What do you like about a holiday cottage?

[Karwomannghia]

My mum has asked me to help her update her holiday cottage as she’s not letting it this season. The main thing is to get a bigger tv with freeview but does anyone have experience of what makes a good tv? Is it possible for people to login to their own Netflix accounts for example?
Also what else do you really like about a cottage? I’ve mentioned having good blinds/curtains to block out the light. It’s a house with a double in one room and bunk beds in another.
I’m staying in it and will point out things to improve but anything to look out for appreciated!

Decent sized saucepans and frying pans. There is never any big enough to allow me to easily cook for my family of 4, which includes 2 teens who eat adult portions (and more after a day swimming or walking).

Definitely decent sized mugs.

Clear instructions for all appliances, including the heating and water heater.

Details of local attractions, restaurants and takeaways.

And if you want the place kept clean and tidy, materials and apparatus to enable me to do so. I really don't want to have to find a shop to buy cleaning clothes, sprays etc!

Enough cutlery and crockery so you don't have to run the dishwasher after every meal. Decent knives. Mugs not cups and saucers. Think about what your guests might cook and make sure those meals are possible in your kitchen. Are pans
big enough for a family? Is there something to put salad in? Are there plastic boxes for leftovers? Could you strain the water out of pasta, rice or vegetables? Could you grate cheese for sandwiches?

And lighting! We stayed in a cottage that cost almost £3,000 last summer. We had to buy lamps for the sitting room as there was no ceiling light and only two pathetic lamps for a room with three seating areas. It was impossible to read!

Cleanliness is paramount though. The same £3k cottage had cobwebs everywhere. And not the silky ones that spring up the minute your back is turned. These were so dust covered and old that they actually made a crackling noise as I wiped them away!!

Definitely enough comfortable chairs for everyone.
A no to bunk beds as no good for very young children or teenagers.
Enough crockery and cutlery - including some larger baking dishes - something that's often missing.
A couple of sharp knives for cooking.
In date herbs and spices.
Decent bedding.
Somewhere to sit outside.
Proper size bath sheets.

We booked a cottage once where it looked like the owners just moved out. Their family pictures were still on the wall and the kitchen cupboards were full of out of date tins and pasta.

Things I actively look for when booking:

At least king size beds. We can't sleep comfortably in a regular double
Single or bunk beds for children. They don't sleep when sharing a double either.
Proper curtains, either dark coloured or blackout lined
Decent shower
Dishwasher (not a must have for me but I like it)
Light modern decor, no trinkets or clutter
Wi-fi
Hard floors - I know this is a bit irrational, but they just feel cleaner than carpets that lots of others have used

Things I wouldn't book based on but which I would really like (and would therefore encourage me to rebook):

Proper mugs, what is it with tiny mugs with a big thick rim??
Enough crockery and cutlery
Comfortable beds (for me this is not too soft)
Decent towels
Comfortable seating

If the cottage is designed for X number of people then the seating and kitchen equipment needs to cater to that number easily. Don’t assume that people will be eating out all the time. The cooker needs to work properly - the toaster needs to be more than a 2 slot ( which is what we had in the last place we went to despite there being 8 of us). We also had to buy a cafetière which is annoying.

I think it’s unfair to complain about children sharing a double - don’t book it. Book a place with 2 singles. You can’t expect the owner to accommodate your family permutations.

It’s certainly not a £3k property, it’s small and a week in August is £800-900 to give you an idea. To think I’ve paid almost the same for a caravan in the same region so it’s within a certain bracket, it may not be feasible to have huge beds etc but will have a look.

No random ornaments, knick-knacks or glass vases. They all go straight in a cupboard as soon as I arrive so the kids don't break them.

Kitchen stuff, expect people to be self catering. So three meals a day for the number of people in the house. Oven trays, large pans, more than 1 plate each etc.

No, there are no ornaments apart from paintings, it’s good taste, no wallpaper or patterned carpets and nice cushions.

Just be clear about what you have. If it's a double bed, fine. Just be clear about that.

Equally make sure your photos show the house properly, so if someone is looking for something weird or specific, they can see in the photos.

When the kids were small we avoided houses where all the bedrooms weren't on the same floor. There's nothing wrong with that it just didn't suit us at the time. Now they are older, it's not a problem.

A couple of shelves/cupboards left empty in the kitchen to put your own food on

Decent beds, long enough for tall people, reliable kitchen equipment (have been to places with no bottle openers and chappy tin openers that don't work ).
Cleanliness.

A small starter provision , milk, biscuits, loo roll, tea and coffee. I think this is a given in the UK, we went to a pricey villa in Greece and they provided nothing, which was beyond tight.

Best possible WIFI with extenders to cover entire property.

Proper single beds not bunk beds.

Detachable "double" bed to convert into two singles if requested.

Decluttered, minimal furnishings/ornaments etc.

Instruction books left in the property for all appliances/equipment.

More than 1 baking tray and plenty of pans.

We stay in holiday cottages 4 or 5 times a year. The worst ones have had tired bed linen, threadbare towels, cheap ornaments scattered everywhere, doggy smells, stained carpets, and crap kitchenware such as very blunt knives. For some reason the worst places also seem to be the ones with the most rules! Anywhere that has little handmade laminated signs dotted about the place telling you what you can and cannot do, ugh.

