What would you expect in a welcome basket?

[GoodNewsAndBadNews]

Am about to start to let a holiday property in a fairly rural part of Wales. Nearest shop is a short drive away. I was thinking of bread, milk, jam, butter, wine, tea and coffee. What other things would you expect? The property was left to me by a relative, and we want to be able to use it as a family but hoping to offset some of the costs by sharing it with holiday makers.

The place i have stayed in several times in Wales, emails a couple of days in advance to ask what type of milk I would like left in the fridge.
She leaves a lovely loaf of bread, some welsh cakes and a lovely little pot of ( homemade ? ) jam.

There is a linen cupboard with linen and towels, incase of linen ' accidents ' and if we need/want extra towels. Spare light bulbs under the sink.
Bin liners and instructions on when is recycling and/or rubbish day.

I wouldn’t expect anything honestly.

People have such varied diets these days I wouldn’t put in anything perishable unless it’s a high end place - teabags, instant coffee and some milk sachets are thoughtful but people will bring their own stuff.

What’s more important is a decently stocked kitchen - including a microwave - decent heating, shower, comfortable seats, leaflets on local things to do, a list of useful numbers (especially if the internet is bad). Some secondhand books and games are good. A good sized clothes airer. An instruction sheet on how everything works. And ideally internet unless you’re making a feature of not having it. And very clean and well aired.

I think it depends on the grade of the let. Something that costs £5k per week would be different to £500 per week.

In my experience short term let guests are not always the most respectful. If there are 28 dishwasher tablets in the cupboard at the beginning of a 10 night stay, you'd think there would be 10 to 18 left.................

Milk, tea, coffee, sugar, cpl packs of biscuits, small washing up liquid, half a bottle of liquid cleaner, bottle of wine, bottle of water, 4 bog rolls, box of tissues as standard.

When I stayed in a cottage in wales I liked that they left a little bit of wood for the fire.
(I've also stayed in places which have not included this and it's been a bit of a downer having to go and buy some especially in the middle of nowhere)

As well as the bread, milk, tea, coffee etc, also sachets of sugar, ketchup, salt, pepper & vinegar. kitchen roll, washing-up liquid, J-cloths. bin liners.

I’m not bothered by a welcome basket. What I do like is tea towels, hand soap, dishwasher tablets, sharp knife/knife sharpener, cheese grater, measuring jug, baking sheet, corkscrew and tin opener.

nice to haves are a coffee machine and some pods, small toilettes, salt & pepper and some olive oil.

im in one at the moment and it’s lovely, meet down but there’s no storage! No shelf in the bathroom, there’s hanging space in the bedroom but no drawer so knickers/socks so I can’t fully unpack, no cupboard in the kitchen for putting food in and no plug near the mirror in the bedroom for plugging in the hairdryer. Good things are double sockets next to both sides of the bed, coat hooks, good hairdryer, plenty of towels and spare loo rolls.

I'd agree with all this.
Also information about local pubs / shops / attractions.

@GoodNewsAndBadNews This question is often asked on here, if you want more answers. Though, the longer the threads the more people you have disagreeing.

We've stayed in loads of Welsh self catering accommodation. Usually we get tea, coffee, milk and some sort of local biscuits.
There's no need for a big hamper.

For me, some store cupboard basics like salt, pepper, dried missed herbs, cooking oil of some kind. Maybe balsamic? (Sorry if that's a bit random). Baking paper, cling and tin foil.

Milk in the fridge and some tea, coffee and sugar!

Shelf of paperbacks would be good. Apps on the TV (Prime, Netflix etc) makes a real difference!

Alcohol shouldn't be part of a welcome hamper unless there is someone with the appropriate license on site.

Yes lots of owners still do it. But they shouldn't and local authorities are increasingly cracking down on it. Along with fire regs (no open stairwells into living areas etc)

Most letting companies will now tell their owners it's a no no but anyone not going through a booking agency might not be aware that even if it's a 'gift' when it's being provided as part of a transaction/service it still needs a license.

