Here are some FAQs to help answer any questions you may have. If you require any additional help please don’t hesitate to  get in touch.

Pre-booking questions:

How can I book a property?

Notify alison@cottagesdorset.co.uk of the dates you want and you will have a response within 48 hours.

Do I pay a deposit?

Before the 1^st April we will provisionally reserve your booking.  After the 1^st April in the year of your booking, we will ask for a 35% deposit. The remaining balance is payable ten days before the commencement of your holiday.  We will email you to remind you of this.  Payments can be made either by bank transfer or by credit/debit card over the phone.

What if I cancel?

If you cancel prior to 1^st April then there will be no cost.  If you cancel after 1^st April and ten days before your holiday then you will be liable for 35% of the total cost of your booking.  If you cancel within ten days before your holiday then you will be required to cover the full cost of the booking.

What day can my holiday start?

Your holiday can start on any day you wish and must be for a minimum of three days.

Can I bring a pet?

Yes you can bring up to two pets per cottage with an overnight fee.

Do you cater for specific accessibility needs?

We understand that some visitors have special requirements in terms of access to a property or the facilities needed within it.  Home Farm Cottage has a suite on the ground floor.  This suite can be accessed from a lockable door directly from the parking bay into the bedroom.  There is a step up to the bathroom so the suite is suitable for people with limited mobility but unfortunately it is not wheel chair friendly due to it being built over two levels on the ground floor. 

Can I take an extra person/infant?

The cottages are not infant friendly as there are unprotected stairs and fragile ornaments in the properties.  However if you have a young baby then we may be able to accommodate you.  Please contact us with your requirements.

Accommodation questions:

Are electricity and heating costs included in the holiday price?

Yes your property costs are all inclusive.

Is there parking at the property?

Yes, Carters Cottage and Home Farm Cottage each have space for up to two vehicles.  Please do not block the access lanes with your cars as these need to remain open for farmers access to the fields and for walkers.

Will I need to bring my own bed linen and towels?

All our properties provide bed linen and towels.  You will need to bring your own beach or swimming towels.

What can I expect as a standard inclusion of my self-catering accommodation?

Our cottages are self-catering, this means you will need to bring your own provisions. Owners are not required to leave any store cupboard items in the property. We do provide tea and coffee facilities and a small welcome pack.  Your accommodation will be equipped with crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils.

Electric Vehicle Charging

Home Farm Cottage has a dedicated EV charging point that can be used with a daily charge.  Carters Cottage has outdoor power sockets that can be used with a daily charge.

How enclosed is an ‘enclosed garden’?

An enclosed garden means that walls, hedges, gates or fences surround the garden at the property. This, however, does not  mean that the garden is dog proof/child friendly i.e. a dog may be able to get under a hedge or around a gate and therefore animals or child will require adult supervision.

Is Broadband / Internet / Wireless access available?

Wi-Fi is available but please note that its provision is subject to availability and network conditions. It may not be available 24 hours a day and is provided for pleasure not for business purposes. Sometimes, as this is a rural area, internet access can be intermittent or even on occasion unavailable for a short period of time because of the distance to the nearest BT exchange and its remoteness. As in most properties the strength of the wireless signal can vary throughout the property and due to the thickness of the walls. Many of the local pubs and cafes also provide wifi if there is an outage in the property.

Can we smoke or vape inside the property?

All of our properties are non-smoking or vaping inside.  Ash-trays are provided in the gardens.

What are your properties like?

Whilst our properties have charm and character, they were built before the days of damp proofing courses and cavity insulation. As a result, sometimes they have a tendency to be damp, especially after a long wet winter or through condensation if windows have not been left open to allow air to circulate during the day.

Please remember that cottages in the country can attract cobwebs or insects more than in the city or town. It does not mean that the cottage is dirty or has not been cleaned as webs can be spun almost as quickly as they have been cleaned away. 

In rural areas, please be tolerant of the sounds and scents that you may experience, they are all a part of countryside living.

Will we have complete isolation?

Being in a little rural hamlet in a cul-de-sac lane means that the cottages are generally very peaceful and only birds, sheep and cattle can be heard along with an occasional tractor or farm machine.  However, the properties exist alongside an ancient public footpath, down through the field behind so locals and walkers will occasionally pass by. 

The gardens need maintenance, especially during the summer season with weeding, watering and dead-heading.  We will endeavour to do the gardening only when you are out and we will depart when you return. 

Post booking questions:

How do I pay the balance?

The remaining deposit is payable ten days before the commencement of your holiday.  We will email you to remind you of this.  Payments can be made either by bank transfer or by credit/debit card over the phone. 

Who do we contact before we arrive?

We will provide you with check-in details several days before your arrival.  If you have any concerns, do not hesitate to contact us on 07786980008

What time do I arrive and depart the property?

Arrival is after 4pm and before 10pm.  Departure is before 10am on the last day of the holiday. 

Do we need to clean the property before we leave?

No, the property will be cleaned on your departure.  Please let us know promptly though if anything has been damaged during your stay as we will need to replace it before the next customers arrive.  There may be an additional charge for damage.

Customer Feedback

If you have provided us with your email address you will automatically be sent a questionnaire email when you get back from your holiday, we would love to hear how your holiday went. As a business, we are continually looking for ways we can improve our service. Our customers’ feedback plays a vital role in enabling us to achieve this.

When will I receive my booking confirmation / directions to the property?

You will receive a booking confirmation when a deposit payment has been made. Further confirmation, along with check in details, will be sent several days before your holiday.

What should I do if I have left an item in a property?

Please call 07786980008 as soon as possible so that we can help you locate any item(s) left behind and arrange for this/these to be sent back to you. A minimum fee of £20 may be applicable to cover the cost of returning any item(s). We expect the return of any item(s) to take up to 14 days, and any item(s) not claimed after this time will be appropriately disposed of. We are sorry that we cannot accept responsibility for any personal belongings left behind.

What if we are not happy with our property on arrival or experience problems during the stay?

We aim to provide a high level of customer service and want all of our guests to be completely happy with their holiday. However, things can be missed and if this is the case the matter should be brought to our attention on 07786980008 as soon as possible. Please don’t leave it until your last day or leave it until you have returned home to speak to us about any problems so that we can resolve them as soon as practically possible.

What would happen if something got damaged at the property?

If something does get damaged while at the property, please call 07786980008 at the earliest opportunity so that it can be fixed or replaced in time for you or the next holidaymakers.

It is sometimes reasonable to expect to pay for damages and breakages such as incidents to carpets, sofas, broken windows etc.