Holiday homes - tell me about your loves & hates

[gizmo]

Hello all!

So I'm in the middle of refurbishing my parent's old house for holiday lettings and I've just come across a slightly old thread (2009?) with mumsnetter's thoughts on the perfect holiday cottage. Which is incredibly helpful but I wondered if times might have moved on since then.

We're looking at an old (1760) house which should sleep 10 (6 beds, 3 baths). If you were looking for a family holiday in North Yorkshire, what would sell a house to you?

So far I've got on my list:

• good equipment for babies/toddlers (proper cot, highchair, stairgates, some toys)
• good beds! Nice linens. And enough sofas/dining room furniture for all
• a well equipped kitchen (not just the appliances but all the right glassware, cookware etc)
• Fireplaces/log burners with fuel and guards
• Wifi - as fast as we can make it given it's rural North Yorkshire
• MUST BE CLEAN. Properly clean.

Things I'm not so sure about:

• the house in the middle of a Capability Brown park. I could let visitors in there but there is a stream (about 100 meters from the house). How do people feel about open water and children?
• dogs. There is a secure garden and it would be a good place for a doggy holiday. But would it put you off if you're not a dog lover and you know there have been dogs there?
• spares. Yes, to foil, bulbs, firelighters, washing machine detergent, dishwasher etc. Anything else?
• bathrooms. Two upstairs and one (shower room) downstairs. I have the option to put an extra WC in downstairs? What do people think?

So what's your best and worst experiences in self catering? And how can I do better? I'd be so grateful for any ideas....

Is it really not worth offering it year round? If you add up the cost of heating, consumables and cleaning at a decent rate, would you not make a profit? Cottages seem pretty popular (and expensive) over Christmas and New Year, particularly if they are big enough to host a group.

BBQ not bbc

Yes to enough coathangers, at least half a dozen per person, including children.

Garden games could be a croquet set, which would appeal to some tipsy adults too.

I really do not like cheap glasses. Wilkinson are not good.

I remember that thread.

You MUST check every day through the window that your guests are following your procedures.

Every day.

Whoever said about mirrors, it helps to have a full length one somewhere - maybe on a landing so everyone can use it if you don't have room for one in each bedroom.

This sounds a bit daft, but plain English instructions for dishwasher, washing machine, heating/hot water, we've stayed places before & had to endure a night in a sauna like bedroom as we couldn't figure out how to set the boiler to just to hot water.
Agree to options for pillows / duvets, we're not keen on feathery pillows & the like. Agree to a well equipped kitchen, we've also experienced no scissors, tin opener corkscrew / bottle opener. Very frustrating.

Waterproof mattress protectors are a very good idea. We have good ones at home - JL quilted - as DD very occasionally has an accident and sometimes in our bed rather than her own.

Also blackout blinds/curtains. We stayed in a cottage on Skye at midsummer once. The sun rose very early. Every single day.

Cottages seem pretty popular (and expensive) over Christmas and New Year

If this is the market you are going for, a decent sized and powered oven is required.

I agree that you don't want to go too cheap on things for me the whole point of a holiday is to feel a bit spoiled by your accomodation and surroundings and nice crockery and glasses etc add to the feeling.

Dunelm also sell some very good quilted/waterproof mattress protectors

I'm not interested in roughing it on holiday. If that's what I wanted, I'd go camping . The minimum I expect is a fully equipped kitchen, decent shower, super-king sized bed, WiFi and Freeview channels.

I'm a pro-pets vote...I only book holiday homes because I have a dog that I can't leave and so that's the only way I can go on holiday.

If it says may be allowed in arrangement or one well behaved dog or anything like that, such as the house owner must meet the dog, I rule it out, if it says dogs welcome but then in the small print they're only allowed in one room or an outhouse, I rule it out, also any that state dogs must not be left alone also gets ruled out. As do any without secure gardens or a secured outside space.

I'd take one of my cats too, but most say dogs only and she's easier to find a sitter for.

I wouldn't be massively bothered about a tumble dryer but we don't have DCs so slightly different.

For us as a couple, a holiday let would need to have plug sockets near a mirror, dishwasher, decent TV and a sofa to look at it from (as opposed to one place we stayed where there was a tiny TV mounted on the ceiling at an angle that made watching from the sofa impossible).

Decent cutlery and pans in the kitchen. Please sharpen your knives!

So far, I'm thinking:

Beds: at least one (probably two) zip links which can be superkings. Good pocket sprung mattress, topped with comforter and waterproof protectors for peace of mind. Then sheets, obviously.

