The building and the location are wonderful. but inside there were many disappointments that could have been prevented.
The property felt like it was due a thorough deep clean. I would suggest that the owner stays in the property for a few days to discover what needs addressing.
In the kitchen, the oven/microwave/fridge were all dirty inside.The washing machine and dishwasher needed cleaning but were in fine working order. The cabinet organiser broke. The saucepan lids contained old, dirty liquid. The cheese grater handle wasn't attached. In the living room I found trash on the floor and under sofa cushions. The sofas felt a little dirty and grimy, it wasn't a comfortable room to relax in.
Upstairs, the bathroom was usable, however the shower head was broken (I did notify the owner), and if the head wasn't pointed at exactly the right angle, water flooded underneath the bath so lots of towels were needed on the floor to soak it up. I notified the owner of the mouldy non slip mat in the shower, that was a real turn off. The grouting and shower needed a good scrub. The hot tap of the sink was loose. The wall around the toilet was dirty and paint peeling. The front two bedrooms were ok, however again, dirty walls, and "shabby chic" furniture that felt grimy. We didn't use the laundry hamper or chests of drawers for that reason. The beds and bedding were comfortable. We didn't use the back bedroom, the smell in there was awful. It smelled like old animal urine, ingrained in the floorboards or furniture. We aired the entire house whenever we were in, but the smell lingered, and remained on clothes that we stored in the room. The window latch in that room was missing a screw.
The information folder that was left was useful, however it would have been useful to have had a sheet saying which bins to put out when instead of including a long web address for the occupier to look up. Perhaps a picture of where to put the bins too.
Outside the property was fine, I watered the plants in the garden as it was at the end of the heatwave and they were very thirsty. The table and chairs in the garden were comfortable enough but a couple of chairs I saw on were wobbly and probably needed bolts tightening. I picked up bottle tops from the grass and threw them away. The floodlight in the backyard was always on, I couldn't find a switch to turn it off.
It would have been helpful to have had 2 door keys. There was a second key that I have no idea what it opened. I didn't not feel comfortable leaving the key in the lock box as I don't know how many other people know the combination.
I contacted the owner when we first arrived to notify of some cleanliness problems and she was quick to respond and the lady who cleans the house came out promptly. We were staying for 2 weeks so perhaps I noticed things that someone staying for a couple of nights may not. I would recommend the property if it was cleaner and in better working order, for the price I was expecting a higher standard. In the state it was in when we stayed there, I would not recommend it.