I think some owners have inherited an actual home, elderly relative has died in it, and they've been too reluctant to spend money on buying new stuff. Either that or they've bought everything in it from a car booty.

What Neolara said - my dh was 6'4" so I had to rule out so many places for their 'lovely' vintage bedsteads.

I do hate really awful kitchen stuff - a sharp knife and a fresh pepper grinder go a long way.

I’m probably repeating what some have said

Preferably
Porch/area to remove shoes without getting the floor dirty
Somewhere to store coats, brollies etc

Living area
Enough comfy seating for the number of guests
TV that can be seen when sat in said seating
Wifi

Dining area
Enough chairs for each person that are suitable to have high chairs attached to them.
Child friendly dining table, no sharp edges etc

Kitchen
Knives that actually chop and are regularly sharpened
Enough cutlery/crockery/pans/oven wear that you don’t have to wash up between every meal. I stayed in a two person cottage once that just has two of everything, including cutlery!
Decent plastic chopping boards that are replaced fairly regularly
Pans/saucepans big enough for a decent family meal, same for roasting tins etc
Oven gloves
Tea towels
Sponge/dish cloth
Dishwasher tabs and idiots guide to dishwasher
Hand wash
Idiots guide to oven/hob
Washing machine (and idiots guide)
Tumble drier/clothes horse/washing line (with pegs)
Iron and board (I wouldn’t use it, but some would)
Cupboard space for food
Freezer compartment in fridge
Cleaning products for kitchen surfaces etc

Bathroom
Hand wash
Some sort of bath matt on the floor
Bath mat available to use in the shower/bath to avoid slipping
Idiots guide to using shower
Decent preferably white hand towels
A toilet roll
Plug, sounds stupid, I’ve stayed at places with bath tubs but no plugs!
Bin in the bathroom
Toilet brush
Bath sheets (towels too small for many) and towels for hair, preferably white as they do look cleaner than coloured/patterned towels

Bedrooms
No footboard on the bed, I’m only six foot but tall enough not to be able to sleep in one
Decent mattress
Mattress protector
Pillow protectors
If room allows blanket/different thickness pillows
Somewhere to store clothes
Lamp (no groping about in the dark to find the bed)
Black out blind/curtain
Charger near bed (phones, alarm clocks etc)
Cotton bedding
Somewhere to store luggage

A few things I hate about cottages
Decorative cushions/sofa throws as I would suspect they aren’t laundered between guests
Ornaments
Poor quality kitchen equipment
No storage
No instructions for appliances
No guide book for general area (a good cottage also had the numbers/address of the nearest vet, pharmacy etc)

A request service is good, we have a cottage booked for august, we have been there before and they have a menu of optional things you can tick at booking including stairgate, bed guard, doggy bowls, waterproof bed sheet etc.

Trouble is sharp knives and good pepper grinders do go a very long way. Miles and miles away. But, it’s only about one in four but it has to be factored into the price and is a significant reason why such things will be cheap and cheerful.

A really good shower - ie lots of water flow and pressure
And big bath sheets- we stayed in an absolutely amazing place last year which was somewhat spoiled by tiny towels! They're not that expensive...

It’s been strictly no dogs for years and certainly no bossy signs! Some cottages sound hilariously awful! It’s making me think this one is luxurious!

Proper beds for children. I hate it when we're staying somewhere we're paying for and my child has to sleep in a put-me-up bed. My 14 year old is nearly 6ft tall so a bunk bed/sofa bed really isn't big enough.

Mattress protectors that are waterproof so if a child has an accident it's not an issue. John Lewis do good ones that are comfortable and not at all plasticky.

A properly equipped kitchen not a random selection of your old stuff. Old roasting tins that are all the same size really annoy me. We only eat out once a day when on holiday and want to be able to cook a decent evening meal.

Not really relevant to the OP but I hate houses with multiple double beds. It's surrisingly hard to find a self catering house that is suitable for e.g. family with 3 kids and granny. Which must be a fairly common set up but the number of places that have 6 beds but when you check it's 2 double beds and a sofa bed. Really bloody irritating. Just make that second bedroom a twin.

Just home from a holiday home. It was lovely in almost every way. Things which could have been better:

1. I’m never booking anywhere without a king size bed again. The double was comfy but just too small.
2. A 14 tog synthetic duvet is unbearable in even a British summer. Ideally one of the combination duvets with a light and medium weight one should be provided.
3. Bath towels that are barely larger than hand towels are annoying. Personally I prefer hard towels but I know I’m in the minority so soft is fine .
4. Provide a recycling bin in the kitchen unless the outside bin is just outside the door. And explain what is and isn’t recyclable, everywhere is different.

Things that were good:

1. Well equipped kitchen with a range of different glasses, no drinking beer out of a wine glass or wine out of a tumbler. Lots of mugs (and both a teapot and a cafetière). Sharp knives.
2. White cotton bedding (poly cotton is a false economy, is there anything more unpleasant than a too thick duvet (see above) in a bobbly poly cotton cover?
3. Memory foam mattress topper, very comfortable but not enough to make up for the small bed.
4. Good bedside lamps.
5. Two good pillows each, you can always take one off.
6. Spare toilet rolls, a tiny thing but so welcome.

I agree about too many doubles. My teens can’t share anymore so we have to rule out places because of that. Hope there’s a way of getting twin beds in.