specifies dogs can't be left unattended so during the day at least there's likely to be less barking, also presumably they'll be required to pick up shit or the owner/cleaner will do it when they leave.

I do think that generally neighbours with dogs are a pita due to noise and also due to shit, but holiday lets are better in this regard.

That means it sleeps 5. The damn website said 7. Perhaps there are 2 dog bunks 😁

Eek, I don’t want to be a negative Nora but I once lived in a flat underneath a holiday let. It was advertised as a family let in a lovely, quiet corner of a city. It was permanently filled, with groups of very noisy people. It slept 7 but often looked like there were a few more crammed in. It was an absolute nightmare. Little ones screaming, late night music, rubbish and cigarette ends left everywhere, etc. etc. In the off season, the owners would rent it out to groups of workmen for extended periods of time.

I do appreciate we might have been unlucky and that the noise was probably worse because we were a flat below, rather than next door neighbours...

There's probably a sofa bed in the living room which would make it up to 7 people capacity.

Double sofa bed downstairs? Sometimes occupancy can be extended that way. They’d have to have more than one bathroom though, I think. And adequate fire escapes.