Booking direct isn’t just better for us — it’s better for you, and it’s worth knowing exactly why before you default to a platform out of habit.
The first reason is price. Booking sites build their commission into what you pay, even when the listing looks like a bargain. Book with us directly and the rate you see is the rate you pay — all fees and taxes are included from the start, with nothing added at checkout that wasn’t visible when you searched.
The second is the deposit. We don’t currently require a security deposit at all. That’s a genuinely unusual policy in short-term rentals, and it exists because we’d rather trust our guests than build a system around not trusting them.
The third is who you’re actually dealing with. When you book through a large platform, you’re one listing among thousands, handled by a support system that’s never seen the property. Book with us and you’re dealing with the people who actually manage these homes — if your flight’s delayed, if you need an early check-in, if something in the cottage needs sorting, you’re messaging someone who can actually do something about it, not submitting a ticket into a queue.
The fourth is flexibility. Because we’re not bound by a platform’s rigid policies, we can be genuinely reasonable about things like early check-in or late check-out — usually free when we can offer it, and arranged with a real conversation rather than a form.
None of this is a discount trick or a gimmick to get you off a comparison site. It’s simply how a small, personally run collection of properties should work — transparent pricing, no unnecessary friction, and an actual person on the other end of the message. We check in from 4pm and check out by 10am, payment is fifty per cent on booking and the balance seven days before arrival, and that’s the whole process — no surprises in between.
If you were about to book through somewhere else, it’s worth comparing directly with us first. Have a look at what’s available for your dates: check availability here — you’ll usually find it’s simpler, and often less expensive, than you expected.