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.

[TheoneandObi]

We don't provide toiletries in ours but in these Covid days we now provide soap in all bathrooms and at the kitchen sink.
Also supply washing up liquid and dishwasher tabs. And leave tin foil and cling film under the sink. Also matches, torches, picnic rugs and spare bulbs.
But not washing powder - that's quite a personal thing isn't it? I know it is with me. I don't want some nasty powder that will make me itch!
We are firmly mid-range price wise

[WombatChocolate]

Obviously there is a range of accommodations for all budgets. You need to research the local market and make sure what you provide meets the price-point you are going for.

There can also be local variations too. Some expensive holiday rental areas in Devon don't supply bed-linen even though the properties are top-end. It's because access to the properties is very difficult for cleaners so changeover needs to be fast. People still pay over £2k for a 3 bed cottage and understand in that area everyone provides their own linen. Many are affluent families who return every year.

My bugbear is a cottage with exactly the number of place setting and cutlery for the number of people staying. I want lots of extra knives, spoons, side plates etc. I don't want to be com TAs toy washing up or needing to out a 1/4 full dishwasher on because we've run out of knives by 8.05am.

In self catering, I expect to provide my own loo rolls beyond the first one or two...but every loo must have 1 or 2 provided. As others have said, you don't need to supply a week of dishwasher tablets, but a couple, plus small quantities of other bits are useful too.

Make sure there are good door mats inside allmdoors to the outside and outside too, esp if near the beach. No-one wants to tread sand in constantly. Somewhere to leave sandy toys and shoes such as a big porch or outside store is also handy.

Make sure there are enough hooks in the property - for coats etc to deal with all the people the property sleeps. Also make sure there are shelves in bathrooms for toiletries and in showers. Often when people haven't lived in properties before letting them, they forget those things, plus somewhere to hang tea towels, hand towel in loo, shoe rack in hall/boot room etc.

And don't let cupboards become full of your personal stuff/crap if you have lived there or stay there. No-one wants the cupboards full of 25 plastic cups that you use for your kids, or 4 big roasting tins.

You need to leave some empty kitchen cupboards that the holiday makers can use to store their food - it's no good if every cupboard is full of stuff.

[WombatChocolate]

Some people seem to be describing deluxe serviced apartments rather than holiday rentals.
In reality, people enjoy holidays in all kinds of accommodation which lack parking or fast broadband because the location is the big seller and those things just aren't available there.

People pay from a couple of hundred quid a week to many thousands per week for holiday rentals. They sleep from 2 up to vast parties of over 20.

Perhaps people should say how much they expect to pay for their lomg list of requirements. I suspect that many people Re putting down wish lists without realising the price you would pay for such properties in July/August.

OP, is your property a prime holiday location? Walking distance to a sought after town and beach? These things are vital too.

I would choose to be within a stones throw of the beach and a classy seaside town, and sacrifice the granite worktops and welcome hamper for location every time.

[WombatChocolate]

Oh and the best rental holiday property owners have often stayed in lots themselves over the years, so have had experience of actually living as holiday makers in homes. That really helps give a sense of what matters and makes places good properties. If you go through an agency, they too will have a pretty long list of things you need to supply. If you don't intend to use one, contacting one of the better quality ones in your area to express interest, will probably result in you receiving some very useful lists, even if you don't actually plan to go ahead and use them.

Make sure that if there is a problem with something, an agent or someone else reliable and with necessary skill levels can be there to sort it extremely promptly. This is important. Living 3 hours away and relying on an unskilled mate who may or may not be around is t good enough. Your holiday makers need to be able to make a call and find the emergency plumber or supplier of towels which haven't been left as promised, or the blown down fence which has made the garden insecure can be fixed pronto. Amateurish isn't good enough.

[TheoneandObi]

No one has mentioned a hosepipe yet - to hose down wetsuits. We're near the coast here in Cornwall and the first thing we thought of when kitting our our holiday let was how visitors would wash and dry wetsuits. So there's a hosepipe and handy fence to hang them on.
We had stayed in places before where you had to rinse out your wetsuit in the bath. Not great!

[Notwiththeseknees]

I would like proper, thick curtains or blackout blinds. It's really frustrating being woken early by the light in the summer. So thick curtains or a blackout blind.

I would be delighted with a handheld vacuum so I could keep tidy as I went along.

Washer dryer

Bluetooth speaker. £25 quid gets a good one or a nice Bose if you want to spoil them.

Decent supply of bath mats - no one likes sloppy seconds.

If you have a coffee machine - leave suitable coffee!!

Spare dog leads, poo bags, dog treats, towel bowls & a throw. I offer dog beds & crates too.

Alcohol hand gel and hand cream by the front door.

Large umbrella.

Basket for shoes & boots by the door.

Hooks on back of door & shelves for toilet bags in the bathroom. Good hairdryers.

The rest has been covered. I'm confused by the license to give a bottle of wine though - I've been in this business for almost 20 years and I always leave wine.
Yesterday's arrivals got a bottle of Silent Pool gin as I messed up on the 'care hamper'.

Good luck - it's mostly great fun!

