What makes the perfect cottage holiday rental for you?

[SunshineChatter]

I am new in the holiday rental market, with this summer being my first proper season letting my cottage in Somerset.

I am trying to make it as well appointed as possible. Soft cotton sheets, fluffy white towels, complimentary mini toiletries, champagne flutes, kitchen scales, baking stuff, wi-fi, Netflix, beautiful garden furniture, BBQ, welcome hamper, dog treats, etc.

But I'm sure we all look for different things when we rent a luxury holiday cottage. Could you please share what you feel would make a cottage stand out were you to rent it for a week's away with your OH, family, friends, etc? It sleeps four in two bedrooms. TIA.

As PP mentioned, clear information regarding what is available, is essential.
It also helps manage your guests' expectations prior to arrival.
Parking arrangements matter - a lot. If there's only space for a mini and I'm driving a double decker bus, I'll be grumpy before I've even got into your cottage.
I also need to know where the bathroom(s) are and what's in them - as in, are they on the same floor as the bedrooms?
Is there a separate toilet?
Is it a bath or a walk in shower or a shower over a bath?
If it is the latter, with a bath screen, please make the screen long enough so that water doesn't cascade all over the floor during use.
The bathroom issues matter a lot if you are sharing the space with people you don't normally live with.
Regarding maintenance issues, one place we stayed in had a little notebook next to the visitors book, where holidaymakers were encouraged write down those annoying issues (like, lightbulb gone in bedside lamp, hot water runs out before 2nd shower finished etc) so the cleaner could feedback to owners or fix if able.
Make sure whoever cleans the place, empties the Hoover- particularly if dogs are invited.
And, if you want me to leave it clean, as I prefer to, then leave me stuff to clean it with.
Everything else, I can work round.

PS. I pack my own sharp knife!

The place we're staying in at the moment is absolutely lovely however the reason I'm on MN at this hour of the morning and not still asleep which on holiday I really should be (and want to be) is because of the complete lack of proper blackout blinds/curtains in the master bedroom (or in the children's rooms so they're also awake 😬).

I want in each bedroom a proper blackout blind fitted as close to the windows as possible AND curtains with a blackout lining. If you're the sort of strange person who likes the sun waking you up at 5am then you can just not use the blind but if you actually want to sleep then proper blackout is critical. I have brought the temporary stick up blackout blinds with me but the windows are too big and high for me to be able to reach them/fit the blinds 😬.

(Sorry for the rant - I'm v tired 😂)

Other things missing/which annoy me in this otherwise v lovely house:

Oven gloves - so basic and yet so often lacking - it's really hard removing stuff from the oven with a v thin tea towel.

Cheese slice - I don't want to have to get out the very fancy electric chopping/whizzing machine (and then clean it) to slice a bit of cheese for our burgers on the BBQ.

BBQ utensils - if you're supplying a BBQ please supply useful utensils for it. Here we had charcoal, fire lighters and matches (all essential) but no utensils and using small kitchen utensils and no oven gloves was a bit dicey...)

Enough cutlery that we don't have to run the dishwasher every day when there's only 3 of us.

Decent size wine glasses - I don't like getting up every 5 mins to fill up the thimble sized glass

A smart TV - although on holiday I don't want to spend a lot of time watching TV as a single parent when the children have gone to bed and it's dark or it's raining I would like to relax and watch something. This house has smart everything (including an annoying number of random monitors and switches in every room) but the TV barely has freeview even and that is complicated to access (through a sky box that doesn't then have sky so you have to guess what channels work and what don't).

Laundry tablets/powder if you're supplying a washing machine - this place has a utility room with washing machine and separate tumble dryer - excellent - but I wasn't expecting to have to do washing (and then the children got through more clothes than expected so could have done with doing so) so didn't bring any washing powder and none has been supplied.

Good luck with your new venture!

@OpalExtra

I want somewhere nicer than my own home, I love a hamper of local produce thrown in too, also good board games and some books.

This. Has to be nicer than my own home. Think decent hotel standard.

Wine left out on arrival

Dishwasher and dishwasher tablets

Decent shower/spotless bathroom

Tea and coffee (posh) supplies

Matching crockery and glasses

White cotton bedding and towels

Hot tub/patio/bbq

Professionally cleaned and smelling great

I'm also a sucker for those blackboards with a welcome message kids like drawing in them too!

One more thing - rugs are great, but choose carefully! This place is all wooden floors so there are lots of wooly rugs, but they shed like mad, we are constantly balling up little bits of wool off our socks. Yes to soft rugs, no to constant shedding!

I’m making so many notes! Thank you. Here are a few comments on your suggestions. WRT dogs, they are only allowed downstairs where there is a terracotta flooring. There is a stairgate to stop them from going upstairs. If guests come with dogs, we put washable covers on the sofas. I am keen to have non dog lovers enjoy the cottage as well. The garden is very secure too.

As for the wine, you ned a license in order to provide guests with any alcohol (on arrival) and it’s not cost effective if you only have one property and don’t charge for the drinks.

There are plenty of lamps in the living room to create difference atmospheres (I’m a bit obsessed with lighting!)

The hoover is a Miele and the bag is regularly changed.

There is a separate tumble dryer, rotary line and clothes horse.

Every bedroom had two types of pillows (two per person) so people can choose

We do have pizza oven trays!

We provide a floorplan (wished one was available many times in the past when we were looking at holiday properties to rent) so people can see exactly what is there, how it’s arranged, etc.

