“This cottage could be lovely.”
The fire was lit when we arrived, and it was lovely and warm. The outside is absolutely stunning - a lake, use of a boat, and lovely gardens. Really really beautiful, absolutely no complaints about that. There were some lovely coverings on the beds, washing powder and dishwasher tablets were supplied, as well as fuel for the fire. The heating works well, it's a secluded gated property and the view from the living room is extraordinary.
However, there were two major downsides which really affected our stay. Firstly, although most of the property was clean enough, the kitchen was not and I had to clean before using it - the hob, the surfaces and the extractor, which was covered in oil. Many of the saucepans were dirty and the mugs had collected dust. There were old bags of food in the cupboards and freezer. Secondly, there was so much stuff - especially in the kitchen - that there was nowhere to put the food and bits we'd bought with us. There must have been upwards of 25 mugs, huge stacks of plates and bowls, loads of utensils and tea sets and glasses, and drawers full of things like old phone cases and batteries. The problem is two-fold because the huge amount of stuff a) takes up all the room and b) must be impossible to keep clean. If the owner just provided a simple set of crockery and cutlery and a few essential utensils and pans that would be enough and it would then also be easy to keep clean and there would be space to put your food shopping.
It would have also been helpful to have a few other essentials like some more hangers in the wardrobe, a curtain over the window in the main bedroom upstairs, and some new towels - there was a huge pile of towels but some of them were stained and had seen better days. There were also two power shower units in the one shower cubicle, neither of which gave enough pressure of water to wash your hair properly.
There is also clearly a damp problem in the chimney which has caused some unsightly staining upstairs, and the fire hadn't been cleaned out properly. The fire itself could do with a new ash tray - the current one has holes in it and the ash went everywhere when I took it out to empty.
It's such a shame because this property could be absolutely amazing if the owner removed 70% of what was in it, updated a few bits and cleaned it properly. I hate to leave a review like this but I have to be honest - there's no way we would ever return. It feels like you're living in someone else's house with all of their bits and pieces in the drawers and cupboards rather than a holiday let. I will say though - the lake is amazing and we really appreciated the use of the boat. Thanks and good luck for the future.