[SunshineChatter]

Perhaps people should say how much they expect to pay for their lomg list of requirements. I suspect that many people Re putting down wish lists without realising the price you would pay for such properties in July/August.

Yes, good point. We have kitted the cottage out so well because it's our second home. We've stayed with family and friends and every time we realise something is missing (the last time it was a 'zester' - I'm not even sure what it is for as I don't cook but my domestic goddess friend said the cottage needed one!) we get one. But all this adds up, especially when things get damaged or thrown in the rubbish by accident.

So it'd be good to get an idea of what budget people would allocate for such a holiday.

As for the alcohol license, I can't remember who told me but I looked into that on a government website and it's definitely a thing. A quick Google search just threw up this page but that's not the one I was pointed to when first told www.boshers.co.uk/blog/holiday-home-letting-2/alcohol-in-welcome-packs-is-a-licence-required/

[WombatChocolate]

We tend to go to popular seaside locations like Salcombe or Blakeney or the Gower. They tend to be expensive places.

By booking almost a year in advance we get great location places that sleep 8 (2 families of 4) for around £1200. These are usually walking distance to beach and town. They are usually not the swankiest holiday homes but great location and very quickly booked. Sometimes we can only have 1 car parked on site as the place doesn’t come with 2 spaces. We often take kayaks or other boats with us and need space for those but often use local sailing clubs.

We aren’t too fussy about a lot of the things people mention on here. Rarely a welcome pack (maybe a pint of milk) or coffee pods supplied or a weeks worth of dishwasher tablets or lots of extra bath mats or dog leads! We look for 4 bedrooms with at least 2 twins (1 couple will sleep in twin room if necessary) and we want 2 bathrooms. It’s good if there are 2 places to sit downstairs so kids can be one place and adults somewhere else. Some have had 2 living rooms or a snug off the kitchen plus another living room or conservatory or even a games room. Bigger houses that sleep 8 can have some good facilities. Being able to all sit round the table inside is important to us and it’s good to have a large outside table.

We actually don’t want too perfect and pristine. We have 4 kids with us, who aren’t always the most careful so we don’t want to spend the week on eggshells sure they will break something.

In the end it is self catering, not a hotel. We don’t expect food, drink, toiletries or more than an initial starter supply of loo roll or dishwasher tablets. We always have a supermarket delivery and expect to bring those things from home. In the past we’ve used some pretty swanky holiday let companies who are letting £5k+ per week places - they all say to bring tea towels and beach towels and to leave places decent at the end. It’s what’s expected in holiday places which are self catering.

One year we were upgraded by the cottage co to a 2.5K cottage as the one we booked became unavailable. It was slightly bigger than we usually had but most things were identical to our usual £1k cottage ....but the location was absolutely prime with amazing sea views and you were on the beach in 2 mins without feeling too central.

Location is very important.

Places out in the middle of nowhere, where you need a car to get a pint of milk and a trip to the beach is a mammoth undertaking often look nice, but due to being less convenient are a lot cheaper.

Most people spend most of their holiday out doing fun stuff, so although there’s a space for top premium, most families actually don’t want that and can’t afford it....so don’t price yourself out of the market. I wouldn’t pay above £700-800 for a place to sleep 1 family of 4-5....and by booking early always find places in budget. People booking late often have to pay more.

[Climbingallthetrees]

I wouldn’t expect most of the things listed here either. But the things I suggested are fairly cheap stuff that make a difference to us. No one would not go back to a cottage because the knives were blunt, you’d just take your own knife next time. I mentioned dishwasher tablets but that wouldn’t put me off booking. I’d rebook the cottage we were in this year.

When I’m looking for somewhere to book, I filter on WiFi, dishwasher, washing machine, outdoor space. The exact location is the most important thing. I’ll drop outdoor space from our requirements if the rest is good. I wouldn’t book a place with only a double bed. I wouldn’t book somewhere with Ikea Kaplan sofas or something of the same comfort level. I don’t expect better than my own home, but I have those minimums.

[yeOldeTrout]

This place, I suspect lacks many of the features mentioned here, costs almost as much per night as OP's place does per week

[Whiskas1Kittens]

We have just had a holiday in a cottage. It was lovely but there were a few issues.
It had a coffee table in the centre of the lounge but I would have liked occasional tables too.
It was a 7 bed property. There were enough dining chairs but not enough lounge chairs for all 7 in the evening.
We had plenty of towels but not large enough for me.
In a previous holiday the cottage had take away menus which was nice!

[woodhill]

I don't expect toiletries. Just liquid soap. - nothing wrong with Cien.

Foil is useful and kitchen roll, decent peeler and knives.

Dishwasher and washing machine great but always bring tablets and wash powder

[Aerielview]

Outdoor washing line, and clothes airer for indoors
Enough sockets in each room, with easy access to them. Failing that, extension leads

[Climbingallthetrees]

£750 is very reasonable for a high end cottage in high season, but the location makes a massive difference. You could charge double that in Keswick and less in rural Northumberland. I couldn’t comment on what I’d pay because I don’t know the location. I’ve paid £1500 for a week in Keswick in August and £650 for a week in Northumberland, for similar standard accommodation.

