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.

Marylou62 we have a clause stating that pets cannot be left alone in the cottage unless crated. We don't have a hot tub. We ask for names and ages of kids under the age of 18. If extras turn up, it invalidates our insurance and they can't stay, so they don't bother trying. There is no fence for balls to be kicked over.

We do have some old friends whose sons sometimes kick their football over a 12 foot hedge into next door. We get on really well with our neighbours so have told the boys to go round, knock at the door and ask politely if they can have it back. If our neighbours are outside, they will throw it over anyway. It's for a maximum of 2 weeks per year and they don't play football outside every day. Our neighbours' dog and grandchildren knock things into ours sometimes, so the reverse happens.

Maybe it's where it is..West Country seaside..but it is a £1,500 a week, sea views, hot tub, trampoline, kids toys.etc..catering for multiple families.. My friend asked them to move the seating (in fact early one saturday moved it all her self!) to the other side of the garden..Please she said..just not almost under her bedroom window. No said the owners. And it was all moved back.. Soul destroying for my newly widowed dear friend.
I had a trampoline and kids and yes they were noisy at times but I made sure that by 7 they stopped shouting.. (maybe 8 on a non school night) But..and this is just kids on holiday..the screaming!

If you’re renting I wouldn’t worry. I’ve owned a couple of houses next to holiday cottages. Being constantly blocked in was a problem in one and the sheer arrogance of the owners was a problem in the other.
Generally cottages are not as booked up as the agent claims and often there will only be a couple with dogs. I’ve only lived in small towns and villages.

ProfessorHasturLaVista is correct. If it sleeps more than 5 (excluding a cot), you have to have a second bathroom/toilet. On the other side of my house is a former holiday cottage which is now my dad's second home. It used to have a double and single bed in one bedroom, one double bed in another room and one single in the 3rd. There is a toilet and washbasin upstairs, a washbasin in the biggest bedroom and the main bathroom is downstairs. Our other cottage has no room for a 2nd toilet, hence 5 guests being the maximum we can fit in.

I would go for it. They're hardly going to be sitting in the cottage all day. And it's not exactly hen party central.

DD has two airbnb properties, she says almost all are lovely people especially the doggy ones. She has only had one awful lot from China, gawd the mess they left the place in was unbelievable. So it would not bother me.

Oh, you're only renting. In that case I'd definitely take it. It's not forever.

I agree there will be a sofa bed to make it up to seven but the reality is that it will generally just be one family staying there and maybe sometimes just a couple. It might be popular because it allows dogs but I’d imagine most people take their dogs there to take them on decent walks and yes, children go out for long day walks as well.

If they are good owners and letting agency then they will want to make sure you stay happy because if the tenants are awful and you complain, it could be the end of the place being a holiday let.

Sorry x post..Yes there are multiple clauses but I don't think it's checked. Key safe entry.
I cleaned a 4 bed/3 bathroom holiday home for years..used to have a list of who was staying..no way was that mess, every bed used, every bathroom used by elderly Mr & Mrs Smith. But although I told the owner nothing was done.
My friend has stopped complaining now , she is broken by it.
I suggested she ring the owners EVERYTIME she is kept awake, woken..But she won't. I am so sad for her.

It does seem to only be aimed at one family.
There is only one bathroom and no shower (thee only gripe with guests it seems).
I see it as for a family with up to 3 kids.

Can anyone tell me if, when a property is taken off market for winter, does the booking website still display dates as ‘taken’?
I’ve been past a few times lately and nobody seems to be there, even though the booking calendar says it’s unavailable.

Probably not OP. I own a holiday home in the lakes and it can get rife in the summer, people getting pissed etc especially the fact it can sleep up to 7 people... say 4 adults and then some kids, the adults get pissed and the kids run rife! We did a fair bit of research. As you know Ambleside isn’t as bad as Bowness, it’s still bloody busy.

Sorry OP..I have rather had a rant..Your future house does sound different and as you are renting and could move if needed..Go for it.. I wish you a lot of happiness and peace where ever you go.

Also it could be that unavailable means that an actual family live there... I would be tempted to call the lettings and explain honestly, though they might give you nothing it could be it’s rented out 3 months a year, but if that’s in the summer, your gonna have people on holiday essentially, and over even the last three years the lakes have become more and more rife with holidaymakers

I would go for it. You’re renting. You have nothing to lose to try it out.

Sallygoround631 Re families in daytime - my two are 12 and 15 but we generally go out together most of the time. We’be only just started leaving them “home” alone for an hour or two if we want to go shopping or have some (rare) child-free time on our own.
I don’t think families would leave their kids alone much younger than this tbh.

Don’t do it. It will full of scoucers having bbq’s/drinking/shouting in the summer.

@Marylou62 I’m sorry to hear about that, it sounds so awful.
Nothing can wreck you like an ongoing neighbour issue. No matter where!

I once lived in an ex industrial town in greater manchester. When I moved in it was fine, but over the years many old folks died off and the houses were purchased by multi occupancy landlords and the place went to absolute hell.
We had 6 men at one point next door, thin walls, and utter hell for 5 years. They weren’t bad people, just loud, different working hours and made a lot of I’m-act noise through the night, endlessly.
We were on phone to owner a lot, and he tried to help, but sadly once so many people inhabit what was once a two be terraced, you’re fucked.

In one place in Windermere there was a second home family who came next door in school hols.
Lovely people, cute kids, yet the noise was insane. The kind of shit that leaves you with a nervous twitch 🤪 You can’t complain about that sort of thing, but it’s just the luck of the draw I think. They were just enjoying themselves.

And sorry just one more thing..sleeps 8 could mean 8 adults. 4 couples = 4 toddlers and 4 babies..2 kids each..4 huge 4x4s parked. Which has happened a few times to my friend.

Hi @Sallygoround631, I was renting a place in central Brighton with sea view. The neighbours were so relieved when I moved in permanently, as it had previously been let as a holiday let. It was a beautiful flat.

They had endured years of late-night parties; condoms are thrown into the garden below; extra people were staying over the stated number. I also work from home and need a peaceful space; otherwise, I am not productive.

You could move and move again if it is disruptive, and I had to do that, but it affects your work. I have missed working days due to being stressed and then the added stress and cost of moving!

I love when I am now and knew it was perfect. You are having doubts, and that is not good. I trust my instincts. I would be concerned about the lack of Trip Advisor reviews!

Scousers?
Now now, I’m fond of scousers 😁

I’m from Liverpool, I know what we’re like 🤣

Scousers love the lakes

In all fairness the type of tourists you'll get in the cottage are a different type of folks than you'll find loitering around holiday parks with hordes of noisy kids.

School holidays are only 14 weeks of the year.It sounds as though it'll mainly be walking parties and couples and I'm sure if you're a dog lover they'll be plenty to stroke and say hello to.

It might just be perfectly fine.Remember if you take it and end up hating it you can always move.

Yes, the website would have it as ‘taken’ or ‘unavailable’. We had that one Christmas when our favourite cottage was booked . We took the one next door instead and the owners came in for a couple of days (original cottage) to do some maintenance and upkeep. They’d blocked out the whole 2 week period, though.
One bathroom for potentially 7 people is odd though.

@Marylou62

A hot tub changes the demographic of guests completely. No way would I want to live next door to one.

@Sallygoround631 . Yes. If the cottage is off the market the dates will show as being unavailable ie booked. Agencies will often keep a property on their website even if it is no longer a holiday let. I had a horrible job getting Sykes to remove mine.