You might be asking yourself, What holiday home essentials do I need? To get started, why not write down a list of items you use at home? Obviously, not everyone will be looking for the latest Illy coffee machine or the newest MagiMix, but they will expect the essentials such as a potato masher, peeler and baking trays. Our lists below provide a step-by-step guide, room by room.
An Ideal Living Room
The living room is the hub of the property and it’s where most families spend their evenings together. Definitely make sure it is a comfortable and cosy space for your guests to relax and unwind after a long day of exploring! A few little extras can go a long way toward making your guests feel at home. These can include:
Essentials:
- Welcome pack – explaining how to use the appliances, house rules and local contacts/activities
- Matches, logs and items to start a fire
- Enough seating for the number of guests you accommodate for
- Blankets, it can get chilly in winter!
- Floor lamps, fairy lights or feature lights to ensure the room isn’t too dark
- Toy boxes or games for smaller children
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Bonus Items:
- A games console such as a Wii – can be controversial but on those rainy days, it can provide lots of entertainment and can be great fun for the whole family.
- extra cushions for the sofas
- Netflix, Chromecast or Disney+ available – guests can log in with their own details or they can stream directly from their phones.
Essentials for Cooking Up a Storm
One of the most exciting things about a self-catering holiday is cooking! Think homemade cakes, shepherd’s pie….mmmmm! One of our top tips is to have every utensil available for every type of cooking. You never know where your guests might be from and providing a variety of cooking utensils will make them feel right at home!
Essentials:
- Peeler
- Masher, cheese grater etc
- Cake/ baking tins
- Pans, casserole dish/ dutch oven and a Wok
- Mixing Bowls
- Meat Thermometer
- Tin foil, cling film etc
- Mop, bucket, brush etc
- Baking equipment
- Bin Bags
- Cleaning products
- Bottle and can opener
- First aid kit for any small cuts or minor injuries
- Carbon monoxide alarm
- Fire blanket
- Fire extinguisher
Optional:
- Spray eliminator – for bad smells
- Flameless Candle, ambient lighting or plug-in diffuser
- Coffee Machine i.e. Nespresso
- Selection of Tea Bags, Salt, pepper, spices
- Ice cubes in the freezer -Perfect for a drink on the first night
- Airfryer
Holiday Home Essentials for Your Bedroom
You want to create a calm and relaxing feel in the bedroom. Those little extra finishing touches can really create a great night’s sleep!
Essentials:
- High-quality mattress
- Memory foam topper
- At least two pillows per person
- Electric blanket for those cold months
- extra blankets
- dressing gowns
- extra duvet insert for winter months
- Bedspreads
- Laundry basket
- electric fan
- Iron
- Hair Dryer
Optional:
- Selection of books
- Plug-in air freshener or scent sachets
- Tv in the bedroom for lazy Sunday mornings!
- Power points for charging phones overnight
- Hot water bottles
Scrub-a-Dub-Dub! Bathroom Essentials
The bathroom is also just as important and as an owner, you need to make sure that all the essentials are provided.
Essentials:
- Heated towel rail or hooks to dry towels
- dressing gowns
- Towel racks
- Laundry basket
- soap, mini shower gels – Bonus points if you use a local supplier!
- Bath Mat
- Large bath towels
Optional:
- Underfloor heating
- Bubble bath or bath salts
- Bath tray (for holding drinks and a book)
- Plants to freshen up the room
Muddy Paw Essentials
If your property is dog-friendly, why not provide some pampered pooch essentials? You want pets to feel at home too!
Essentials:
- Treats
- poo bags
- dog blankets for their bed
- dog bowls for food and water
- Towels for dogs
- dog bed or designated area for dogs I.e utility room
- outdoor hose or tap to clean off those muddy paws!
Optional
- Outdoor shower or utility room shower for dogs
- Stairgate – to stop dogs from going into certain rooms
- A small dog toy like a ball or frisbee
Outside
Essentials:
- Beach tote
- Towels for the beach
- Children’s outdoor toys and garden games for the family
- Camping chairs or outdoor seating
- Pegs for washing line
- Picnic blanket
- Umbrellas
Kids
Essentials
- children’s cutlery
- plastic crockery
- plastic cups/tumblers
- high chair
- travel cot
Things to avoid
- Poor cleanliness in the property, it needs to be of a high standard. (expectations are high, especially after Covid)
- Reeds/candles with an overpowering smell. This can cause headaches and can make guests annoyed if they don’t like the smell
- Bedding or Towels washed in high perfumed fabric conditioner or detergent – Some of these can also cause allergies, try to find an allergy-friendly one.
- Not having any cleaning facilities in a Dog-friendly property
- An untidy garden – Long grass, overgrown trees etc
- Personal family photos or cheesy/ tacky wall art – remember that you need to cater to a variety of guests, try not to make the decor too niche
- If there is no dryer, You should provide alternatives. i.e. washing line etc. Even if there is a laundrette nearby, guests might not want to have to lug all of their laundry to the shop or pay to wash their clothes, if guests are paying a lot of money for a week’s stay, a washing machine is almost expected.
- Providing tiny towels or not providing enough for the guests
- Only providing 1 roll of toilet paper for a week’s stay
- The milk, butter, and other items are left out on the countertop next to the fridge when the weather is hot.
- Not providing coffee pods for the coffee machine