What do you look for in a holiday cottage

[tabitha]

I'm not sure whether this is the 'right' place to post but here goes.
I've recently inherited a share of house in a popular holiday resort (UK). The deceased person was keen that the property be kept on for family members to use for holidays and to allow this, we're thinking if renting it out at other times. We're not looking to make a fortune but hope to get enough money to pay for maintenance and repairs with maybe a little left over. We'll probably use a holiday lettings company to manage it for us.
Although the house is in a good condition, we'll probably have to do a bit of redecorating etc before we let it out. I'm looking for some pointers on what people look for in a holiday let e.g decor, facilities etc.
Any assistance / comments would be really appreciated.

Decent bedding for me. I wouldn't go back or recommend a place that had cheap mattresses, flat pillows and lumpy duvets.

I also avoid places that have a separate cleaning fee listed as it makes it uneconomical for short stays.

We have young kids so sometimes an evening in and early night is required. We love it when there is a dvd player (and sometimes dvds) there for entertainment.

We also love being left gift baskets with local info, takeaway menus, mags or newspapers, essentials and wine. We have stayed in loads where things like wine are provided and then youre asked to replace before you leave. I like that.

Decor wize I prefer sinple plain walls with noce pictures up. Reasonable cosy furniture. Non squeaky beds. Nice clean fresh bed linen. Places to hang clothes (with hangers). A hoover and an iron too are always useful.

Also things like bedside lamps are useful.

It would really surprise me if no tumble dryer would put people off!

Lamps are important. I have stayed in a few where the owners have clearly not experienced the place at night.

We stayed somewhere last year - small which was fine.
Upstairs was bright and everywhere painted white with white linen and tiny touches of colour - lovely

Downstairs was dark and brown and such a disappointment- it did have small windows but the dark walls, brown furniture and old brown sofa did not help.
They were low on bookings and I think the browness in pics probably put most people off (it suited us for price and specific location)

Wifi, dishwasher, washing machine, properly comfortable well lit seating area indoors, decent sized TV, towels (lots). Small quantity of food/condiments provided and a bottle wine in the fridge. Enough toilet rolls in bathroom that I don't have to go and buy any.

Decor with some style, not just same old neutral decor as done 1000 times before - something that makes me feel special to have picked your place instead of all the others.

Proper pictures on website as stated above - not endless ones of the local attractions, or a nice coffee table with an array of magazines on, but ones that actually show me what the property is like.

On arrival - pack with info about local pubs, restaurants, takeaways, supermarkets, walk-in centres in case of emergency etc.

please also think about the statutory things you have to do in order to let a property. so you will need a Fire Risk Assessment and also possible a Disability Access Statement. Also electrical appliance testing annually and annual gas supply test if appropriate.

Your fire risk assessment may mean that you need to put in mains smoke alarms and appliances to put out fires. it might also mean that you ban candles and be careful about leaving matches around.

also when leaving a basket on arrival as a gift think about allergies and also don't leave cleaning products, even in the bathroom, unless they are locked away. this is all sensible health and safety type stuff you wouldn't necessarily do in your own home but need to if you are letting.

just because the property has been let before don't assume that all these things are either there or up to date. get them and review them yourselves. your insurance is invalidated if you do not have an FRA or the PAT testing and other h and s type things.

PLI is also needed.

if the property isn't on mains drinking water then you will be required to have an annual test and risk assessment.

don't just think about the stuff that looks nice in photos but also about the legal things you have to do which all cost money and can be a bit of a pain.

Yes to enough loo rolls to last a week, also enough washing up liquid and dushwasher tabs, plus a few washing machine ones (unfragranced). I'm not interested in bottles of wine, I'd rather buy my own, ditto hampers although a pint of milk and some tea/coffee are welcome. I don't want fresh flowers to get rid of half way through the week and I definitely don't want air fresheners, linen that has been washed in scented detergent or fabric conditioner or anything else smelly.

Agree I may not drink the wine but it makes me feel warmly to the owner that put it there.

Totally agree re: fragrance - you may think it is nice and luxury but I don't want to be using my inhaler all week because I'm allergic to the sheets. Asthma is very common. Room fragrance is my deadly enemy.

When looking for cottages I always put open fire/log burner and dog friendly (if it's near a beach, or open countryside) into the search. I look for enclosed gardens too.

I'd also want it to be spotless, with neutral bedding and towels and a tasteful mix of furniture.

On arrival, it's nice to have a small gift of local produce and lots of information about the area.

I've never been to a cottage where they supply more than 2 loo rolls,even the 5 star cottages don't.

My main criteria is that is it not near the owner, but that doesn't look like a problem for the OP.
In my holiday search anything that says 'a wing of the Owner's house' or 'in the Owner's garden' gets immediately rejected. You can put 'friendly and helpful' in front of that but it doesn't work on me. The fact that 'Owners' often has a capital letter is worrying too.

Also there's a holiday company that puts 'children welcome' as a criteria on their cottages. Why on earth shouldn't they be welcome? I take that to mean they are only just tolerated.

Wifi is essential for my family. Washing machine, yes, dryer - a bonus but not essential. I usually dry things outside in the garden, whenever possible. The same with the dishwasher, I don't have one at home, and don't bother with it when we rent a cottage. Lots of different bedding, a decent fridge and freezer, good cooker and oven, and lots of pots and pans, not just basics.

A decent range of utensils in the kitchen. Clean with unfussy decor. A wood-burner or fire is nice. I had trouble finding a place that would allow me to bring my cat. Lots are advertised as pet friendly but then on enquiry it turns out they only allow dogs. I don't mind furniture being cheaper Ikea stuff as long as the bed and sofa are good and the bed linen is high quality. The place we rented at Easter had a really great L shaped sofa, it was brilliant. I also specifically look for places that are not open plan layouts. I need a kitchen door so that my cat can be contained to the kitchen whilst we're out. She's not generally destructive but I wouldn't want to risk her scratching someone else's furniture.

Clean, Parking ,Wifi are all essentials.
Clean fresh decor is always good.

Im happy enough with whatever is in the kitchen .If it isnt there I can't use it .

We usually eat out so basic cooker and microwave +toaster will meet most of our holiday needs.

Proper cutlery is a must though. I well remember the holiday we had where the forks bent on pastry and the knives wouldnt cut anything.

A washing machine is good plus outside drying space.

Specify whether pets are welcome or not . What facilities are available for disabled people.

Not too many knick knacks.

A full check list of the house contents

A proper contact for problems for the house. An email address that is only checked once a week won't do.

If anything other than dogs are allowed you need to put that in the info.

I'd have an awful time if a cat had been there - I've never even considered that a possibility when pets are welcome

The OP asked what we looked for in a holiday cottage, obviously people look for different things! At the minute I want a dryer because I have a baby and if something essential gets dirty I want to be sure I can get it dry quickly. I'm not bothered about a dryer when we don't have a baby! There are obviously people who successfully let dated, basic cottages which don't look especially comfortable as I see them on websites all the time! But I wouldn't rent them, unless they were all I could afford and I needed to be in that location.

I don't think anyone here has mentioned stuff that would push a cottage into the luxury end though. No one's talking about nespresso and saunas and a visiting cook!

An absolute must - dishwasher, washing machine and separate dryer (have rented places with washer/dryers and they have all been rubbish), wifi, TV in all bedrooms, modern and clean looking decor with no knick knacks, dog-friendly.

A plus - a mention of good quality beds and clean, white bedding, a well equipped kitchen, wood-burner and outdoor seating.

Thanks everyone. These are all really helpful.

Cantseethewoods, I've had a quick look at the owners' forum you suggested (will have a more thorough look when I've got time) and will try to find the previous thread you mentioned too.
The house has got a lot going for it, imo: nice location near the beach, town centre, station etc and I think that with a little bit of effort and money we shou be able to get it into a marketable condition.

I'm assuming this is a family sized house (rather than a 1-bed place for a couple). In which case:

Washing machine

Decent clothes airer - you can't always dry outside, and not everything can be tumble dried (though a drier would be nice)

Enough heat proof mats for taking things out of the oven - I might have two dishes in the oven, and be using the hob (so can't put additional hot things on there).

Bed linen - towels I don't mind, but we probably don't have the same size beds at home (as we don't have a standard double anywhere in our house, we don't have linen for one).

A super-king bed would really sell it for me - we have one at home, and struggle to fit in a smaller bed.

Downstairs loo - nice, but not essential.

Decent sized TV; we've stayed in places where the TV was smaller than my laptop screen!

Whatever you choose, please please stay in the house for a weekend at least once it's been kitted out for guests - then you'll discover if there's enough light to read in the living room, whether you have enough pots and pans etc. We've stayed in some lovely properties on paper, but where there have been some glaring oversights in the detail. And in others which aren't so posh in the advert, but where the owner clearly stays regularly - e.g. there's a hook for the window that would blow in the wind when open.

Forgot - no footboard on the bed.

My DF was really tall and we used to have to search ages to make sure any beds in holiday accommodation didn't have footboards or iron things at the end as even in a superking, his feet would stick out.

SleepyFun, it's currently 2 bedrooms but there is also a separate dining room which could be made into bedroom 3 as there is probably enough room in the kitchen to eat.

I'm American and we usually stay in self-catering accommodation when in the UK. We don't mind old-fashioned or even quirky in the decor, but the following are important: wifi, dishwasher, good coffee making equipment, comfortable mattresses and decent quality bed linen and towels, washing machine, tumble dryer not required but nice to have. Also important: minimal list of do's and don'ts, but good list of places to eat, instructions on how things work, etc.

One thing that I have noticed is that a lot of recently redecorated places in the UK (and also in the US for that matter) all look the same: gray walls, gray furniture, everything grey and stainless steel. I like a bit of variety a touch of character.

Even if it's two bed, that's a family of 4 (I'm guessing) - which means that a washing machine is more necessary, and child level ornaments are less appreciated (yes, DD has broken some of the latter).

I think that if the location is as good as you say then you don't need to go big on positively lovely decor- you just need to avoid any hint of negatives. So neutral plain clean white and vinyl flooring downstairs (there will be a lot of sand) will be fine - the location will sell it out as long as it looks clean and equipped with the essentials.