Each bedroom has blackout blinds and thermal curtains

Also, our gardener goes once a week, on a Thursday afternoon for about an hour. Would this bother anyone? (We do tell people in advance).

Well I never re the welcome bottle and licence !!!!
Gardener wouldn’t bother me at all with notice which you give.

I'd want somewhere that doesnt have dogs! Sorry!
Having just stayed somewhere where you could smell the dog on the sofas and the dog hair was everywhere grim!

Cleanliness is the most important thing for me as well as having everything you need and a lovely welcome hamper.

Oh and flowers!

Cleanliness is a top priority for me too (I have a cleaner three times a week) because we have four dogs (they are not allowed upstairs - only downstairs where there are hard floors) and because I generally like to live in a clean home. I open windows and doors unless it's really cold and I regularly ask people whether my home smells of dog and I'm told it doesn't (I have a strong sense of smell but I could have become accustomed to it hence why I ask visitors). That's also why we have leather sofas - I'd love a squashy fabric one but not with dogs!

I don’t think I have ever stayed somewhere with a welcome hamper!
Have had a bottle of wine provided quite a few times- I suspect they were ignoring the licensing rules...

Gardener coming wouldn’t bother me- it seems highly unreasonable to expect a properly maintained garden but object to someone coming to do it.

One thing I have appreciated in the past in cottages with gardens is a few herbs and being told it’s fine to pick them.

Oh you have blackout blinds! Amazing- I have spent many first evenings away taping blankets or tinfoil across windows so the kids won’t be up at sparrowfart.

“Cheese slice - I don't want to have to get out the very fancy electric chopping/whizzing machine (and then clean it) to slice a bit of cheese for our burgers on the BBQ.” Erm, what about using a knife 😆

I don't want to have to take anything apart from clothes and our own toiletries and want it to feel as good, if not better, than being at home. Yours sounds lovely OP, but if it's for more than two people and there's plenty of crockery and cutlery please provide two dishwasher tablets per day plus an extra couple. I've asked for more when we've stayed at places that ration them. The same with coffee pods for a machine - just cost them in when deciding your charges and if someone doesn't use them then it's a bonus for you.

Dishwasher, small freezer, microwave. I'm in a holiday cottage now and am keenly feeling the lack of these.

If it's a double and a king-size bed, at the top of the listing please mention this so that people looking for two singles for children (and a zip-link king so adults can have twin beds too) know it's not suitable for them.

I'm not too fussed what is there as long as it's made clear - lots of big towels, controllable heating, a corkscrew would do me.

The gardener coming wouldn't concern me, providing he can access what he needs to without involving me.
Stayed at a holiday let last year and was advised that the window cleaner would be coming on x day.
I assumed they'd warned us so we could keep curtains closed if we happened to be folk who like to wander round our holiday home naked - we're not.
Turned out, window cleaners cleaned windows inside, as well as out.......and they arrived at 8am.
Not the best start to our day.

We are holiday flat browsing last few days... things we most often find not possible: free local parking, wifi, kitchen with a proper oven. We are probably browsing very far well below OP's price range, tbf.

@lljkk a week with us in high season is £750.

I agree about proper bath sheets. When I get out of the shower I like to wrap a towel round me and so many places have silly towels that don't even meet around me and I am not that large!

Basic boiler instructions (how to restart it etc)
I spent a freezing NYE in a gate house in Cornwall. Storms knocked out the electric (fine, was a bit of an adventure) but it also knocked the boiler out too. Being city folk we weren't familiar with oil fed boilers.
Owner didn't give a shit, we had paid handsomely for our romantic new year break.
The only reason we got it sorted was because I worked for a plumbing merchants at the time and had a bit more of an idea than most people.
I eventually got it going, but we spent 2 days with no heat or hot water.
They refused a partial refund and sent a stupid hamper with Chutney and other useless bits instead.

We’ve stayed in places where there wasn’t enough knives and forks, so had to go and buy some as well as a decent frying pan. I now take my own.
Egg cups.
Mugs with no chips in.
Basics washing up liquid, a few dishwasher tablets and laundry tablets.
A welcome pack, bread, butter, milk, tea and coffee, but the best a homemade cake with a bottle of wine.

We have tradesmen we can call upon if anything goes wrong - we wouldn't expect the guests to sort it out themselves!

We do have egg cups ;-)

And sharp knives (we had a weekend there with another couple - our friend, the husband, wanted to cook. Great. He asked whether we had sharp knives. I explained that we did but they weren't on a par with the 'Global' ones with have at home. He said he'd cope. After ten minutes he came in, sucking his finger, asking if we had any plasters. So yes, the knives at the cottage are sharp ;-) ).

Maybe I'm looking at a lot more than £750/week for a lot poorer quality than OP provides because we are trying to book with a few days notice. I didn't trust the weather or covid control conditions enough to book any sooner.

Some type of bath mat/wooden board. Ive lost count of the number of times I’ve almost broken my neck!

Wifi, dishwasher, plenty of cups/mugs, tea&coffee, wine glasses, information folder about local attractions, we tend to eat out every evening but do have cereal & make sandwiches at the cottage.

I’m not that picky, compared to many PPs. But I do want:
Parking that isn’t stressful - that means well signed, big enough to turn around in, not a blind entrance / exit.
Plenty of hot water
Good WiFi or warning that it’s poor
Bedside table or shelf for my glasses
Bedside socket to charge my phone
Control of the hearting and ability to open and close windows

I don't think anyone has used the matching egg cups and toast rack we have in our holiday let in the ten years we've had it! They're always in the same spot in the cupboard!