Terms & Conditions & Other Information

  • Our Aim

    Our aim is to make your stay in Holmory a happy one. We shall try to provide everything you need for your comfort, to facilitate your self-catering experience, and to help you to enjoy your stay. To do this, we promise to abide by our side of these Terms & Conditions; but to make it work we need you to keep your side of the bargain. It is equally important for all of us to respect the neighbours, the lovely village of Houston and the surrounding countryside.

  • Enquiries & Bookings

    All enquiries and bookings should be made by contacting us by telephone, e-mail or post.

    Bookings can be for any length of time but a minimum charge of the equivalent of 3 days is applied for bookings for 1 or 2 days.

    Bookings are on a first-come-first-served basis and should accordingly be made as early as possible to avoid disappointment. We shall endeavour to keep the 'Prices & Availability' Web page up-to-date but cannot guarantee that days shown on that page as available are indeed available. You should seek confirmation of availability by telephone or e-mail.

  • Prices

    Prices for renting the house are on a per day basis and vary depending on the season. Current prices are shown on the 'Prices & Availability' Web page. They include the cost of utilities, bed linen and towels, telephone rental, broadband access, television (all of the main television stations plus an extensive range of Sky satellite stations), and the "welcome" supply of food.

    A booking for 7 or more days is cheaper per day than for a "Short Break" booking for 6 days or less. The day of arrival counts as 1 day but the day of departure does not count provided guests vacate the house by 12 noon. There is a minimum charge of the equivalent of 3 days.

  • Discounts

    The following discounts will be applied to bookings for 7 or more days (not to Short Break bookings):
    1. Where 2 or less people occupy the house: 5%
    2. Where bookings are for 15 to 21 days: 5%
    3. Where bookings are for 22 or more days: 10%
    The discount at 1 may be added to the discount at 2 or 3 where appropriate to give total discounts of 10% or 15% respectively.

  • Payment

    A 20% deposit is required at the time of booking and the balance is payable not later than 5 weeks before the start date of the booking. If the booking is made 5 weeks or less before the start date, payment is required in full at the time of booking.

    Payment must be made in GB Pounds by cheque, Bank draft or Bank transfer.

  • Cancellations

    Payments already made will be refunded at the following rates:

    If the cancellation is made:
    • more than 28 days before start date: 100%
    • 22 to 28 days before start date: 80%
    • 15 to 21 days before start date: 50%
    • Less than 15 days before start date: none

  • Accommodation

    Holmory is a semi-detached house with a lounge, dining-room, conservatory, kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, one single bedroom and a bathroom. The bathroom has a shower over the bath. The house is fully furnished to accommodate 5 people and an infant's cot is available on request.

    There are front and back gardens. One edge of the back garden is bounded by a pleasant burn (stream), but there is a fence with a lockable gate to prevent small children from reaching the water, making the back garden totally enclosed. Nevertheless, you should not leave children or pets unsupervised in the garden.

    There is parking space for 2 cars on the driveway. Vans, trailers, mini-buses, mobile homes and other large vehicles are not permitted.

  • Equipment

    Kitchen equipment includes a minimum of the following:
    • Cooker (electric oven + 4 gas hobs)
    • Washing Machine
    • Spin Dryer
    • Dishwasher
    • Microwave oven
    • Fridge/Freezer
    • Toaster
    • Electric kettle
    • Comprehensive inventory of cooking equipment and utensils
    Dining equipment is provided for at least 6 people and includes a minimum of the following:
    • Tea cups, saucers and plates
    • Teapot, milk jug, sugar bowl
    • Drinking mugs
    • Dinner plates
    • Glasses (water, wine, other drinks)
    • Cutlery
    There is an electric iron, ironing board and a hair dryer.

    Beds are provided with top and bottom sheets, pillowcases and duvets for the number of people occupying the house. A bath towel and a hand towel are also provided for each person. A second set of linen and towels is provided for bookings over 7 days but guests staying more than 14 days are expected to launder their linen and towels for further use.

    Please note that we do not provide bedding (sheets, pillows, duvet or blankets) for the infant cot - you should bring these with you.

    A television set, DVD player, broadband connection for a computer, and a telephone are all provided in the lounge. The TV service includes all of the main UK channels and a comprehensive range of Sky satellite programmes (news, films, sports, variety, children). There is a selection of DVDs, table games (playing cards, Monopoly, chess, dominoes, etc.), books and local and regional maps.

  • "Welcome" Supply

    The following items (as a minimum) are supplied on arrival at no additional charge:
    • Selection of breakfast cereals
    • Milk
    • Sliced brown bread loaf (white may be requested)
    • Butter, sugar, jam and marmalade
    • Tea and instant coffee
    • Salt and pepper
    Other provisions can be supplied on request at actual cost plus £5.

  • Noise and Behaviour

    There must be no bad behaviour, excessive noise, or 'partying'. Holmory is a semi-detached house in a quiet cul-de-sac. Please respect the privacy of the neighbours and the ambience of the village of Houston. We reserve the right to evict immediately any guest who does not comply with these simple restrictions, and there will be no refund of fees.

    You must not leave children unsupervised in the garden.

  • Pets

    We are happy to accommodate pets that are quiet and well trained, but we do ask for a 'pets deposit' of £20. which will be refunded when you leave only if your pet has been well behaved. The deposit will not be refunded if the pet has caused any damage to the house or garden, or if there are signs of excrement in the house or garden.

    Please do not allow your pet to go upstairs to the bedrooms and do not leave it unattended in the house or the garden.

  • Smoking

    We discourage smoking, but do not ban it. There should be no smoking upstairs (bedrooms and bathroom) and it would be appreciated if smoking could be confined to the garden and conservatory. Cigarette ends should be properly disposed of and not, for example, thrown away in the garden.

  • Arriving & departing

    When you have paid for your holiday in full, we shall send you details of how to find Holmory and where to collect the keys on arrival. Please let us know your estimated arrival time. If the house has been occupied on the night before your arrival we may ask you to delay your arrival until after 3 p.m.

    We shall greet you on arrival and show you over Holmory, including a quick inventory check to assure you that everything is there and to see if we can do anything to make your stay more enjoyable.

    You should aim to vacate the house by 12 noon on the day of your departure unless we are able to agree a later time with you. We do all we can to ensure that the house is clean and tidy for your arrival and trust that you will try to leave it in the same state when you leave.

    We shall do an inventory check before you leave and seek your comments on how we might improve the service we offer.
  • We look forward to hearing from you!
  • Bob & Nancy Holmes