Y Buarth Waunfawr, Gwynedd

Y Buarth sits on one level and has some flexibility built into its layout. The double bedroom has its own walk-in shower room, and the twin can be zipped and linked into a super-king bed if you ask in advance, which means the same cottage works for couples travelling together or for a family. A bathroom with a bath and a hand-held shower serves both rooms. The main living space combines kitchen, dining and sitting around a woodburning stove, and a conservatory gives a second, lighter place to sit.

Cooking is done on an AGA, which changes the rhythm of a holiday kitchen for the better once you get used to it, with a microwave, fridge/freezer, washing machine and tumble dryer to back it up. Electric storage heaters keep the cottage warm alongside the stove. Fuel and power are in the rent, as are bed linen and towels. A Smart TV, DVD player, WiFi, books and games cover the evenings.

Outside there is a lawn and a patio with furniture at the rear, and off-road parking for two cars. Two well-behaved pets are welcome. The shop is 0.4 miles away and the pub a mile, and the cottage sits near Snowdonia National Park, which is the reason most people come to this part of Gwynedd in the first place. Boots by the door, stove lit when you get back.