“Notes on Cwtch Cottage, Cilcain
Arrival – Key code given in email.”
Fine.
On entering, there is no arrival information or instructions.
Noted that there is no phone signal, as it is a remote area.
No internet password — information sticker was found amongst magazines on the window sill.
Later in the evening, there was no internet signal in the bedroom, although there is an extender in the bedroom. We had to unplug this to get the code.
Quite cold on arrival. It states oil central heating; however, it was one oil‑filled radiator. We borrowed a second ...
Fine.
On entering, there is no arrival information or instructions.
Noted that there is no phone signal, as it is a remote area.
No internet password — information sticker was found amongst magazines on the window sill.
Later in the evening, there was no internet signal in the bedroom, although there is an extender in the bedroom. We had to unplug this to get the code.
Quite cold on arrival. It states oil central heating; however, it was one oil‑filled radiator. We borrowed a second from local friends.
There is underfloor heating, but it doesn’t work. Either it is not balanced correctly, is on a timer, or simply not working. I believe it is not working at all.
The log burner was available but failed abysmally.
We arranged firelighters and a lighter from a local friend and attempted on five occasions to light the log burner, but failed and gave up for the rest of the week.
We borrowed an additional oil heater, but the cottage was never warm or cosy.
Out in the evening, there is no outside light. The entrance is very dark, and the key safe would have been very difficult to access without a torch or phone light.
The door lock took a little getting used to, as the handle must be pulled fully up to the correct position to enable the key to lock.
On return, it was noted that one of the main lights in the lounge area was not working. The next morning, I swapped the bulbs around to ensure we had sufficient evening lighting.
The kitchen – The freezer compartment is completely full of ice and unusable. I didn’t consider it was our job to defrost the fridge before being able to use it.
There is no additional freezer as stated in the advert.
We had food that could have simply been heated in the microwave; unfortunately, there is no microwave in the kitchen.
The plug in the sink does not hold water. A dishwasher was available with a few tablets, so we had no option but to use this facility.
Cooking breakfast for four people was not simple. There is one small milk saucepan and two large saucepans. A microwave would again have been helpful.
The frying pan is huge. Cracking an egg was almost impossible to keep it in one place, so for the remainder of the week we had scrambled eggs or omelettes.
Sleeping – The main bedroom has curtains but no other means of hiding yourselves from the outdoors, so the lights were on whenever we used the bedroom, except when sleeping.
The main bed was not at all comfortable. The sheets were threadbare and very creased, and there was only one pillow each. We both used a cushion from the lounge, which was not satisfactory.
The upstairs mezzanine bedroom has low ceilings. My son is over 6 foot, so the cottage is not really suitable for four adults.
The sheets on the bed had bleach marks, and the area was extremely cold, even with the oil heaters.
The bathroom – The towels provided were very worn. If we had been informed, we could have brought our own. Again, the sink does not hold water.
The bath is very slippery. We purchased a non‑slip bath mat from Lidl down the road for £4.99 to ensure safety.
The advert states a walk‑in shower; however, it is a shower over the bath. It would have been impossible for anyone with a disability to climb into the bath to shower.
Electric sockets in the lounge – Luckily, I had an extension lead in the car, as using a laptop at the table was not practical unless I moved the table.
The table is the only one available for eating. There are two chairs at the table; the others were in the bedrooms, but due to lack of space it is impossible for four people to sit and eat together.
After a few days, my son and daughter‑in‑law decided it was not for them. They left and went back home.
Overall, it looks like the property was someone’s project, but the owners have never lived here. They live next door, so they will never know or experience its faults or what is missing.
The door frames have gaping holes around the architraves, and the property has multiple clusters of cobwebs. It feels like a forgotten, incomplete project.
On the Monday, we were informed the property had been put up for sale. On Tuesday morning, a request for access for an EPC certificate was made. It appeared the project was not going to progress any further and was being sold as‑is, as was the owners’ house next door.
On Tuesday, I was sat at my laptop with the window blind open and had about 20 people wave to me, so the property is not discreet in any manner. One lady clearly wanted to view the property early and put her face against the glass without realising I was sitting at the table.
The property is probably better suited to warm weather unless the heating problems are fixed.
The local area has plenty to offer, but it is not suited for a couple of 70‑year‑olds wanting an “away from it all” experience.
Finally, I managed to cut myself on the handles of the bedroom drawer unit. There is no first aid kit available.
