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

issy we stayed here

it is not White Company and a little in teh back of beyond but it does have a wet room and it has a fab garden for kids

also dvd player, dishwasher, newspapers, scones.....

all noted although

push chair and wellies are not going to be included.

Electrical items that are in good nick - toasters, kettle etc. May sound obvious but DH was very nearly blown up by an iron that exploded in his face. Owner didn't give a toss when we rang her and tried to charge us for it! On inspection the flex was frayed.

More than one tea towel. One always gets really soggy.

Sharp knife.

Have to say I'm at things that people expect from a holiday home. I would never expect food/drink or things for children. Nice and clean with hot water and not dated would be my requirements. Anything else is easily sorted.

stairgate so that i don't nearly kill myself clambering over the mass of furniture i've left at the top of teh stairs to stop ds falling down the stairs when he gets up in the night (did that last week btw).

also a highchair/booster seat, travel cot (don't mind paying extra to hire these, it just means that i wouldn't have to load the car up with stuff)

pint glasses

enough plates for at least one dishwasher full, not just a set of 6

enough shelves in the bathroom
good and up to date info on the local areas

in kitchens some pyrex type casserole dishes and tins along with normal stuff

yes loads of mugs and glasses

nothing worse than having to wash up a cup eveytim you need one

towels provided aswell

seats in the livign room for the number of people the house sleeps

I think extra pillows in a cupboard somewhere are a good idea - I can't sleep on just one pillow

I'd like:

Road atlas of Norfolk good idea for those of us without TomTom

Telly with Freeview, not just BBC-Chan 5

Tin opener

Plastic glasses for kids to drink from as well as nice hiball ones for other people

Eyeballs, when you're paying as much for a week as most people pay for their mortgage, and following a generqal principle (which most British cottage owners do not seem to apply unfortunately) that going on holiday ought to be nicer and easier than being at home, I don't see why a few less things to carry in the car can't be standard.

We have precious little room with three kids to take everything the baby needs and millions of toys. And a bit of TLC when you arrive after a long journey with welcome tea, coffee, biscuits etc is just good customer service, surely?

Oh I'm not criticising Wilf, just surprised. Maybe it's me. I only have one small dd and when we stayed in a b&b recently, the owner was very surprised that we had brought our own travel cot. It just wouldn't occur to me not to. I think it was things like cakes, buggies and toys that surprised me.

I think toys can be difficult to provide as then you'd need a range for all gaes and someone to check in-between visitors that they are not broken, out of batteries etc. Same with DVDs, you'd need to check they aren't scratched, that would look tatty. I wouldn't expect highchair or travelcot either, unless discussed in advance as an extra. Or stairgates because they can be annoying to others without children.

We always take a supply of black bin bags and Blu-Tack as an alternative to black-out blinds as cotages so often have flimsy pale floral curtains. And I agree totally about the lack of sharp knives, also skimping on loo rolls, and things like bars of soap, washing up liquid, tea towels and j-cloths should be standard. We're old fashioned and still use loose tea, but these days places don't always have tea pots, which we consider essential.

We stayed in Hungary a few years ago and, having bought a tim of sweetcorn, discovered there was no tin opener. You couldn't begin to imagine how difficult it was to find one, in spite of visiting numerous shops over a number of days, and the problem was compounded by the fact that we didn't know the Hungarian word and they didn't understand the German (which was the language we communicated in as their English was virtually non-existent)!

this is useful because it give s a range of what people would like - not expect. And if some of that is cheap ands easy to provide then why not!
IE DVD's we have loads that kids have grown out of or watched a million times and would be perfect to leave here

Beety - we are staying here in July - it certainly sounds like they have thought of everything - I will report back! (It was recommended by a Mumsnetter in Somerset but I can't for the life of me remember who!)

Issy - they seem to have disabled access so maybe worth a look for you?

Main things for us:

Safe outside area for kids to play out
DVD player
Washing machine

Added bonus is a swimming pool, hence we go

here

and here

Oh, that will teach me to read the thread - didn't realise you were asking re your own rental!

when i go to cottage to stay for hols all i want is a clean cutlery drawer

oh yes and a corkscrew

we don't have a pool but we do have the sea 2 mins away

2 whole minutes? Hmmm. Could you move it closer???

Enclosed safe garden for children
TV and DVD player indoors (for wet weather)
CD player and/or radio
Information about activities/places locally - with up to date info please
Ideally walking distance to nice pub with food option
Decent kitchen as we like to self cater - provide for us kitchen roll, kitchen roll, toilet roll, cooking oil, bin bags
Decent sized table for eating at
When DD was smaller - washing machine/dryer
Dishwasher
Provide towels, linen and tea towels too
BBQ and garden furniture
Small selection of children's games for all ages (though not essential, nice to have)
Proper pillows!!! (and 2 per bed please)

Recent long weekend in cottage owners had left us freshly baked scones, butter, jam , tea bags, fresh milk and that fizzy water/corial drink. That was very much appreciated

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i actually quite like it if there is NO telly

watching telly on holiday should be banned