[Giraffey1]

Decent kitchen utensils including sharp knives.
Clean, obviously
Comfy sofa etc to sit on and where you feel you can relax.
Eniught tea towels, cleaning materials, kitchen towels, loo roll etc
Leaflets / info on local attractions, eateries, pubs, takeaways
East to warm through if the weather is damp / cold
Extra pillows and blankets

[SunshineChatter]

@Climbingallthetrees the cottage is just outside Taunton in Somerset. The location is idyllic but very rural although it's only a ten-minute drive to Taunton where you have everything.

It's your typical chocolate-box cottage really (guests agree).

[WombatChocolate]

Price depends on size too of course. In the prime locations I mentioned (Salcombe, Gower, Blakeney, Woolacombe, buts if Cornwall) we've paid £750 in peak times for a 2 bed to sleep 4 (booked a year in advance to get the location and price) and paid £1.2k for a 4 bed to sleep 8 (again booked well in advance)

The family market is quite different to that for couples I think. Couples might want the little luxuries one associates with a hotel (perhaps more in a city-break kind of location rather than coastal) whereas families like places to leave sandy toys, washing machines and gardens. Large properties which can house 2 families or big groups of extended family and friends having a celebration, especially in great locations can command a high price and sometimes are a bit shabby, but the fact there is limited supply still means they can be booked up far in advance.

I'm always surprised at how many holiday homes don't have a teapot or a decent cheese grater or pans big enough for the large party the house sleeps. Minor irritations rather than deal breakers....and honestly, afterwards, who remembers the exact details (especially if you stay in 2 or 3 every year) and refuses to return because of them.

Things that have made us not return are mostly about the location....just too long a walk to the beach or town, or possibly parking so far away as to make it really difficult on arrival and when leaving. But if we've loved the area, we've usally just switched to another property and sometimes we've returned to the nightmare parking place because the location for everything else was so good and the price too. I wouldn't pay an extra £400 per week so I could park....but that's what you're looking at in some places. I'd still rather be in the prime location than at a cottage in the middle of nowhere that has 6 off-road spaces and is half the price.

[SunshineChatter]

@WombatChocolate I definitely agree that families and couples look for different things. We'd been renting holiday properties for many years before buying the cottage and were after luxurious, well-appointed places. We were happy to be remote because we weren't after a place to use as a base to go shopping. We wanted to stay somewhere nice that would give us a base to explore from.

With the cottage I'm trying to aim for couples (one or two) rather than families although we've had plenty of families stay (we do explain upfront that the rooms don't have twin beds). I think the fact that we allow dogs (downstairs) is a huge advantage and makes some people pick us because of that. I felt it would have been unfair to say no to dogs when we have four ourselves and, in a way, bought the cottage because we were fed up with finding it so hard to find high-end places that accept them (so we always left them at home with the nanny).

I agree that often you have to go for the best compromise because, depending on what you're after, you may not find a property that ticks all your boxes. But then again, if you're not living there but only going for a few days, does it matter if the place isn't exactly how you'd do it up?

[lljkk]

this has been great publicity for OP (I am not criticising OP)

Now I know why DH is baulking so much at the rentals we are looking at that are £200/night. You can pay £100/night for glamping, and easily pay £550/night for a 'naice' house not in Basildon/Crawley but nearby. But £200+/night for a 4 bed place is generally what's available to book next week in Sussex. I will quietly play my wee violin about holiday booking frustrations (probably not going now). I got burned in March when work refused to refund me for a business trip that Lockdown cancelled so I'm very adverse to early bookings now.

[RiftGibbon]

Toilet roll, decently sharp knives and a few lidded containers that can go in the microwave.

[SunshineChatter]

@lljkk I have been very careful not to mention the name of the cottage or to give any indication on how to find its website, for the very reason that I don't want this post to become an ad as it wouldn't be ethical ;-)

[lljkk]

fwiw, for reasons I already said, I'm more inclined to book if the cancellation policy is generous & flexible. I don't intend to cancel, but can't predict when Test & Trace might call, and I'm risk adverse after travel insurance refused to pay out when Lockdown cancelled my trip in 5 months ago.

[SunshineChatter]

@lljkk I think you'll find that most of us are offering full refunds if people can't travel because of Covid 19. It's only fair.

[KingFredsTache]

I absolutely love these threads - the things that people deem as 'essentials' are fascinating! 😂

[turtledovelove]

OP your cottage looks idyllic. I imagine it'll be a sell out for you in no time.

My family and I are staying in a holiday cottage in North Devon at the end of the month. Firstly the reviews were amazing which is something I would always take into account first and foremost.

Considerations for us were was it close enough to the beach if we have decent enough weather. Does the cottage have enough to cater for 4 children of varying ages should the weather be atrocious! i.e. good wifi, Netflix, tv etc.

The bonus for us is it also has loads of outdoor space, tennis court, games room and BBQ area. The feedback on the cleanliness of the cottages is fantastic also.

We're looking forward to our little break away. Here's hoping it lives up to our expectations