Hello, we've got a very small holiday let. To put it into perspective, it's described on our listing as a compromise between a cottage and a glamping pod! We do have guests booking full weeks over the summer months, but outside peak season, most of our bookings are short breaks.
We've had no trouble bringing in bookings over the season so far and all but 1 review has given us 5 stars (the first was before we had replaced the old bathroom) and the property itself is in a location that really attracts people who enjoy coastal and countryside walks; local heritage; country pubs etc., rather than getting dressed up to go out.
The kitchen, as it is now, is a bit short of work-top space, but there's additional space on the adjacent dresser and sideboard: while it's never going to be the place to cook gourmet meals, there's a 2-ring hob, a microwave and a dual air-fryer and we've a lovely BBQ outside. There was a fridge-freezer (which came with the property and packed in last week) We've just replaced it with a larger fridge with an icebox.
We will be re-doing the kitchen units in 2026 and space is extremely limited. We have ample storage in the base of the dresser and plenty of room for wall-cupboards and shelves above the units, so the choices for adding value to the kitchen area are:
1) A slim-line washing machine
2) A small dishwasher
3) A small oven (just combined over-grill or combination microwave / oven / grill)
There's only room for one item - is it worth investing in any of them?
Am I right in suspecting that we might be better leaving ourselves without any of the above? We're doing well in the high season and more than covering costs in the low-season. We don't want to substantially increase electricity costs and this is the danger we can see during our winter short-breaks when the income shrinks and the costs rise.
We're also concerned that the sort of people who would see any of these as 'essentials' aren't the sort of guests are property is really designed to cater for. We're focussing on the 'luxury beach hut' thing, rather than a cottage with all mod-cons. We're slightly suspicious that the sort of guest who really thinks a shed should have a washing machine, dishwasher or oven isn't going to pull any punches with their reviews!
