Anatomy of a changeover
What happens in the hours between one set of guests leaving and the next arriving.
Guests see a house at two moments: the evening they arrive and the morning they leave. Everything that makes the first moment feel right happens in the few hours in between, unseen. This is what those hours look like at one of the houses in our care.
Ten o'clock: the house empties
The last car pulls out of the drive. Our housekeeper lets herself in a few minutes later and walks the whole house before touching anything. She is looking, not cleaning yet: a cracked glass in the cupboard, a scuff on the hallway paint, a lamp that no longer switches on. Anything that needs a repair goes straight to our maintenance team, who are part of the same team rather than a contractor waiting for a work order.
Late morning: the beds
Every bed is stripped to the mattress. The used linen leaves with us and goes to Retreats Linen, our own laundry, where it is washed and pressed before it returns to the house for another day. Fresh sheets go on, tucked tight, with pillows plumped and squared. The same white cotton, the same weight, every time.
Midday: the rooms
Kitchens are cleaned to the back of the shelves, not just the surfaces. Bathrooms are polished until the taps show no marks. The fridge is emptied of anything left behind. Fires are laid, log baskets filled, the garden furniture wiped down if the weather has been unkind.
Early afternoon: the details
This is the part that takes the longest and shows the least. Books are straightened. Throws are refolded over the sofa arm. The welcome notes are written by hand. Lights are set so the house looks lived in as the afternoon darkens. Our housekeeper walks the house a final time, as a guest would, and adjusts whatever catches her eye.
Four o'clock: the door opens
The next guests arrive to a house that smells of clean linen and woodsmoke, with nothing out of place and nothing to report. They will never know about the lamp, or the glass, or the paint in the hall.
That is rather the point.
If you would like your house cared for in this way, we would be glad to show you how. Call 0800 027 1180 or write to info@retreatsbymulberry.co.uk.