If you have never rented a cottage before, just where do you start? How do you decide? There are so many horror stories out there. You rent a cottage in good faith and when you arrive, yikes! it's a dump. This can ruin your whole vacation.
Several years ago my brother and his wife and young daughter rented what they thought was a beautiful waterfront cottage with a good clean lake and access to great swimming. What they got was not what was advertised at all. The cottage was in dis-repair and not to their cleanliness standards at all, the lake was like a swamp and never mind swimming you could barely walk for the weeds. Having driven several hours to get there they stayed one night, packed up and left the next day, disappointed and out of pocket for a vacation that they never had a chance to have. So what to do.
I know that if I was going to invest in renting a cottage, I would like to know a little history of not only the people owning the cottage but of the cottage itself. Our cottage has been in our family for over 35 years. The original cottage is nothing like it stands today. It has been extensively renovated. What started out as a 2 bedroom bungalow cottage on a very, very steep incline has been transformed to a two level three bedroom, with a covered and screened-in outdoor upper deck. The lower deck overlooks the lake and is a great place for sunbathing. The grounds have been leveled in parts and beautiful multi-level rock gardens have replaced the once impossible slope down to the lake. To the side of the garden is a large leveled area with a chimia. This is where we also have a birdbath and several bird feeders. This would be a great area for the kids to play as it is flat and safe.
The interior has been totally re-modeled and we have just re-decorated the entire cottage. The cottage is cedar with cathedral ceilings and is flanked with floor to ceiling windows that overlook the lake. The master bedroom is located on the first level just off of the living-room. As you enter the cottage you are greeted with an open-plan with a modern kitchen, dining-room and living area with an air tight wood stove. On the lower level are two more bedrooms and the storage/extra fridge room. The bathroom is brand new and has an extra large shower, new vanity with lots of storage and a new low-flush toilet. Brand new towels and linens are available as well as 6 over sized beach towels. All of the floors are laminate for a quick and easy mop to clean.
The bedrooms on the lower level have large picture windows which give you a lake view when you wake up in the morning. The beds are firm and all come with brand new hotel quality bedding and 4 pillows per bed. Blankets and comforters are also supplied. There is ample closet space for all of your belongings.
The things that we have done to prepare the cottage for you our paying guests are the same things that I would look for and expect if I was the renter not the rentee. Lakefront, spacious, comfortable, clean, excellent swimming, good neighbours, quiet small lake, easy commute. I hope that if you give us a try you will leave us with nothing but positive memories and come back to us year after year.
Happy Cottaging
1 comment:
My husband and myself are considering renting a cottage for the first time this summer and we are quite overwhelmed by the choice. Our concern is that we are renting the best value for our money. It is not easy to choose from the vast number of cottages that are available. We find it refreshing to find someone who seems to have the same values as we do. We are taking a leap of faith and will definately pursue the rental of "Roys Retreat". Thank you for your candor.
Newbie Cottage Rentor
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