Where did November and December go?!?
After October Half Term I have to say I am ready for a rest after a very busy year and yet November and December always seem so busy they fly by. So what has been going on.....
Even before we close over Winter I have a long list of 'things to do' and have already scheduled in tradesmen to carry out various work in November and December. This year we engaged a new team of electricians who were absolutely amazing and changed the complex Wi-Fi to Starlink (hopefully this will improve stability and speed especially during peak season weeks); installed a surge protector; Ring door bell; conducted all the necessary PAT testing and renewed our EICR certificates. The Chimneys were swept, ovens professionally cleaned, all plumbing systems serviced, Automist systems serviced; fire risk assessments conducted and both The Stable and Swallows Nest were repainted throughout - no small task given the beamed ceilings! We are really lucky to have such an amazing team.
In between overseeing everyone coming and going (making cups of tea!) I was busy updating and amending House Books, Terms and Conditions, the website, listing the properties on various marketing platforms, checking regulations and working through PASC briefing papers. The usual end of season list of 'things to do' were done including ensuring all appliances were thoroughly cleaned and checked.
On a much more enjoyable note work started on moving the polytunnel, creating a new base for a greenhouse and building a large covered shed area. The idea is also to have a number of small manageable raised beds and a dedicated compost area - rather than a massive pile that sprawls to cover a vast area that seems to spreads like lava! As many of you know I try to grow all the flowers for the barns and having the allotment area well designed will make life so much easier and enjoyable. It will also mean I can take cutting and grow on plants for the gardens. However, work on the allotment area has been slowed by the weather (it feels like we had four seasons in two months!) and it was literally like being in a bog when we started in November but the dogs loved it as evidenced by all the dirty paw prints on my slate floors!
Over Christmas thankfully we had some dry weather and Guy and the digger were back to work clearing the area. Those of you who know Guy and have seen the stunning job he has done renovating the barns will know that he doesn't do half a job! Once finished I will do a blog on it.
Now that we are into January I start to work through my pre-season to do list. I will also be keeping an eye on changes going on in the tourism sector as we believe that the government is going to introduce a statutory registration scheme for short term lets and this will mean that even if you jump out of your own house over the peak Summer weeks and list it on Airbnb you will need to evidence compliance with the regulations to be registered and to enable you to list the property. It is really hoped that the introduction of a registration scheme will ensure the safety of all guests, make all lets legal and compliant and also create a level playing field in the sector and weed out the bad eggs. As always the devil will be in the detail of the scheme.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2026 x
