5 Ashcroft Mews

It’s a property with good potential.

However, it is not in Seaham, but in nearby Dawdon. It is clear the owners are in the process of improving the property (e.g. installing new doors). However, these are not all painted yet, and there was a lot of dust in the main bedroom, as if the doors had been sanded prior to painting. We had to wipe out the wardrobe and the drawers before putting our clothes in. Also, none of the plugs in the bathrooms or downstairs toilet could be closed, which made shaving difficult. The rear garden was pleasant but needed weeding. It would be useful to have information regarding bin collection days.

My advice is to avoid renting this property.

For years I have rented holiday lets from Villas abroad to Cottages in the country & everything in between from various rental companies and this is the first time I have been truly let down. The property is set only a few yards back from a very busy main road. The double bedroom to the rear was quiet enough as it directly overlooks the graveyard but I doubt this is true of the bedrooms to the front due to traffic noise. The front of the property gave a very bad impression. It was generally unkempt & dirty with an excessive amount of rubbish & weeds growing a yard from the front door. The windows were dirty, especially the frames which gave the appearance of not having been cleaned for a long time. The front door is ill fitting at the top half & has to be slammed shut. Whilst the kitchen was clean the same can't be said about the lounge. On the face of it everything appeared to be ok but had obviously only had a cosmetic clean. The carpet had probably been hoovered but none of the furniture could have been moved as was evident by the dandelion clocks on the floor at the back of the dining table for example. The carpet was obviously in need of a deep clean as the smell of dogs was evident. The dust on the top table mat was thick enough to write in & none had been wiped down seemingly for a while. There were dead flies in the bottom of the windows between the blinds & patio doors. The outdoor space at the back is not a rear garden with lawn, it is a small area with filthy wooden decking and raised beds across the back & down one side. The beds were full of weeds, thistles & dead plants, hardly the advertised tranquil space to enjoy morning coffee on the lawn as there isn't a blade of grass in sight. We avoided this space completely as it was so dirty and totally neglected. The walls and paintwork need attention. The radiator in the toilet off the hallway is rusty & requires replacing or at least painting & the plug in the hand basin does not work. The plugs in the basins of the two bathrooms do not work either. The extractor fans do not work in either of the bathrooms & there are no blinds up at the windows. The beds were nicely made up but the quilt on the double bed in the back room, which was the only one we used, was very thin and the pillows were not very comfy. We stripped the bedding off before leaving as we always do and found the one gell pillow to be decidedly grubby when the pillow case was removed & one of the other pillows revealed a blood stain on removal of the case; this was extremely off putting to say the least and did not meet the standard of hygiene one would expect when paying to rent a property. The advertised short walk to the beach fails to mention that in order to walk there one has to negotiate crossing the railway lines. This involves 3 flights of steps at either side of a metal bridge over the railway line. The fact that the house is situated at the wrong side of the railway for the beach to be easily accessed on foot is not mentioned in the description and walking to the beach by those less able could prove impossible; a gentle or short stroll it most certainly is not. This is the first property we have ever rented where there has been no information folder provided and funnily enough no book enabling guests to leave their comments.

Have never had to leave a bad review before in many years staying in numerous self catering properties.

had hoped to speak to someone to highlight the issues we found but this doesn’t seem possible. Surrounding area is very run down, there was rubbish strewn around the front of the property and all the bins were overflowing. The front and rear of the house were very poorly maintained; weeds everywhere; buckets/ladders/ empty bags left on the decking area with wet mouldy bread thrown onto decking. Mop bucket with dirty water left in the kitchen. Strong smell of cannabis nearby day and evening. The property description says “a stone’s throw from the beach - it was at least a 20 - 25 minute walk through very run down area. The view from the main bedroom was a huge graveyard immediately the other side of the decking. There was no information about the local area/ housekeeping (recycling/ rubbish collection/ appliances etc) in the property- never stayed anywhere with no information available before. The house itself was ok other than a few minor things, however the whole experience was so disappointing we left a day early and booked an Airbnb in another area.