What are the best things you've ever been left or have seen in a holiday home?

[lasagnecheese]

Hi all. Thinking of trying to purchase a little seaside holiday home that I can rent out for part of the year, and I'd be really interested to know...

What are the most unusual/impressive/quirky things you have ever found in a holiday home?

I really want to try and make it something that feels special to stay in, with lots of personalised finishing touches. What would make you think "wow" they've thought about this... so far have things like welcome baskets with food treats and buckets/spades for kids etc, dog treats for furry visitors etc..

What are the best/nicest things you've found in a holiday let? Thanks for your help! X

[FAQs]

If you are considering staying it in yourself some of the year you’ll need a holiday let mortgage, not a buy to let mortgage, a BTL can have financial consequences if you’re caught staying there yourself, you’ll need a around 25 - 30 % deposit and a estimate of income averaged over, it varies but around 40 weeks occupancy per year.

The best one I’ve stayed in had gone made Welsh cakes and a little hamper of things for breakfast for our first morning.

[MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig]

@Coconut80 ah ok. Like a housekeeping service. I wouldn’t expect that in a holiday let though. It’s your home for the week that you’ve rented it and it wouldn’t be on for someone to be letting themselves in every day whether they’re the owner or not.

[FizzyPink]

Oh yes definitely fresh looking white bed linen. I’ve been looking at booking somewhere on the Isle of Wight recently and for some reason even the nice expensive hotels have old fashioned frilly bedding. Really off putting.

The other thing we really appreciate is a folder with info on nearest and best pubs and restaurants, maybe a takeaway menu and ideas for days out or walks only locals would know about etc.

[MsAdoraBelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Cleaners don’t go in daily, they clean the house after the guests have left.

[tweettweettweettweet]

We rent lots of cottages, I always love it when there's some lovely baked goods to arrive to. So for example in Cornwall we had some freshly baked scones awaiting us with some cream and jam. That was lovely. I'm not sure where you are but whatever local sweet treat you can make would be lovely. Perhaps a hand written note with the clients name on - so it's personalised is much nicer than a genetic printed one.

[Marcydarcy7867]

Baked treats like a cake or scones, tea bags and a pint of milk in the fridge so you can have a drink when you arrive.
A nice welcome note. Maybe some chocolates or local jam.
Good quality bedding and beds. Agree with a pp no ornaments.
Ignore the poster who said don’t spend anything! These little things are the reason I’d go back or refer a friend to a property. They don’t cost much.

[Marcydarcy7867]

Oh and kid gear like a bed guard, high chair, stair gate.

[Willow79]

One place I stayed in asked in advance if I had dietary requirements. I am lactose intolerant. When I arrived they had provided lacto free cheese and milk, eggs, bread, tea and coffee. I was amazed to be honest. It was going above and beyond, wouldnt expect that usually.

[Willow79]

And on that note, another place simply provided fresh eggs from a local farm. Nice touch.

[MotherofPearl]

Good quality pure cotton bed linen. I really dislike bobbly polycotton. Also dislike horrible synthetic duvets and pillows.

Some kind of device to make good coffee.

Everything spotlessly clean.

As others have said, no dust-gathering ornaments.

Going against the grain here, but if I go on a self-catering holiday I always take my own home baking, so would rather not have the owner's baking too.

[HighInTheHills]

@Coconut80 yours sounds lovely! Please could you either post a link to your property or PM me with details? Thank you 😊

[Marcydarcy7867]

Going against a pp - I like synthetic pillows! So many people (including me) are allergic to feather and it’s so awful getting on a much looked forward to holiday only to find feather pillows on every bed and no chance of a good nights sleep due to coughing and sneezing/wheezing. Definitely have a mix of pillows.

[iamaclumsytwat]

We stayed in an Airbnb last year in Cornwall and it was lovely to find a plate of scones with jam and cream (in the fridge), and a pint of milk and some teabags. If you've had a long journey that's very much appreciated!

