Providing quality rental accommodation is very important to us at The Old Armoury.

In much the same way that no one ever set out to do a bad days work, guests never set out to break things. But things get broken nonetheless and need repairing, almost always quickly.

Over the years of providing quality rental accommodation we have learnt to anticipate breakages and carry spare inventory for cutlery, crockery, bedlinen and many other items – including a sofa, UHD TV, garden furniture and a bucket and spade for the beach.

For laundered items, given the “one on, one on its way to the laundry and one coming back from the laundry” cycle the quantities can be huge – The Armourers Forge needs 48 pillowcases and that’s before spares are included. The cost of inventory is enormous too, whatever the price of a pillowcase if you multiply it 48 times you will end up with a steep bill.

And remember, we have the Old Armoury Barn, The Armourers Forge and The Coffin Maker’s Barn in our portfolio of quality rental accommodation.

However, you cant hold spare inventory for everything and so we have built strong working relationships with essential local tradesmen such as locksmiths, plumbers, electricians, joiners and decorators.

During the summer a pipe burst in Old Armoury Barn, thankfully under the bath where no lasting damage was done. The leak was found quite late in the evening and yet the plumber was out first thing in the morning and finished his work before the bacon came out of the frying pan – thanks Rich!

Still, there are a few tricky areas and the one that has taken perhaps the longest to find the right solution for is about tables. We sourced most of the furniture from the same local supplier. We chose solid oak finished to the same colour for all the bedroom, lounge and dining room furniture – there are over 50 items from occasional tables to wardrobes to dining chairs to mirrors.

By and large we have been very pleased with the purchase, it has proven durable and reliable except for the coffee tables. These were finished in a clear lacquer and over time as water has been spilt or wiped on the surface it has “bleached” the surface in parts. Whilst the finish was probably suitable for an ordinary domestic environment, we push it a bit harder and it shows.

To fix the problem we replaced the first few tables but at £500 a year that’s not viable longer term so after 5 years of searching we have found a local supplier who will strip the lacquer back then replace it with an “industrial strength” lacquer as you would find in pubs, sports facilities and other “high wetness” areas.

The first table is undergoing restoration now,  it will cost almost the same as a replacement however should last for several years before re-treatment. Just part of the story of providing quality rental accommodation in Ashburton.