WHERE IS THE SPY’S HOUSE LOCATED?
The Spy’s House is located near Guildford. The property’s precise location will be emailed to you after your booking is confirmed.
HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO TRAIN STATIONS?
We have many rail options close by – Guildford train station is 5 mins drive away which has regular trains to London and the South coast. You can be in the capital in 30 mins! Woking train station is 15 mins drive away but with more frequent London trains of 25 mins journey time.
IS YOUR HOUSE CHILD FRIENDLY?
This is our family home and we are bringing up three young children at The Spy’s House. We have a travel cot, changing table and mats, and a high chair for use if necessary. Please be aware that we do not have stair gates or door guards in the kitchen, so please keep watch on your little ones as you always would in a new place. We do have a very high latch on the kitchen door though, that only adults can reach – so with this door closed, children can be in the main open plan area of the house with no access to the stairs.
DO YOU ACCEPT PETS?
Absolutely! Obviously, we ask that you make sure your pet behaves in the house and does not cause any damage. Pet owners will be responsible for any damage to furniture, carpets, bedding etc.
DO YOU HAVE RELIABLE WIFI?
Yes! We work from home almost permanently so need the Wifi to be rock solid. We have a mesh network so that the signal is even throughout all three storeys of the house.
IS THE HOUSE ACCESSIBLE FOR WHEELCHAIRS?
Apologies but we have steps into all access doors of the property and we do not have any bedrooms on the ground floor.
HOW DOES CHECK IN WORK?
Check in time is 4pm. Please refer to the house manual and emails from us for directions, check-in instructions and key collection. There is plenty of off-road parking at the house.
ARE YOU FLEXIBLE WITH CHECK IN / CHECK OUT TIMES?
Our standard check in time is ‘after 4pm’ and our standard check out time is 10am. Feel free to ask if you would like a variation on these timings but please be aware that some days we will not be able to alter these times – due to needing to leave enough time for the cleaners to conduct a full Covid-safe clean in between groups staying at The Spy’s House.
WHAT IS THE CHECK OUT ROUTINE?
Before you leave the property, please make sure everything is back where you found it. Put all used towels in the bath tubs. No need to remove the bedding. Remove any perishable food from the fridge and put all rubbish from the kitchen bin in the large bins on the driveway. The black bins are for general rubbish and the green ones are for recycling. Please ensure all windows are closed and doors are locked. We will notify you where to leave the keys. Please remember to write in the guest book!
WHEN DO THE BINS GET COLLECTED?
All the large bins on the driveway are for your use (except please avoid the brown one, which is for garden waste.) They are collected every Tuesday around 7am and the collection alternates between general rubbish and recycling. You do not have to move them ahead of collection – the drivers will come down the driveway.
IS THERE GARDEN FURNITURE AT THE PROPERTY?
There are several wooden benches, a wooden table, which seats 6/8, and a selection of chairs so that you can enjoy sitting in the peaceful garden.
IS THERE A BARBEQUE WE CAN USE?
Yes there is a gas-fired BBQ you can use.
CAN WE BRING MORE GUESTS THAN STATED ON THE BOOKING?
No, please do not add extra guests to your party without discussing with us first. We carefully prepare the house for the amount of people booked to stay. The arrangements with the cleaner, the amount of linen and towels provided are all part of this, and sometimes the cost of the stay is adjusted according to the number of the guests. This is why we discuss the group details before your arrival to make sure everything works smoothly and that problems don’t arise.
CAN WE HAVE EXTRA TOWELS OR BEDDING?
Every guest is given a bath towel each and there are hand towels in all of the bathrooms / cloakrooms. If you want more than that, please bring them with you. ** We do ask guests to bring an extra towel with them for the hot tub, if they require, as during peak summer times it is impossible to give all guests two large towels each! **
If extra bedding is required, please ask us in advance. The laundry cupboards are not accessible to guests during stays.
ARE THERE PUBS AND RESTAURANTS NEARBY?
There are three pubs close by in the village – we recommend The White Hart! And there are plenty more not far from the door. We leave a list for guests with our manual so you can explore them. There is an Indian takeaway and fish and chip shops in the village, plus a Chinese restaurant. But with Guildford city centre only 7 minutes away, you have a host of them on offer there!
HOW FAR ARE YOU FROM A SUPERMARKET?
We have a good-sized Co-op, a Sainsburys and a little Waitrose in the village. Plus, there is a Londis with Post Office. There is a large Tesco under ten-minutes’ drive away as well.
CAN I GET GROCERIES DELIVERED?
Yes, however, you’ll have to check with the supermarket that they deliver to the accommodation’s postcode and you’ll have to be there to receive your delivery. We have used Tesco and Ocado to deliver so they are definite possibilities.
IS THE SPY’S HOUSE AVAILABLE FOR LONG TERM LETS?
Yes, we consider all bookings. Get in touch with us to discuss details if you wish to stay for a longer period.
WHERE CAN WE GET WOOD FOR THE HOT TUB FROM?
The hot tub works best with kiln-dried birch logs – smaller ones, ideally. Failing that kiln dried wood generally is fine – we recommend Spooners Turf which is literally 2 minutes drive in to Wood Street Village. For further hot tub questions please refer to the House Manual and hot tub quick start guide which can be found on the door of the utility room.
HOW DO WE GET IN TOUCH IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE OR URGENT QUESTION DURING OUR STAY?
You will have at least two telephone numbers sent to you in the house manual that you can contact during your stay if you have an emergency or problem.
WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMETHING BREAKS DURING OUR STAY?
Please take care with everything in and around the house during your stay. It is our family home. We appreciate that sometimes accidents can happen. If there is a breakage, please notify us. We reserve the right to charge for breakages and damage to the accommodation. The house will be carefully checked after your stay and any unreported damage noted and dealt with accordingly.
IS THERE CCTV AT THE PROPERTY?
Yes, there are 10 cameras filming every angle of the exterior of the property, 24/7. So you can be certain of a secure and safe night’s sleep!