Tidewood | House in Polzeath, England

Positive: The location was excellent and it had a nice feel about it

Negative: Some areas were a little dated and needed updating There was a shortage of kitchen cooking utensils such as wooden spoons, oven dishes and no wooden chopping board

Positive: The location of this property is absolutely its biggest positive. It is so close to the beach, which is fantastic, and having three bedrooms is a real bonus for a family stay. The courtyard garden is also useful, and we particularly appreciated having a washing line.

Negative: Unfortunately, the property feels as though it has lost some of its heart and would really benefit from some care and updating. There is a noticeable damp smell throughout the house, including in the kitchen cupboards, and the bathroom in particular feels damp. Some of the grout is coming away from the tiles, and tiles are starting to come away from the wall and there is some rotten wood that needs attention. Although the property was not unclean, it is difficult for it to feel completely fresh and clean because of the age and condition of some of the furnishings. The carpets are very old and have a number of visible marks. The kitchen would also benefit from basic additions and replacements. The crockery is very mismatched and there are limited utensils — for example, there were no wooden spoons or tongs, and some of the pans were missing lids. Mismatched crockery is not a deal breaker for us, but was just another thing we noticed. The black plastic garden table also looked quite tired, with what appeared to be white paint over parts of it which we were unable to clean off, so it wasn’t particularly inviting to eat at. The description of the river views was also a little disappointing. From the property, the view is really more of a large pothole visible outside the front rather than what we would describe as river views. We do appreciate that some of the damp smell may be difficult to eliminate given the property’s location next to the river. However, new carpets, a new garden table, some matching crockery and a few more kitchen utensils would make a big difference and help the property feel much more welcoming.

Negative: The main bed mattress is hard and the pillows hard. It would be nice to have plumper pillows. A soft mattress protractor would be better. Couldn’t find a long mirror. More cutlery needed. Towels were tiny-for a person over 6ft way too small. Fridge is also very small so not great for a family of 5.

Positive: The location of the house is perfect. Between the beach and the coast path. Only a few steps both of them. Shops and restaurants 2 minutes walks. Polzeath is a bodyboard paradise! 😊

Negative: There is only one parking place in front of the house. We went with two cars so needed to pay in the long stay carpark. There was no wifi all week😢!! The fridge is not enough for a family, very small! The backyard is small, there are no facilities to clean your wetsuit!!

Positive: Near beach & coast walks.

Negative: Nothing really