Protecting a Historic Holiday Cottage — A Practical Guide for Heritage-Cottage Owners
Letting an old cottage can be deeply rewarding — but older buildings demand a far more considered approach than modern homes. If your beams, lime-washed walls, or flagstone floors carry history, you want guests who respect that history. This guide helps you protect an old or heritage cottage when letting it out — without turning it into a sterile, soulless rental.
1. Choose the Right Guests with Care
Nothing protects a cottage better than the right people staying in it. Guests who love history, quiet corners, worn floorboards and old fireplaces are far more likely to treat your home gently than someone looking for a cheap party weekend.
A specialist heritage-cottage agency tends to attract the right kind of visitors — those who value character and atmosphere over slick finishes. By filtering and vetting bookings carefully, you reduce the risk of damage, noise, or misuse.
If you want to see how we match cottages and guests thoughtfully, take a look at how we present heritage cottages on our site — it shows how we screen and select according to cottage type and guest preferences.
👉 what guests look for in a Historic Cottage
2. Turn Off Instant-Book and Keep Control
Instant-book platforms may offer convenience — but for a property with lime plaster, old timber, handmade fittings or antique furniture, they remove your ability to “sense-check” who’s staying. When a cottage sat unchanged for centuries gets rented to the first available booking, you lose control.
Opt instead for manual booking approval. This gives you time to review enquiries, ask questions if necessary, and — if it doesn’t feel right — politely decline. It adds a little time to admin, but it’s a small price for protecting what matters.
3. Prepare a Thoughtful Welcome Guide
Heritage-minded guests appreciate being told how to care for a cottage. A welcome guide should include gentle, friendly advice on:
- how to operate the fireplace or wood burner safely
- avoiding suitcases or heavy bags on antique furniture or softwood floors
- what to do with muddy boots and dog paws
- where not to lean or bang heavy items against exposed beams or old plaster
A guide written in a warm, conversational tone — as part of the cottage’s story — helps guests treat the building with respect rather than viewing it as just another holiday let.
4. Keep the Cottage’s Character Intact — Don’t Over-Modernise
It may be tempting to smooth out every crack, replace wobbly beams, or re-tile uneven floors before letting. But removing quirks risks erasing the charm that made you fall in love with the cottage in the first place.
Cottages with strong character tend to attract the right audience — guests who appreciate uneven floors, low beams, flagstones, old latches, age in the plaster, fireplace nooks. Preserving these features keeps the cottage authentic — and desirable.
👉Why Authentic Interiors Boost Bookings
5. Maintain Regular Inspections and Gentle Upkeep
Even when empty, historic cottages need care. Regular maintenance catches small problems before they become big ones. For example:
- Inspecting roofs, chimneys and guttering (especially before winter) to prevent leaks or damp.
- Checking plaster, woodwork and exposed beams for signs of damp or wood-decay.
- Servicing heating systems and chimneys annually if you have a woodburner or open fire.
- Repainting lime-washed walls annually or refreshing limewash to protect underlying materials.
These small, routine measures stop major issues — and help preserve the character of the cottage.
6. Ensure Health & Safety — Fire, Gas, Electrical Compliance
Historic cottages often come with old chimneys, wood-burners, narrow staircases, odd steps and fireplaces. This is part of their charm — but it also means safety must be taken seriously.
- Arrange an annual chimney sweep if you’re offering open fires.
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Ensure all gas and electrical installations are serviced regularly.
- Check wiring, fuse boxes, and old cables.
Being a holiday let means you’re subject to regulations. According to recent guidance, safety certifications, electrical checks, and fire precautions are essential.
A compliant, well-maintained property protects both your heritage building and your guests.
Being in a small specialist Agency for character and historic properties will help you with advice on all these ever increasing rules and regulations:
👉Why Heritage Cottages Choose The Grove Cottages
For further information on Insurance topics see:
7. Seasonal Checks & Care During Vacancies
When no one is staying, the cottage is more vulnerable. Empty properties—especially old ones—are at higher risk of damp, theft or unnoticed damage.
During vacant periods:
- Maintain gentle heating or ventilation to prevent damp or condensation.
- Secure all doors and windows with proper locks and consider motion-sensor lighting or alarm systems for extra protection.
- Check plumbing in colder months to guard against freezing pipes.
- Inspect roof tiles, slates and guttering after storms, wind, or heavy rain.
Regular care while empty helps prevent surprises when guests return.
8. Use a Specialist Heritage Agency — It Makes a Big Difference
If you want your cottage treated with respect and marketed to the right audience, a specialist agency focused on historic homes is often the best path. They understand:
- the value of original features and age
- how to photograph character, not just space
- which guests will appreciate heritage rather than demand modern gloss
- the importance of careful bookings and maintenance regimes
- choose suitable guests
- understand how to manage the cottage sensitively
- highlight the cottage’s character in the listing
- avoid high-volume or unsuitable bookings
- support owners whenever issues arise
A well-lit beam, an old latch, a glowing fire or the gentle curve of a plastered wall tells guests more than a wide-angle shot ever could.
The BIID has some good tips:
👉 British Institute of Interior Designers
Photos that capture charm rather than size create a deeper emotional response — and emotional response drives bookings.
At The Grove Cottages, we take care of these details — so you don’t have to.
👉Why Heritage Cottages Choose The Grove Cottages
I hope this article ‘Protecting a Historic Holiday Cottage’ gives you some ideas about how to protect an old Cottage when letting it out
If you’d like to discuss letting your heritage cottage with a sensitive, heritage-focused agency, we’d be delighted to talk.
If you have a cottage with real history and you’d like to talk to us about letting to holiday guests you’re welcome to an informal chat to Mark about it any time:
👉 Join Us – The Grove Cottages
I would love to hear from you.
Mark
