“1.The kitchen scales had a dead battery, as did one of the remote controls.”
We replaced these ourselves.
2.The emergency torch did not work, and there were no emergency torches in the bedroom as stated in the information pack.
3.The smoke detector in the outhouse did not work.
4.The carbon monoxide detector in the kitchen was missing, although there was one in the living room for the log burner.
5.The towels were old and very hard.
6.The en-suite shower holder was broken.
7.The soap holder was not fixed to the wall.
8.The heated mirror did not work.
9.The heaters in the outhouse did not work.
10.The shower in the outhouse sprayed water everywhere because a rubber washer was missing.
11.The candle lights in the outhouse were not working.
12.The seats in the outhouse were in poor condition.
13.Some of the patio seats were broken.
14.The decking was filthy.
15.The vacuum cleaner was full of dirt and had not been emptied.
16.The BBQ had a broken drip tray and could not be used as instructed.
17.A washing line would be beneficial, as we could not dry clothes properly.
18.There was no oven glove.
19.The garden table was broken and could not be used.
20.The garden was not secure for dogs, with open gaps leading to a field.
21.The small pond had turned into a bog and one of our dogs went straight into it.
22.We asked for the hot tub temperature to be turned up, which was done. It was quite gritty.
23.The photos are out of date. The hamper was not as illustrated, and there was no toy to take away as shown in the photos.
Overall, it was a very disappointing stay, whereas it could be so much nicer.
Hi Paul,
I would like to thank you for taking the time to write this lengthy review although it very much is a shame you couldnt have picked up the phone on arrival or later during you stay so these points either could have been addressed.
As per your points:
The kitchen scales; this was a genuine over sight and batteries do go.
The emergency torch, we are sorry, this should have been spotted & there should have been emergency torches in the bedroom. there is an emergency LED downlight in the main area, you wouldnt have known this though.
We do have a smoke detector in the outhouse, and you're correct the battery has been removed. This was due to it being set off frequently by guests using the washing machine, tumble drying and the dog shower. When set off guests don't always know how to stop it, or on a few occasions when dogs have been in there its caused distress to them with the loud nose. However this is not a legal requirement to be in the out house and was for peace of mind for us as owners.
The carbon monoxide detector in the kitchen was not missing, we used to run a heat and smoke detector up until last year when the heads were replaced with a dual sensor, hence bracket that you have seen. Please note a CO2 detector would never be fixed to the ceiling hence why the one in the living room is at 1.5 meters from the ground. Also it is not a legal requirement to have a CO2 detector for a gas hob so please note this was not missing.
The towels are not old and nor hard, these are sent to a professional laundry on every clean.
this wasn't drawn to our attention at change over and apologies for this but if brought to our attention if it was like it on arrival this could have been rectified as we keep them in stock for this problem.
The soap holder was never fixed to the wall, its on a suction cup.
We weren't actually aware these were heated mirrors, it does have lights around and the shaving sockets but no one has ever mentioned this before and they weren't bought as heated mirrors.
The radiator in the outhouse does work, along with the two infra red lights that work. again if you weren't able to work these, why not contact us so we were able to explain or pop up to show you?
we apologise for this but if you had let us know we could have rectified this quite easily.
Candle lights; this was a genuine over site and batteries do go.
Out House seats;a little bit alarmed to hear they were disgusting, it is an out building and not sealed from the outside, but it is a shelter and somewhere to sit.
some patio seats (meaning 2) were partially broken and we did know about this, we do have new decking seats on order but still awaiting delivery.
the decking- we are in the middle of a wooded area, the whole outside was jet washed around 6 weeks ago but giving the setting naturally leaves, dust and what ever else might be in the wilderness does blow onto the decking.
the vacuum cleaner; yes this should have been emptied but is this really a problem?
BBQs cant be used on the the decking but giving this is not a BBQ but an electric grill it fine, if there was confusion why not ask? yes someone has broke the drip tray and we werent made aware of this, but it doesnt affect it's use.
washing line- we feel been on holiday the last thing you would be doing is washing, however we do supply a washing machine, tumble dryer and airing racks. North Yorkshire fire brigade when visited advised us against a washing line as this could be seen as dangerous- strangling or possibly a trip hazard giving the area can be dark on a night.
Oven gloves are left under the sink, (they were there) There is also a heat retardant tea towel given to guests.
The bottom garden table is broken and has been removed now, however there are also another 3 outside sitting areas.
We have NEVER advertised the property as been secure for dogs, we are well aware there isnt a secure fence around the property, this has never been a problem before and usually guests would ask either before booking.
Why should this be fenced off? can i also remind you we are in the middle of a drought hence why there may be no water in the pond and resemble a bog.
Firstly the hot tub was not actually turned up, but not up to temperature because the water is changed between each set of guests. If you are familiar with hot tub legislation you will be aware the hot tub temperature can not exceed 37 degrees due to certain bacterias becoming very active above this. Again we are in a rural setting and each time the lid is lifted debris does get in, this is something that is unavoidable. As for the smell of chlorine, this doesn't exist as we don't use it but use a chemical called bromine as our water sanitiser. Again if you had any concerns you should have contacted us.
The hamper varies week to week, it is a token of our good will. yes there is no longer a soft toy to take away, these were made by my grandma who is now 97 years old! Most people when visiting never took them any way. On sykes there is nowhere that states 'a toy' in the hamper. The only photos that are not up to date on sykes are the one of the hamper and the outside decking, all internal photos are up to date.
I think we have addressed most of the problems there, I'm sorry you didn't have an enjoyable stay with us. Hopefully you will find an alternative property for your next stay to North Yorkshire that will meet your requirements/ expectations.
Thank you again, Izzy
Property Owner
