When you go to a cottage in England for a holiday what

[Beetroot]

would you really like and really need to be there to make your holiday easier

Beety do you want us to put an old wellie wanted call out for you

I did actually go to a cottage once that had a pair of wellies in every size from eeny weenie baby ones right up to huge size 12's. There was a very posh boot room though!

A couple of fans tucked away in a cupboard just in case it happens, by some wild mischance, to be hot

please no stack of chick lit

because I will end up reading it 'out of interest' instead of the worthy books I have brought and then I will hate myself

Oh, and fly spray, and citronella candles or similar for sitting outside with on buggy evenings.

If the cottage is supposed to be suitable for children: no twiddly breakable ornaments/dusty dried flowers everywhere.
We always seem to spend the first half hour doing a recce and removing these things to the top of a wardrobe.

We also avoid if possible:

places with carpets downstairs rather than having a tense week shrieking at the children to take off their shoes when they run in from the (hopefully) enclosed garden.

places where all the furniture and decoration is in shades of beige/brown as its so depressing

Essentials are washing machine, dishwsher, outside space, parking

I think we will forego the wellies as there is nowhere to store them.

fan is a good idea

So

kitchen essentials
welcome basket (may not be able to provide the scones or cake though)
board games
soap
umbrellas
buckets/spades etc
visitors book
details of local stuff/recyling/bin day
made of beds
BBQ
Out door seating

As well as dishwasher/wm/TD CH

Like:

Warm blankets for the sofas so we can snuggle up on the sofa on cold evenings.

Decent, squashy, comfy sofas for snuggling.

Selection of books. I take my own but love nothing better than pre-read books.

ipod docking station

Free wifi

Need:

Lockable windows to stop escapee toddler.

The house we stayed in recently had one of THESE which got a lot of use.

(Mind you it also had its own pool and a huge gas barbecue - it was that sort of house. No barbecue tools though )

x-posts, llareggub

fan is a good idea

So

kitchen essentials
welcome basket (may not be able to provide the scones or cake though)
board games
soap
umbrellas
buckets/spades etc
visitors book
details of local stuff/recyling/bin day
made of beds
BBQ
Out door seating
fan
ipod docking (good one) It won't be BOSE though

As well as dishwasher/wm/TD CH

Some kidn of lobby by front door to hang coats/boots/beach bits where they can drip dry away from kitchen/seating area. Golf umbrellas. Easy to sweep area from front door and kitchen, maybe fabric slippers for indoors. Outdoor area with bbq and preferably some sort of cover so the outdoor chairs etc aren't soaked.

For lo's a paddling pool

need:
enclosed garden
tv
cot and highchair for baby
bin liners......most places either only provide one or don't provide any and it's always something I forget....and one bin liner isn't going to keep a family of four going very long.
a corkscrew...you'd be surprised how many places don't have one.
some toys (indoor and out) for the kids
folder of good local information including day trips/local attractions/local walks/takeaways/restaurants/doctor/hospital/ dentist etc
extra blankets, even if duvets are provided incase it gets cold.

would like:
a log burning stove
CD/DVD player and some DVDs
towels to be provided, including more than one tea towel to save us bringing our own.
welcome basket with tea/coffee/milk/juice
mugs rather than cups, or even as well as cups.

Definately no:
dusty dried flowers or horrendous twiddly ornaments
carpets in the bathroon and toilet

Also, beety, re things like kitchen tools/bin liners/tea towels/loo rolls - I have a feeling some people take stuff home with them There was one teatowel at ours...

(We were pretty tempted by the BOSE thing actually )

Anyway whoever is responsible for cleaning between visitors (have you got a good local caretaker?) could do with having a checklist of those kind of things for each changeover, so that if anything has walked it can be replaced - essential with eg corkscrews and tin openers which you can't improvise.

Ooooh this is interesting and has made me think..

I agree with pretty much everybody has mentioned especially good kitchen stuff, dishwasher tablets is a must.

Now for a bit of a hijack ..does it have to be a big garden or just some outdoor space ?

I've bought a house in the lake district which we may let out...its not got a big garden, but we figured you've got the fells as your garden haven't you. Would you rent it as a family or not ?

Its a big house btw, fab new kitchen and bathrooms so would be quite expensive if this changes anything

we will keep a security deposit for just that type of thing WW.

good comfy beds & nice linen
black out blinds (not white floaty curtains so dcs wake up at 5.30...grrrrrrrrrrrr)
nice fluffy towels & good soap & plenty of loo rolls in bathroom
box of toys & videos/dvds/books
buckets/spades/ball/fishing net
buggy
highchair
stair gate
bed side
bath mat
travel cot
bath seat

welcome pack of tea,coffee,sugar,milk,eggs,bread,fruit,wine,biscuits or cake ( homemade?)
childrens plates/bowls/cutlery (ikea)
pepper mill/salt
decent utensils
washing up liquid/scrubbers/kitchen roll
lots of tea towls

folder of local information
take away menus
local spa treatments info
babysitters

magazines
books
dvds

Most things mentioned already but what I do not want is a double bed made up with a water proof mattress protector just under a thin poly cotton sheet so that you get terribly sweaty at night - and crackle! A decent duvet - not some old cheap heavy polyester thing and a choice of good pillows.

Oh, I didn't mean for the cost of replacing, beety (though that too of course) - just for making sure they are there for everybody each time

OLIVE OIL. Please. For god's sake.

yes of course WW

I like it if there's a really nice bathroom, a washing machine and tumble dryer and that there is bedding and towel included.

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whisky

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