Christmas Cottages in England  

10 reasons why booking a large house in the country could be the best Christmas gift that you give your extended family

“So, whose house are we doing it at?” That dreaded question that comes around every year. Planning Christmas isn’t always enjoyable. Hosting is stressful. And those with big families can’t fit everyone around the dining table. Take away the pressures and make sure no one misses out – rent a large holiday home in the country and celebrate in comfort and style.

1. Location, location, location

If you’re not lucky – or unlucky! – enough to all live in a 5-mile radius, it’s impossible to please everyone about how far they have to drive on Christmas Day. Work out the mid location to where everyone lives and plump for a lovely holiday house a distance everyone is happy with.

2. Create an unforgettable Christmas

It’s very easy for Christmas’s all to roll into one. Can you really recall exactly what you were doing on 25th December 2011? Probably not. But spend your festive week in a converted 18th Century barn overlooking the Cornish coast with a roaring fire and tales of pirates, and there will be more to remember than turkey and TV.

3. Give a gratefully received gift

A whopping 75% of Christmas gifts are NOT gratefully received. Expensive presents are greeted by fake smiles and go to waste every year. But who wouldn’t love the experience of a cosy luxurious cottage as a festive pressie? Treat your family to this and you’ll be more popular than Santa.

4. Mum gets a break

You’re all on neutral territory in a holiday home, which means normal roles can go out the window. Assign everyone a duty for Christmas Day. Aunty Jackie can make the beef wellington, cousin David can set the table and dad is strictly on washing-up duty. Mum gets to be chief sherry sampler instead.

5. Escape the telly

Set the scene: You’re all staying in a beautiful converted boathouse. There’s a hot tub in the 3-acre garden and a white sandy beach in rolling distance. So, who wants to waste their time consuming seven hours’ worth of the festive dribble on the gogglebox?

A big Christmas bash

Have a fantastic family get-together.

6. Have an adventure

A new home in a new place. Who knows what could happen? Meet the locals and discover how they celebrate Christmas. If you're in Carmarthenshire, Wales, on Boxing Day, be warned there's the traditional 'Walrus Dip' which involves participants having an icy plunge into the sea. It's probably more fun to watch.

7. RELAX *sinks into armchair snoring*

Spending quality time with family in beautiful surroundings makes stepping away from the pressures of work and everyday life easy. Why not be daring and suggest a digital detox too? Ban WiFi and explore your surroundings.

8. Get that old fashioned Christmas you’ve always dreamt of

A roaring log fire in a Victorian bolthole with a glass of red wine watching your little ‘uns tip-toeing as they pop baubles on your towering pine tree. If this is the Christmas you’ve always pictured, this is all perfectly possible. Just pick out your dream home for the week.

9. Team bonding

Decide together what you’re looking for. Coastal? Rural? Romantic? Olde-Worlde? And once you’ve found your dream home, divvy up the duties, but make it fun. Tim can work out the best route using his super savvy iPad. Bex can research the dog-friendly restaurants. And grandad can be responsible for organising the charades. Go team!

10. Get everyone together

This could be the year that EVERYONE gets to spend Christmas morning with each other. Even if you’re a family of 22. Just choose a home big enough to accommodate the whole family. Nothing beats that a gift. Merry Christmas!