Loo roll
Kitchen roll and / or microfibre cloths to wipe sides/spillages, if you want a antibac just general all purpose cleaning spray is always helpful and you can get inexpensively
Tea towel
Washing up brush/sponge and liquid or dishwasher tablet
Bin bags
Hand soap
Corkscrew and tin opener
Scissors
Torch
Kitchen foil and / or greaseproof - hopefully will mean people use them which helps to keep things cleaner but for me selfishly as a coeliac it is also much appreciated when places have it as I do not want to use baking trays etc without anything on due to cross contamination if not cleaned properly or toaster so at least then cook things without contaminating with left over crumbs etc.

Even if you just have a small amount or one of the above it is helpful at least for when first arriving / first day just until can nip to a shop for more essentials and mean you can at least have a cuppa and to the loo and wash handed before heading out to do anything else / sort food etc.

Also - particularly if you have a washing machine - if you have an airer available it is always helpful and likely will be used if just for bits that have got wet whilst out and about or towels etc.

Information on local attractions / pub etc. always helpful as well as local shop/pharmacy/hospital etc. As well as internet code and if possible access to Netflix etc. is always nice. And a few board/card games and books. Pens/paper and a map of local area/region!

Best equipped holiday lets we've stayed in have had comfortable furniture, not a sofa that feels like its been scavenged from the tip and had a throw chucked on it, and decent kitchen equipment in them - saucepans larger than a can of beans, a frying pan that doesn't look like it's already been used to fend off a burglar, mugs instead of tea thimbles, knives that get sharpened occasionally...

Aside from that:

Loo roll
Kitchen roll
A couple of dishwasher and laundry tablets
Some basic cleaning supplies
Pint of milk
Tea bags, small jar of instant coffee or ground coffee if theres a cafetiere, or some sachets, likewise sugar
Small pack of biscuits or welshcakes or similar
Note about nearest convenience stores and supermarkets
A few dog poo bags if dogs are allowed
Up to date menus for local takeaways
Notes or flyers on nearby attractions or activities
Local OS map
An umbrella
Cards and a couple of board games

If there's an open fire, some kindling and clear instructions on how to light it and make sure its safe at the end of the evening.

If near the beach a few beach towels, notes on how to clean them so they don't ruin the washing machine, and some basic bits of beach stuff like buckets and spades. Notes on where to find tide timetables and which beaches have lifeguards and when.

Some toiletries too in case you forget any basics. Shampoo, soap, shower gel. A toothpaste would be fabulous!

A sun tan lotion and some basic medical supplies (plasters, paracetamol). Some San pro.

All stuff we have had to drive to buy in past stays......

sea salt, pepper grinder, olive oil, herbs and spices, dishwasher tabs, washing liquid, etc.

If there is a dishwasher enough tabs for the days we are staying- if I've booked a week leave 7- or even 10! I don't have one at home and I've had to buy boxes which I can't use up- well I do as I always take them on holiday now!
I'd say pint of milk, sachets of tea/coffee/sugar - bottle of local wine is nice when abroad. If you have a washing machine available supply non bio washing tabs - again I don't want to spend loads of Euros on detergent. One of best places we stayed the owner made every guest a home made cake. We had an amazing lemon drizzle delivered on our arrival and had a good chat about the local area/best places to go to.
There should be salt/pepper/oil- foil, cling film, basic cleaning products too and enough loo roll to see you through the first night at a minimum- would expect kitchen roll too and bin liners/black bags/instructions on where rubbish should go. Also handsoap in the loo- I'll bring my own shower gel etc.
If we are in the UK I usually have a supermarket delivery scheduled for around an hour or 2 after we expect to arrive- once ended up passing the Tesco driver on his way to our holiday let! he rang me to ask for directions.
Stayed in some great apartments abroad which supplied far more than most of UK places- last place we got variety of beers and cocktails in the fridge and home made pancakes from the owner's mum delivered to the door.

Yes of course it is.
The grass needs to be newly cut and pet mess free
The garden needs to be attractive and well maintained.