Clean bedding is a must and a clean bathroom. Candles are an added bonus too

[6rainbow]

Netflix and wi-fi make a difference when going with children

[WildLadyLucy]

Clean, warm (including on arrival), everything working and easy to use, and tea and cake waiting for me please.
And some local books / maps / walks, and if it's a historic property, a bit of information about it.
Some of the least pleasant holidays we've had have been rural ones where the heating is dependent on the wood burner - we end up being cold because we've struggled to keep it alight 24/7. Last thing I want is to be faffing with firelighters when we get in from a day out. Give me an oil tank and a proper boiler any day.

[SylHellais]

The other thread is mine, here you go, fill your boots.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/holidays/4238144-Dear-holiday-cottage-owners?pg=1

It’s quite funny because usually if you ask on MN what they want from a holiday cottage, you will get 500 people demanding a golden dishwasher, butlers, frisbees which fly perfectly and immaculate weather but when I said I wanted more than one towel, apparently that’s just too much. 😂

[WildLadyLucy]

@Willow79

One place I stayed in asked in advance if I had dietary requirements. I am lactose intolerant. When I arrived they had provided lacto free cheese and milk, eggs, bread, tea and coffee. I was amazed to be honest. It was going above and beyond, wouldnt expect that usually.

I wouldn't want this many groceries. I would bring my own anyway, and if all this is waiting for me on arrival then I've got double what I need cluttering up the fridge.

[Marcydarcy7867]

Yes no eggs and bread unless very locally made/owner made. Id want treats not basic groceries

[Happymum12345]

A bottle of wine in the fridge and the basics such as washing up liquid etc. Also one place left warm scones out for when we arrived/

[NeverEnoughCake2]

Big enough bath towels. DH is 6ft 4, DS is well on his way to joining him. It rather detracts from the luxury vibe if the towels barely cover them from waist to knee level!

[Elouera]

Not really unique or quirky, but these are things I've liked/remembered:

• King sizes beds which aren't pushed against a wall. I HATE having to climb over DH to get in and out of a bed
• Bedside lamps to read and an electric socket nearby to charge my phone-but not one where I need to pull the bed out to reach it!
• A corkscrew and wine glasses
• Good can opener
• Binoculars (obviously depends if there is a view)
• Enough bath sheets so I can wash my hair
• Extra pillows/duvet in the cupboard
• A decent fan if there isn't air con
• a suitcase rack. Ideally 2.

[FictionalCharacter]

The scones, jam and cream at a Cornwall cottage were a lovely surprise and treat.
A place we had one Christmas said in the blurb that there would be a Christmas tree and bottle of bubbly for us when we got there. There wasn’t, which was really disappointing!
Apart from the obvious like decent decor and good appliances, the places I really like are the ones that are not overtly stingy. It feels unwelcoming if you’re given just one cheap loo roll, no washing up liquid, tea towels, j cloths etc.
A little welcoming note and some up to date info on local takeaways, restaurants etc go down well.

[GlamGiraffe]

Proper knives
Local info
Toys for children
Mending kit
Picnic stuff
Coffee maker ( a nice filter machine with a supply of filter papers)

[MissKeithsNeice]

@Marcydarcy7867 I think pp was referring to pillow cases not pillow filling. Synthetic fillings are quite standard but pillow cases with synthetic mix are nasty.

[MissKeithsNeice]

OP - I love a UK self catering holiday and will pay towards the top end to get a nice property.

A lot of these touches people are talking about would be of no interest to me. I would fully expect to bring my own milk, bread, biscuits etc - most people bring cars on these holidays so packing thus stuff is hardly an issue. Maybe I'm antisocial, but I like a bit of distance from the owner and so these niceties might feel like over stepping the mark.

The only really nice touch I can think of is 2 different places we stayed in who had checked our arrival time and had the lit the woodburber/fire for us. Lovely! One was Christmas in Wales and one was Easter in Highlands. I think that if you have a Woodburner and are letting in the colder months, then laying the fire ready to be lit is really nice.

Everyone talks about sharp knives and enough tea towels. Whilst I agree with this, we just take our own

Here's my tops for a uk holiday rental:

King size bed in any room made for 2 people sharing a bed. I simply will not book if you have a double.

Decent utility space inc tumble dryer and somewhere to hang clothes . Its the UK. Its going to get wet. We are expecting to do outdoorsy things.

Really clean.

Decent decor with an emphasis on comfort. So no leather sofas.

Simple to use cooking appliances. No aga. No induction hob.