There was plenty that was good and overall it fully met our needs - but not our expectations (which were founded on the five star reviews and expectedly flattering photos and so were perhaps unrealistic / unwise).
There are plenty of good points:
• Chloe is exceptionally professional: pleasant, efficient and easy to deal with
• The property is well equipped overall - especially electrical items and the new bath / shower
• Location, space, ease of access and essential comforts are all good
• On balance it’s fair value
But
• the overall state of repair is only adequate and clearly in decline (recent reviews raise niggles which have only been partially addressed).
• First impressions are not good at all - the outside - doors, windows, gate, locks are all in a bad state. (perhaps this tainted our view)
• Inside also needs much more care - several minor fixes, a new main bed (the divan’s falling apart - with discarded 3 pieces of wood / shelves under the mattress to presumably, compensate for broken parts), a fair degree of refreshment (repainting +), a clearout of the kitchen (replace several pans that are scratched or have wobbly handles etc, and a decent declutter)
• The smell – not sure what this was, possibly a dead mouse under the floor boards? And there was definitely also a smell of dogs on the furniture. Scented candles and Febreze got us through, but this added significantly to the sense of more care being needed.
• WiFi is poor
Overall the place feels uncared for - which rather clashes with the presentation as sharing someone else’s holiday home. I’d suggest the owners would do well to spend a couple of weeks living here, which would surely open their eyes to all the minor issues and ensure they are addressed for future residents.