Thank you all for your input - I didn’t know that about wine! Was planning on lots of towels, tea towels, pots, pans etc, so it was just the tea/coffee etc I needed help with, and sounds like just some basics to make a cuppa is fine, plus a few biscuits. Re toilet roll - I don’t expect there to be enough for the whole stay if I’m in an Airbnb, and wouldn’t complain if I had to top it up mid stay but maybe I should expect more!

Tbh don't need it. Often just a waste.

Re toilet roll - no, I wouldn't either. Just enough for the first couple of days.

However, every time there is a thread on here about what people "expect" in a holiday let, the lists get more and more extensive, often including things most of us don't need or even want, and sometimes things I don't even have in my kitchen at home. I personally do not want ££££ added to the price of the holiday or short break so that the host / owner can buy lots of things I neither want, nor need.

Loo roll
Washing up liquid
Bread
Butter
Jam
Tea
Coffee
Milk
Sugar

I second a previous poster, the thread a couple of months ago was eye opening.

I do prefer good basics to a welcome hamper.

Enough towels to last the whole stay, in a variety of sizes. If you have a beach/lake location, add some towels to be used for water sport.

Extra blankets

Condiments
Oil
foil, cling film, baking parchment, kitchen roll
tupperware container
enough washing up liquid, dishwasher tablets, cloth, brush
liquid soap for handwashing at each sink and the kitchen
enough cutlery/crockery/mugs/glasses to last for a full day and more, I don't want to run the dishwasher/do the washing up after each meal

A folder with practical information about applicances, how the TV works, where the bins are and the bin collection days

Some basic board games, cards, a good collection of books especially for children, some toys if you want and baby equipment if you want to cater for it.

We have a let, after many years, we don’t leave anything fresh.
Things like milk, bread or eggs are so dependent on what people eat, like and dietary preferences. Many want no animal products or dairy, or no gluten, or already bought bread on route etc so it’s a waste

In basket today I left:
Local apple and cinnamon non alcoholic hot drink ( to warm up like hot cider - it’s very common here)
Compostable coffee pods
Glühwein tea bags
Local biscuits
Local Honey

It’s a bit seasonal for Christmas and new year booking, but it’s the same all year but usually Local normal apple juice and herbal tea. All items have long life so guests can choose to eat, take home or leave unopened if they don’t want.

Kitchen and bathroom have full supplies of anything basic like foil, soaps, loo roll, dishwasher tablets. Also sugar cubes, oil, salt/ pepper. Fresh herbs outside on patio

We have just got back from a holiday let over Xmas… on arrival we had…

Bottle of Prosecco
mince pies
small box of quality streets
xmas crackers
tin foil and foil turkey tray
A 6 pack of loo rolls in the bathroom.
Enough dishwasher tabs for a week (7)

We were happy with the above but they also had opened salt, tea, sugar and coffee in the jars and a small bottle of olive oil….. now I wouldn’t touch any of that ever as it was already opened.

Normally I would expect..
Milk, bottle of wine, posh biscuits or a cake, enough loo rolls for the week.
Tea bag/coffee would be great but they would need to be the small Individual sachets.

Just wanted to add that the one thing that I always notice the absence of when I'm staying in a holiday let is boxes of tissues. I tend to have mild allergies a lot of the time (even with antihistamines) and hate having to use toilet roll until I can get to a shop. (Also, not really a 'thing to leave for the guests', but my pet hate is plug-in air fresheners, which are a nightmare for people with allergies, asthma, migraines etc.)

Agree it’s more important to make sure the kitchen has items like kitchen rolls, sponges, sharp knives, two or three different cutting boards for meat vs veg/fruit. We have in the past appreciated having a sharp potato peeler and colander (for pasta).

It’s usually three of us staying (me, DH, DS) so three sets of towels are good to have, and extra towels if it’s near a beach.

Fast internet, USB charging plugs, board games, books and Netflix/Disney+ or similar are also a plus.

Clear instructions on which bin to use for recycling/rubbish and what to do on checkout day are nice, as is a list of recommendations (and directions) for nearby pubs, restaurants and attractions.

We’ve stayed in places like The Buzzardry which include champagne in the welcome basket alongside bread, butter, jam, milk, tea, crisps, biscuits, etc. It depends on the sort of market/price point you have in mind for the property.