We booked Beechcroft Cottage in Dartmouth for one week in August 21, for a family holiday. We paid top price to stay at this property (£5k) during the school holidays. There were very few photos on Marsden's website (also advertised on Blue River and Original Cottages) but a few of the photos showed a lovely lounge with a spectacular view over the Dart. This part of the description is true but this is where it ends. It is described as a beautifully presented property - this couldn’t be further from the truth. I’ve never been so disappointed on entering a property that I had high expectations of having paid so much money for too. The smell of damp was overwhelming as I walked in with my family. The property is very dated - including the kitchen and all bathrooms, the furnishings and beds are old with poor fitting bedding. The house has shabby carpets and was not clean in some areas. The kitchen was well equipped… with old crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils (except for the kettle and toaster - they looked quite new). An old, huge empty fish tank stood in the lounge area…with dead insects in it plus there were a few slugs crawling across the furniture. There were issues with the TV and the wifi. The family bathroom smelled of damp, the carpet in this bathroom was wet to touch and we could not turn the taps to turn on the shower. The extractor fan in the kitchen sparked and tripped the electricity in the property, light switches didn’t function properly, missing light bulbs, dated curtains coming away from the track. The family bedroom (in the loft space) was not conducive to family needs - broken velux blinds that would not open, no curtains or blinds in the windows in the children’s sleeping area, no hot water in the bathroom on this floor either. The lower ground floor was horrendous! The smell of damp was awful, mould growing on the dartboard, visible signs of damp on the walls and furniture. The so called walk in shower has 3 steps up into it with no hand rail. Whilst showering, the water trickled from the shower area onto the steps creating a huge slip hazard. The owner’s personal belongings were still in the property including his shaving kit! It was a though he’d moved out with his clothes and just put it up for holiday rental without really spending any time or money on updating anything. Marsden’s we’re not interested in helping as this property is owner managed - not stated on the website, but in the very small print on the T & C’s that I received when it was booked and paid for! I did make contact with the cleaning company who did help to arrange a maintenance person to assist with the taps that we couldn’t turn. Numerous email exchanges with feedback to the owner were not well received. I was told there was no damp in the house, blinds were not broken, electrics were checked and fully working, there was nothing wrong with the WiFi, any fit adult could turn the taps in the family bathroom (family to me means everyone should be able to turn the taps - only my husband could do this with difficulty), the water from the walk in shower did not run down the step. I was only stating my experience of the property stating the facts. The owner clearly didn’t believe me and accused me of complaining for compensation purposes! I certainly wasn’t asking for compensation, merely giving feedback as this house could be amazing with such a beautiful view. I wouldn’t pay £1,500 for a week at this property in its current state. I’ve never felt so disappointed, ripped off and let down. We all work hard to pay for our holidays. The least I expect is a good standard throughout a rental property. For £5,000 I expected so much more - 4 or 5 star minimum. This property is poor with the exception of the view from the lounge. There are some beautiful properties next to, and nearby, Beechcroft Cottage that are advertised on Airbnb at a fraction of the price. Please don’t waste your money staying here - explore what’s on Airbnb.