What do you look for in a holiday let?

[ClareC]

Hello,

Having moved out of London, we are now @ 1 hour away, living in the country. We are in a rural location @7 miles from the sea, and sandy beaches. Lots of country pubs with good food nearby and farm shops etc selling local produce.

We are about to have plans drawn up to convert our barn into 1 or 2 holiday lets. Would love to hear what everyone looks for in a holiday let on the basis we currently have a clean page to start from.

Thank you on advance :)

Clare

[EmilyPie]

Location sounds good. I also look for somewhere kid friendly: not too many expensive breakables; cot; stair gates a bonus; any other touches like a potty or toys or plastic spoons etc are also really welcome. An open fire is nice for winter months. Access to an enclosed garden good, even better if it contains garden toys. Ideally detached is good so we don't need to worry about waking the neighbours at 5am when the kids declare morning, but if not then good sound proofing. Also a bath not just a shower.

Hope that helps!

[Strawbs]

Definitely all of the below and especially a proper cot is a delight to see and not a travel cot and a highchair to save transporting. A loaf of bread and a small amount of milk for the first breakfast always goes down a treat. Towels to save lugging them to the holiday let. Detached is absolutely key. X

EmilyPie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Location sounds good. I also look for somewhere

> kid friendly: not too many expensive breakables;

> cot; stair gates a bonus; any other touches like a

> potty or toys or plastic spoons etc are also

> really welcome. An open fire is nice for winter

> months. Access to an enclosed garden good, even

> better if it contains garden toys. Ideally

> detached is good so we don't need to worry about

> waking the neighbours at 5am when the kids declare

> morning, but if not then good sound proofing. Also

> a bath not just a shower.

>

> Hope that helps!

[BellendenBear]

All of the above plus a safe, enclosed (even if small) outdoor space. When on holiday I really want the kids to be able to go out into some kind of garden and not have to be closely supervised. We just booked holiday homes I'm France and so many of them have a pond, stream or other hazard in the garden!

Other things (and I know this makes me sound like a total loser) are a washing machine, decent kitchen and ideally a dishwasher.

[Pickle]

A DVD player and a selection of kids DVDs (even just a couple of Disney standards).

We went to a holiday cottage a couple of years ago where you could book a Tesco delivery and on arrival the owners had taken delivery and put it all in the fridge etc. Very handy, and simple to do if you live on site.

A bottle of wine on arrival would be a nice touch!

Let us know when you're up and running :)

[edanna]

A well-equipped kitchen - so many places have rubbish blunt knives, one chopping board, a couple of battered saucepans.

[Strawbs]

Pickle that tesco idea sounds ace!! Oh and defo DVD totally agree on that one!

[BeccaL]

Definitely a dishwasher - otherwise it's no kind of holiday!! Also a few bits and pieces in case it rains - few games or something - though appreciate that can be v subjective. Definitely towels and tea towels - we always take tea towels with us as there are never enough (even with a dishwasher - what do I do to them, I wonder!!??).

If you're targetting families with kids decent kitchen is important as they're unlikely to be going out to eat much (except lunchtime) and so likely to need facilities for breakfast/supper.

[sanity girl]

Gas or induction hob in the kitchen- slow to heat electric hobs are grim. Also a decent coffee maker - a mocca type that you use on the hob is so much better than the usual cafetiere. And decent pillows and suitable duvets - can't bear when there is only a really heavy hot duvet when you are staying in the summer and you are forced to just use the empty cover. Some outdoor play equipment for kids would be amazing.

[missyelliott]

Have a look at the site for Baby Bolt holes. Some of their places are a bit pricey but they have great baby/toddler facilities. The site may give you some good ideas. Most properties also have recommended baby sitters attached to them. Something to consider?

X

[EmilyPie]

Definitely a dishwasher! And if I turned up and somebody had unloaded my groceries for me I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven!

[ladyruskin]

If you're near the seaside and anticipate families going there, then you could have a bucket & spade set and some folding chairs for them to borrow.

Access to a washing machine is very handy and would agree that a dishwasher makes sure you don't spend your holiday doing the washing up!

[scareyt]

If you end up making it into one 3 or 4 bed place, making 2 nice doubles and one or two kids rooms might be a good plan. Often we want to holiday with grandparents / friends and have only 1 or 2 kids between us and so many places are only set up for one couple and lots of kids. It would be great to have a place where 4 adults could all be equally comfortable.

Also lots of storage - hooks and shelves near the front door, somewhere to put muddy shoes, and space to tuck suitcases into the corner of a room. We always end up tripping over all our stuff by the end of a week. And a wood burner stove or fireplace. And nice sheets, duvets, and a variety of pillows - some flat and some thicker. And a barbeque and private hot tub in the garden would be great! I want to come and stay already....

[catgirl]

Space for more than 2 adults and 2 children.

Now our third is out of a cot we are finding lots of places that don't have space for 3 children and just offer a double room and a small twin. A pull out in the lounge is no good as I don't want to spend my holiday sleeping on that but my children still young enough to go to bed before us so don't want be of them in the living room either!

[ClareC]

Some fantastic ideas here, thinking I want to stay too!!

It's a large barn so there are lots of options at this stage. Loving the idea of putting the shopping away and recommended babysitters.

We have hens (ex battery rescue hens) so thought it would be a nice touch to provide a box of eggs in with the welcome pack, also like the idea of home made jam (lots of fruit trees so we make more than we could ever eat), although would need to investigate whether that would be permitted / regulations that would apply.

Other ideas are that we could organise celebration cakes / flowers / locally produced fizz etc.

Good quality bedding and towels a must to.

We have a small number of rescue animals. 3 pony's, 2 sheep, 3 lambs, 6 chickens, and a rabbit - all extremely tame, used to having small children making a fuss of them and all with a story behind them. Would children being able to see / stroke the animals be a positive or a negative? Thinking back to when we were in London I would have liked that but I am an animal lover, realise not everyone as keen!

Thank you all :) feeling very excited and incentivised!

Will have to organise some forum "trialists" when we are up and running.