Meet the Owners: Craig Cottage, Windermere

Craig Cottage is a stylish Victorian home in the village of Bowness-on-Windermere, and an ideal base for friends and families to explore the Lake District National Park and beyond. The beautifully renovated cottage is spread over two floors, with a south-facing garden, and private parking space. Craig Cottage is just a few minutes walk from the restaurants, cafes, shops and bars of bustling Bowness and is within easy reach of Lake Windermere too.

We caught up with the owners of  Craig Cottage, to find out more about their journey from buying a holiday cottage, working with us at Lakelovers, and bringing their property to the lettings market.

1.     Tell us about your choice of Craig Cottage. Was it the location, or other factors, that made you choose it?

Craig Cottage is the ideal destination for families looking to enjoy the best the Lake District has to offer.  Central village location, off-street parking, good sized bedrooms, and lots of character with Lakeland stone and original features throughout.

Bathroom, Craig Cottage

2.     Did you always think of Craig Cottage as an investment holiday let?

Craig Cottage is primarily a holiday let, but our agreement with Lakelovers gives us the flexibility to stay there ourselves from time to time.

Dining Area, Craig Cottage

3.     Did you have a lot of renovation and decorating work to do, and how did that go for you, if you were living away from the Lakes?

We undertook an extensive refurbishment of Craig Cottage to bring it up to a high standard.  We kept original features such as the fireplace, and stone flooring but upgraded the bathroom, living room, and bedrooms.  We worked with a local firm, Pinch Property Development.

4. We love your interior design!  Did you do that yourselves or did you have an interior designer?

Thanks!  Not being local, we were fortunate to have a great local team.

Gemma Dawe (Lake District Relocation) with a great understanding of what prospective guests are looking for in a holiday let and interior design advice.

Simon Pinch (Pinch Property Development) managed our refurbishment brilliantly for us.

Bedroom, Craig Cottage

5.     What were you looking for in your holiday let agent?

It’s really important that our clients have absolute trust and confidence when making a booking. Lakelovers are the leading letting agent in the Lake District and have a reputation for both quality properties and quality service.

Bedroom 2 Craig Cottage

6.     What made you choose Lakelovers?  Was there any individual person who worked hard on your behalf you’d like to mention?

We’d like to give a special mention to Graham Wilkinson. Graham is responsible for onboarding new properties, and has a wealth of knowledge in what does, and doesn’t, work for holiday lets. This really helped us to get the brief right for our interior design and the extra touches in the cottage.

Woodburner and detail, Craig Cottage

7.     How was the process from gathering information to our visit and then signing up with us?

The process was super smooth and very straightforward.  Everything is done electronically, including contracts, which really helps when you’re not based locally.

8.     How are your bookings looking since Craig Cottage went live on our website?

We’ve been really pleased with how the property has let. The last 12 months due to the pandemic and the world situation, have been particularly popular for domestic holidays and the Lake District has received an influx of visitors.

Outdoor space, Craig Cottage

9.  At Lakelovers, we are always striving to surprise and delight our guests.  Are there any little touches or extras you add to your cottage that you would recommend other Owners to consider?

We love the idea of promoting local businesses and artists. The walls of Craig Cottage are furnished with an extensive collection of contemporary artwork. We’d like to give a special mention to local artist Holly Acland who created all of the beautiful artwork you can see in the property. We’d like to do more to promote food businesses too.

Holly Acland Art, Craig Cottage

10. Where would you recommend your guests visit when in Bowness or a little further afield?

There is so much to see and do in Bowness, and the surrounding Lake District.  We highly recommend treetop walking at ‘Go Ape’ in Grizedale Forest for the adventurous,  Beatrix Potter’s World for those with young families, and The Old Stamp House for Michelin starred dining in Ambleside.

Tree Top Nets at Brockhole Visitor Centre

Get in touch with our property experts today to discuss joining over 550 properties holiday letting with Lakelovers.