Meet the owners: Pilchard Cottage, Brixham 

Newly available to book with Coast & Country Cottages in February 2021, Pilchard Cottage is a stunning, lovingly renovated and characterful holiday home nestled in Brixham’s picturesque fishing quarter. Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic on travel and tourism over recent months, this exceptionally desirable property has been a huge triumph, achieving a staggering 27 bookings in its first season! 

We chatted with Pilchard Cottage’s owners Ron and Alison, to find out a little more about the property and its impressive renovation…

Tell us a little bit about yourselves and how you came by Pilchard Cottage?

We were both born in Brixham and have spent all our lives in the town. I have run the family interior furnishing business from an early age, and have deep roots in the fishing industry through both sets of grandparents. Alison also has the same family connection with the fishing industry and along with her late husband owned two trawlers, one of which she still has. We both have a great passion for Brixham, especially Fish Town, which is where Pilchard Cottage is situated. 

An opportunity arose where we were shown this little cottage, which was in a very sad state but in a very popular street near to the town and more importantly, the harbour. The cottage was in a complete mess with the only occupants, a family of pigeons, enjoying the run of the place as there were no windows there to keep them out!

What made you choose to go in to holiday letting, rather than residential letting? 

Being situated where it is, Pilchard Cottage lends itself perfectly to being a holiday let, and the potential returns were far greater than a permanent let.

Are you pleased with your level of bookings and the service from Coast & Country Cottages? 

Initially we had plans to run the let ourselves, but we decided to look at the option of a letting agency. It was clear after meeting Coast & Country Cottages’ New Property Consultant Rachel, and her explaining how the local agency worked, that this was the one for us, and we decided to go with them. The best thing about it was they exceeded their initial projections by a massive amount, which we are obviously very pleased about! The systems they have in place are brilliant, communication is good and the owner portal is easy to use.

Pilchard Cottage is beautifully styled throughout – tell us about the interior design choices you made and the renovation process? 

We spent 18 months completely renovating the cottage. The base elements of our interior design, which we did ourselves, were led by the natural materials that the cottage was built with. This was a combination of bare stone walls, solid natural oak beams and limewash stone walls. Being such a compact space, it was important that simplicity and a minimalistic interior could show off the stunning natural features. 

The furnishing materials and a few statement accessories are all linked to the sea, which makes the overall ambience a quiet relaxing haven. 

With my experience in the interiors store, having furnished a number of holiday accommodations over the years, my motto is ‘we all expect a minimum of what we have at home, if not better’. So with this in mind, we installed a modern kitchen and a king-size bed with comfort to die for! The bed is one of the main things people comment on!

How have you found setting up your holiday home during the Covid-19 pandemic? Has Covid influenced the decisions you have made? 

The Covid pandemic did have some influence in as much that there are no ‘nik nakky’ things about that can harbour germs, and this makes it easier to clean. We set very high standards of cleanliness in the let anyway, and alternate all pillows and duvet etc after each guest has gone.

Being locals to the area, why do you love Brixham, and what are your top recommendations of places to visit or eateries? 

Brixham is very close to both our hearts and has masses to offer, from artisan shops, bars, plenty of very good eateries, coastal and woodland walks, boat trips, nature reserve, the list is endless and well worth a visit.

 Finally, what are your top tips for others thinking of letting a holiday property? 

If you are thinking of letting a holiday property, we would say ‘go for it’… just be sure to do it well, don’t skimp on quality as your guests will appreciate it and return again. And go through Coast & Country Cottages!

New Property Development Manager Rachel Farley says…

The moment I saw Pichard Cottage I knew it would be a popular self-catering holiday home. Perfectly styled and finished for a romantic getaway, this desirably located property is within easy walking distance of Brixham’s wonderful restaurants, pubs and pretty harbourside… it was sure to be a winner.  

For me, one of the main reasons for the high level of bookings the property has achieved this year, is Ron and Alison’s careful attention to detail. The property is furnished very well to make use of the space, providing a well-presented base from which to explore the town. Of course, demand for Brixham is ever growing – we at Coast & Country Cottages are seeing record levels of bookings and enquiries for the Brixham area, and would love to add even more properties in and around the town to our portfolio. If you are considering letting your Brixham holiday property, we would love to hear from you. 

If you are considering letting your property and would like to discuss your options, or to arrange a free, no obligation property visit, contact our New Property team on 01548 843773. Alternatively, visit our Let Your Cottage page to download our FREE Owners Guide.  

For more information, our experienced team have put together a selection of property owner blogs. Here are just a few hand-picked suggestions for you to read at your leisure:

• Are holiday lets a good investment?
• Owning a holiday home: your FAQs answered!
• How to furnish a holiday let | Top tips for property owners
  

View more owner case studies here:

• 2 Court Cottages: A Q&A with the holiday cottage owner, Elisa Anniss
• Owner Case Study | Butterwell Barn