Every bl***y cupboard!

I would be complaining about the cleaning company rather than the paying guests.

Sago

Gwyllt

Just be grateful things aren’t broken or go missing
I keep things simple and don’t over cram cupboards. Always tell guests if there is anything they can’t find and would like just ask. It is very rare this happens
We have stayed in holiday cottages jammed full of old things people no longer use at home and don’t throw away
Who needs cake tins on holiday
I certainly have never been asked to provide one

Sadly we had a bad experience last year, a group of 4 adults stole; coffee table books, blue tooth speaker, a light, all the hand soap dispensers, room sprays and they left the place an absolute tip😱.

Re knives a pet hate of mine is blunt knives, we have a self sharpening knife block, it’s wonderful.

We had a woman who thought she could sneak her large dog in without paying £20 extra for the week.

When she left she stole two brand new, expensive throws, some kitchen scissors and something else that I can’t remember now.

During her stay she was forever texting me to ask directions to places, recommendation for pub meals etc. when I realised what she had pinched I texted her but she never replied. I really hope karma got her!

Gwyllt

Just be grateful things aren’t broken or go missing
I keep things simple and don’t over cram cupboards. Always tell guests if there is anything they can’t find and would like just ask. It is very rare this happens
We have stayed in holiday cottages jammed full of old things people no longer use at home and don’t throw away
Who needs cake tins on holiday
I certainly have never been asked to provide one

Sadly we had a bad experience last year, a group of 4 adults stole; coffee table books, blue tooth speaker, a light, all the hand soap dispensers, room sprays and they left the place an absolute tip😱.

Re knives a pet hate of mine is blunt knives, we have a self sharpening knife block, it’s wonderful.

Mostly the gîtes we stay in are clean when we arrive, but one in Normandy needed a deep clean before we could use the kitchen, dining room and bathroom. We refused to pay the cleaning charge at the end.
I can’t say we put everything back where we got it from, because we had to clear everything out in order to clean the drawers and the cupboards and the table and the sink.

When I was young Mum and Dad hired a caravan in Newquay. When we arrived it looked rather old but clean, when we went inside it had been freshly painted but the paint was still wet 😁

When our kids were small we used to stay on a Yorkshire farm where they had a few caravans to let. They were ancient even then but cheap and we didn’t have much money.

All the cutlery was odd, there was a full china tea set but a lot was chipped, there was even a china 3 tier cake stand - an essential for holidays! 😝 There were ancient sleeping bags and blankets that looked like they were issued in the war. We always took our own bedding.

escaped the rain has been mostly in the winter in Southern Ireland and has never put us off. We haven't stayed on a site though - so never expected anything to be arranged or available for us. We worked whilst away and took waterproofs and wellies, board games and books.

Prior to that, in the days when we could only afford to camp, however, we wouldn't have holidayed in the winter. We were lucky to be homeschooling so went away as we chose.

Allira I love that idea!

NotSpaghetti if you leave everything where it is at the moment, the next people might put everything back in the wrong place - which might be the right place.
Problem solved! 🙂

Poor you NotSpaghetti.
Sadly, as an owner, there's nothing you can do about the yucky weather. It's such a shame when guests have paid for a pool, gardens or playgrounds on site they can't use. They return from their days out soaking wet, and they have to pay so much to keep the children entertained off-site. If they get good weather during their stay, they are likely to book again for next year. If they get heavy rain, you never see them again.

Gwyllt - I think my "baking children's cakes on holiday" days are (mercifully) long gone!
Ha ha!
But thank you kindly anyway!

I can't tell you how many weeks of heavy rain we have endured whilst ostensibly on holiday though...

Have you discovered a gap in the market, Sago, holiday lets for those who wish to reorganise cupboards?

You could market them as "Decluttering Training Courses."

Well, nothing has been stolen has it? Just re-arranged, so that's something to be thankful for surely?

Not Spagetti
Take on your point and as I said I always tell visitors to ask if I can help and you would have a choice of my cake tins if you so wished
I once stayed in a cottage that had about six rusty old cake tins I would not have used if I wanted to bake.
Agreed sharp knife’s are essential

Have you discovered a gap in the market, Sago, holiday lets for those who wish to reorganise cupboards?

I have never stayed in a holiday property in Spain or Italy without there being salt, pepper olive oil and (often) wine

NotSpaghetti I also always take a couple of sharp knives.
escaped Yes, I do take your point, perhaps I should just have a little basics box that I take with me with small amounts that I use in.

Give her a scrim and a bowl of soapy water and she was well away!
I 'inherited' a roll of scrim from my MIL (well, found it under the sink when we were clearing her house). It lasted for ages.
Wonderful stuff, haven't seen any for years.

I have made birthday cakes in holiday homes in Southern Ireland and Spain - at least twice in Ireland Gwyllt - we had five children and it meant we were often away when someone in the family had a birthday. I bought a cake tin in Spain. The Irish properties had them!

I have baked bread more than a few times too - but am not bothered about a loaf tin.

I have also bought things such as washbasin/bath plugs and twice bought a decent knife - more recently I've taken one in my suitcase - I've bought extra bedding when it was very cold, a huge fan when it was very hot, a cafetiere when there wasn't anything to make coffee in, a small bedside lamp to read by, taken a travel kettle abroad...

If you are basically living somewhere for say 3-5 weeks you need more than for a weekend.

Gwyllt

MissA if your mum would like to clean my window she would be very welcome

I wish she was still around to do it.

Give her a scrim and a bowl of soapy water and she was well away!

She was Martin Clune's cleaner.
I've got a beautiful reference he wrote for her tucked away, somewhere.

The only thing that bugs me is when there are none of the basics in the kitchen like salt and pepper, oil, a few herbs and spices nothing fancy but so nice to be able to use.
I prefer to remove everything food wise, especially sticky oils, from cupboards in the interests of hygiene. During covid, owners were instructed to do this, though I do see your point.

Gwyllt

I think when folks complain about the cost of holiday lets they do not appreciate the capital value of the property
It is not just the upkeep of the home it is the grounds. Ware and tear
People are less careful of someone else’s property
And as someone said previously all the things we do to make someone’s holiday one to remember for all the right reasons

👏 thank you

If I go on holiday I want to be as comfortable as I am in my own home so I'm quite picky. tbh It's rare that we are disappointed, we've generally stayed in places that are clean, tastefully furnished with quality bed linen. It would often be much cheaper to stay in a good hotel but I like the flexibility of staying somewhere we can self cater for breakfast and cook a meal if we want to. The only thing that bugs me is when there are none of the basics in the kitchen like salt and pepper, oil, a few herbs and spices nothing fancy but so nice to be able to use. If I buy anything like that I always leave them in the kitchen for others to use. I think it must be very disheartening if guests leave a place really dirty , I've broken the odd glass but I treat the place as I would my own home.

We stayed in large holiday house. 12 people. Some cooked, some loaded and unloaded the dish washer. Stuff was already mixed up in the cupboards and even more so when we left. That what happens if it’s not your house.

I think when folks complain about the cost of holiday lets they do not appreciate the capital value of the property
It is not just the upkeep of the home it is the grounds. Ware and tear
People are less careful of someone else’s property
And as someone said previously all the things we do to make someone’s holiday one to remember for all the right reasons

MissA if your mum would like to clean my window she would be very welcome