Our Holiday Cottage in Whitstable!
For those of you who don’t follow me on Instagram, this is likely going to come as a bit of a surprise! But for the past few years, LM and I have been trying to buy a little holiday house somewhere, which we could go and escape to, enjoy with our friends and family and also rent out to people wanting to visit the seaside.
Having somewhere by the sea is something we’ve always dreamed of, especially since having Izzy, and I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but after knock-back after knock-back and disappointment after disappointment, it finally became a reality… We completed a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been whizzing backwards and forwards to Whitstable ever since! We did it! We really did it. And ooof there is MUCH to be done!
Our holiday cottage in Whitstable is a 3 bedroom Victorian terrace a few minutes walk from the beach and it sleeps 6 people. We will be renting on Airbnb when it’s completed (hopefully by the beginning of October) and want to make it as gorgeous and homely and relaxing and beautiful as we possibly can… I am SO EXCITED. We have named it ‘Belle Cottage’, after my Grandma and Izzy and have set up an instagram for it (@belle_cottage_whitstable) so you can follow along with the renovation journey, if you’re at all interested in paint samples, floorboards and light fittings!
We have already started work on property – new kitchen, new bathroom, new floor etc… but I managed to take a few snaps before it all began… welcome to Belle Cottage!
We want to strip these floors back and stain them in the same way we did our floorboards at home.
On the day of completion we made an amazing discovery of a utility cupboard outside, where we will move the boiler, opening up the space around the sink and making the whole kitchen feel more airy and bright.
This is the master bedroom where we can fit a king size bed 
We will be wallpapering the back wall, so I’ve been pouring over samples, trying to make a decision!
The bathroom is a lovely size but currently has no bath… so we have decided to install a beautiful cast-iron roll top bath to sit in front of the window. Our builder is convinced he can get it up the stairs. I await with interest! (If that fails, it’s going in through the window!) 
The view from the back of the garden 
This is a sandpit that we need to get rid of, as we can’t maintain it properly and don’t want to create a haven for rats and foxes… 
There are actual VINES in the garden! 
More amazing storage at the back of the garden – ideal for kids toys and games…
I hope you’ve enjoyed the grand tour of Belle Cottage… I will be reporting back over the coming few months and showing you the progress we’re making…and also introducing you to Whitstable, if you don’t already know it.
It’s all very exciting and I can’t stop pinching myself!
I’m off to buy a tap now. Back soon… xx
Update: July 2023 – see our gorgeous (and finished!) Whitstable Holiday Cottage!
Michael
Its a fabulous journey;
Enjoy the Trip
Michael
Barn & Beach
Danielle
It looks beautiful!
Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk