Lay My Hat

I understand bed runners in hotel rooms - people sit on the bed during the day as usually there isn't anywhere else, and they keep the foot area clean. But in accommodation with a living area they probably won't do that, so a runner is just decorative and a bit superfluous really. As a guest I'd sti...

Another issue to consider is that if it doesn't qualify as a commercial enterprise you may be liable for council tax (and any uplift that applies to 'substatially unoccupied' properties), instead of business rates with a small business exemption.

I need to sort out waste disposal arrangements for my FHL in Devon. The thing is, lettings are very sporadic, and as it's only couples the amount produced is quite small. A small carrier bag each stay is typical. What do other people do? How much is it? And can the recycling stuff still go in with m...

Have you considered a camping barn rather than cottages? Previous owner had done that in ours. Minimal conversion costs, just weatherproofing, a shower room (could be composting toilet), kitchen sink and a bit of worktop, concrete floor with some covering, and some form of heating (woodburning stove...

Here is something out of 'Country Life' from June 2014:- The changes mean that if a building had an agricultural use and was constructed before March 20, 2013, and formed part of an agricultural unit at that date, planning permission is not required to convert it into up to three residences as long...

I've never done a conversion, just renovation for residential letting, but even then there were some major expenses that we hadn't anticipated. I imagine that's even more likely with a full conversion. So it depends on how much you have in reserve, and also how much you think the finished let will a...

The previous owner of our place had a VAT registered farm and non-VAT holiday let, but different members of the family were registered as directors of the 2 companies (and in reality his daughter and son in law did most of the work with the sheep).

We also bought a house with a detached 'granny annexe'. The previous owner had got planning permission to use it as a holiday let after the death of his parents. No additional stamp duty was payable because the annexe does not have residential planning permission so it isn't a separate "dwellin...

Having ascertained that the cost of laundering duvets (they won't fit in domestic machines) was actually more than the cost of a cheap new duvet, I've opted for the latter. Natural fillings are more likely to trigger allergies anyway. I've got a 10.5 tog which has been fine for winter (a well insula...

I have to say I loathe wet rooms unless there is a separate toilet. You end up having to walk on the still-wet floor in your slippers long after you've finished your shower, and it makes dirty footprints. Or you take them off and get wet socks.

A good orthopaedic mattress isn't hard! A hard mattress is murder on your back (I recently spent 2.5 years in Asia ) - a good orthopaedic one is firm underneath with a soft layer on top that accommodates your hips and allows you to lie on your side with your spine straight. Very comfortable.

I'm not somebody who normally gushes about domestic products, but I just had to thank those people who have mentioned Magic Merlin stain remover (from Out of Eden) in previous posts. I haven't needed it in the holiday cottage yet, but one of the bedroom carpets in our own house that we bought last y...

I leave a form for them to fill in - the info as required in the regs, plus phone number in case they forget something (I let through Airbnb so actually I have a way to contact them anyway). The form explains the legal requirement to collect the info - so far they've filled it in.

Thanks all. We've decided not to allow it - apart from the issues raised here, the cottage is not registered as a separate postal address, and we don't want someone with unknown credit history registered at our address.

We let our place through Airbnb - it went on in Dec and we had our first guests over Xmas & NY. A neighbour has enquired about her daughter moving in for a while as she is breaking up with her partner & has to move out, but doesn't want to commit to a new long term lease immediately as she m...