Mixed feelings about the stay — Charlie went above and beyond to help us out but there were several issues we found hard to overlook.
First up, the listing doesn’t mention that this is Charlie’s usual living space, and only vacated when guests book a stay. This isn’t so much of an issue, per se, but it’s always nice when people are upfront about this ahead of time and mention it on the listing.
We were unhappy with a few things: an estate agent was going to be visiting during our stay (later cancelled when I enquired if we’d receive a discount for the inconvenience), the unit is damaged (there’s a large gap above the door to the balcony which lets in noise and wind), there are no blinds or curtains in the main living area which means it gets very hot and bright if the sun is out (I wouldn’t recommend working here), access to the balcony was solely by climbing through one of the windows, and finally cutlery and other kitchen items weren’t very clean and some a bit greasy. (Also I got woken up by Charlie’s alarm clock on the first day, after a late night…)
On the other hand, the apartment is very conveniently located and Charlie was very gracious in helping us out. However, often the last thing you want to do when on holiday is to continually liaise with a host — the best hosts ensure everything is sorted out and ready ahead of time so that the stay goes smoothly and back and forth communication isn’t necessary.