A combination of feather/down duvets and non allergenic throughout the house. With a couple of spares to allow for extra options.

One feather/one foam pillow per guest with a spare (equal ratios) of one per two guests.

Nice blankets (wool) and throws for each bed and sofas.

Blackouts in bedrooms.

Kitchen needs good quality but tough kitchenwear (1.5 to 2 of everything, including different types of glassware/china). All the cookware needs to be sized to deal with a party of ten.

Appliances need to be full set (oven - actually we have Aga and twin oven alternative - dishwash, washer dryer, fridge and sensibly sized freezer)

Sofas - all nice fabric three seaters. We have two sitting rooms, one of which is more adult (very glam 18th C plasterwork and large open fire). Both will have two big sofas and extra armchairs. Only one will have big family TV so the other can be quieter for reading/cocktails etc

Garden furniture and toys. Not loads but enough to give kids a thrill of novelty. Maybe also some books and boardgames but not everywhere

Disposables - enough to get you out of most problems at least for the first couple of days.

Coathangers, mirrors, coathooks.

Baby related stuff. To be stored when not needed.

And no dogs!

Oh sorry, Tabularhasa, didn't see you as I was composing that last one!

Lol sniffs sadly it's fine

If places don't allow dogs, that's fine, I can't go there, but it's fine...but basically I think you need to decide one way or the other, because what I'm looking for is not accepts dogs under sufferance if you see what I mean.

For what it's worth my dog is housetrained, crated when left and isn't allowed on furniture even at home, so it's not about letting the dog do whatever it wants, I just don't want to have to worry about a muddy paw print at the front door or a stray hair.

Also he's a breed a lot of people can be funny about so I don't want to have to phone them up and let them quiz me about him.

My wish list would be:

Comfortable bed (firm mattress) with cotton bedding
Decent shower
Sharp sharp knives, big enough pans
Big enough wine glasses (don't have to be enormous but not tiny)
Open fire or woodburner
Somewhere to sit in the garden
Personal advice on where to go and eat locally.
Dishwasher tablets, J cloths etc
A washing machine is really handy but not too worried about a tumble drier - something to hang wet washing on is useful though.
Being able to eat in the kitchen is a bonus.

Now my kids are older I'm not bothered about streams or stair gates or toys.
It's only worth providing baby equipment if you list it all otherwise people will have packed it anyway.

Personally I prefer places with no TV and no wifi but I accept I am almost certainly in the minority here

Nice blankets (wool) and throws for each bed and sofas.

I would ensure these are machine washable, as dry cleaning could get expensive.

I also realise that it may have sounded like DH and I might want a bit sofa to get, ahem, horizontal together. It is more that we like to schlomp (thank you Ikea) and a sit up and beg sofa is miserable. The ones with the really high arms at each end are torment.

Two more things.
I always look for really good quality lined and interlined window coverings. I'm light sensitive and hate being woken up at dawn in the summer.
They'll also serve you well if you go there in winter as they're good for insulation.

A decent tiled area to take off and store wet weather clothes and 'stuff' i.e. a boot room area. It could be a seat and hooks in a porch or a rear lobby, or the utility room if there is one. To that end, a ceiling airer?

I like a space to dump walking boots and waterproofs. Lots of pegs and space for boots to air.

As keen walkers, that extra space is really essential for us.

A hairdryer! Lots of places overlook this and I'm too lazy to take my own but I am pleased if I find one.

Lots of maps and walking books of the local area. Basically all the local knowledge you don't get if you aren't local.

My requirements are fairly simple. Starting with a cafetiere. Although I now take my stovetop coffee maker with me, having been caught out several times in the last few years.

Clean sheets. Towels supplied (although I'm getting better at coping if we have to take our own). Good kitchen equipment (sharp knife, casserole dish, a dish large enough to cook apple crumble in, some tupperware). I've been surprised with how many holiday houses don't have stuff like that - we do actually self-cater on holidays! Your house sounds large so make sure you have enough large saucepans etc to cook larger meals.

Always nice to find a couple of toilet rolls, some bin liners, washing up liquid and cleaning spray.

Not fussed with too much extra stuff (e.g. games/art stuff) - would always take our own.

Oh I hear you Tabulahrasa!

I was basically raised by wolves bloodhounds and the house has a long doggy history. So it seemed natural to me to accept dogs but I thought I had better check if it puts people off. And it seems it does! Which leaves me with a bit of a thinking to do.

I agree with tabularasa that dogs under difference is a waste of time. Off-putting to people on either side.