Holiday Cottage Complex, South Molton, Devon, EX36

Premier holiday cottage complex with an established and profitable business, specialising in holidays for families.

Comprising a 5-bedroom farmhouse, currently divided to provide two self-contained dwellings, ideal for multi-generational living, set in a peaceful rural location with countryside views.

Award-winning business comprising a range of self-catering holiday letting cottages, with hot tubs.

Facilities include children’s play areas, a animal farm, a playbarn/games room, treatment room and guest laundry room.

Gross turnover from the 2025/26 season of £355,743 with high occupation rates.

Set in 9.51 acres of pasture and paddocks.

Offered for sale as a whole by private treaty.

Location
Set within a rural location yet having easy access to the North Devon Link Road (A361) giving access to the M5 motorway at junction 27. The property is located within North Devon. There are independent schools in North Devon, including Blundell’s School in Tiverton and West Buckland School at Barnstaple.

Further amenities can be found in the commercial centre of Barnstaple, or the city of Exeter. The North Devon coastline is easily accessible with its excellent surfing beaches at Saunton Sands, Croyde Bay and Woolacombe. North Devon also provides scenic former fishing villages such as Clovelly, Instow and Appledore on the Torridge Estuary. The National Trust properties of Knightshayes Court and Arlington Court along with RHS Garden Rosemoor near Great Torrington make ideal day trips. There is a mainline railway station at Tiverton Parkway, with London Paddington service, and there are regional airports at both Exeter and Bristol.

Nearby popular tourist attractions include Exmoor National Park, which is extremely popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders all year round due to its enhanced public access. The West Somerset coastline is easily accessible, including the Victorian seaside town of Minehead, home to the West Somerset Steam Railway, and the medieval village of Dunster, with its original yarn market and National Trust Castle.

The Business
Award-winning holiday cottage complex set within the picturesque Devon countryside, in an elevated position to take advantage of the countryside views. The business has an all-year round trade.

The addition of offering dog friendly stays to three of the cottages, which is not something the vendors currently offer, is expected to increase trade further by 14%.

The holiday letting business currently specialises in family holidays, offering guests the opportunity to experience living on a farm. The target audience is primarily young families, with a range of interactive activities.

The business has been in the same ownership since 2004 and the current owners have built up an established and profitable business with high levels of repeat business of approximately 50%.

The business has won numerous awards since 2020. The present owners do not use an agent but promote the business themselves to be in control of the bookings and promote the business via their own website along with TripAdvisor, Visit Devon, amongst others, and couple this with social media via Facebook and Instagram.

The site has potential to add additional units, such as lodges or glamping accommodation, subject to the necessary consents. The treatment building has potential to be converted into an additional holiday cottage, subject to gaining the necessary consents.

The Farmhouse
Comprising a period farmhouse with characterful features including exposed stone walls, exposed roof trusses and open fireplaces. The property has been refurbished to a high standard and is currently occupied by two generations of family with the accommodation divided to provide both a 3-bedroom and 2-bedroom cottage. The accommodation is interlinked and therefore is ideally suited to multi-generational living or occupied as a larger 5-bedroom family home.

The accommodation on the ground floor comprises of entrance porch into an open plan kitchen and dining room/seating area with oil-fired Aga and central kitchen island. Steps lead up into the sitting room with open fireplace giving access into the hall with stairs to first floor accommodation and door leading out to the gardens. From the hall there is a door that leads into a second sitting room with open fireplace and door leading into a conservatory overlooking the gardens. From the second sitting room there is a door that leads into a second kitchen/diner and door leading out to a rear hall with access to a cloakroom and utility area. Door leading out onto the rear courtyard.

From the open plan kitchen, there is a door that leads into a range of useful rooms currently occupied by the business as an office, reception area, laundry room and store. These rooms have separate access to outside via a porch from the cottage courtyard.

The first floor accommodation is accessed from two staircases to provide the two accommodations. One staircase from the ground floor hall provides access to a landing and two bedrooms, one with en-suite facilities. The remainder of the first floor rooms are accessed via a second staircase from the open plan kitchen on the ground floor leading to a landing giving access to three further bedrooms and a family bathroom. The principal bedroom has a vaulted ceiling and a dressing area which could easily be converted into an en-suite if required.

Outside, the gardens wrap around the property and are mainly laid to lawn with flower and shrub borders. The gardens to the front of the property have a patio area and greenhouse. This area has a high degree of privacy from the business.

The Cottages
There are a large range of holiday cottages, with the majority located to the rear of the farmhouse in a courtyard setting and one detached cottage located near to the farmyard. The cottages have been converted from former barns in a contemporary style.

Facilities
The property provides a purpose-built animal farm, designed for the guest experience with stabling, paddock enclosures, hand-washing facilities and sand menage exercise area.

The farmyard comprises of three timber buildings providing animal housing/stabling with slate roofs centred around a concrete yard area. In addition, a further detached timber frame stable building with 3 loose boxes and tack room. Adjoining menage area/all-weather turnout with access to the paddocks.

In addition, there are two children’s play areas, a games room with pool table, table tennis, darts and tourist information. Separate under 7’s play area. Laundry room with automatic washing machines and tumble dryer.

Detached, newly built, timber treatment building, including a reception, treatment room and WC facilities.

Outside
The property is set in 9.51 acres of pasture and paddocks.

To the rear of the holiday cottage complex is an orchard which has potential to add glamping units due to its location away from the main complex, subject to gaining the relevant planning consents.

A large gravel car park is located to the entrance of the site providing guest parking for 15-20 vehicles. Within the carpark are two buildings currently used as a workshop and garden store. At the top of the site is a level lawned area used for ball games.

Method of Sale
The property is offered by sale by private treaty inclusive of trade inventory to include furnishings, equipment, fixtures and fittings in relation to the business, excluding any personal items.

Tenure & Possession
Offered for sale with vacant possession available on completion.

Services
The property is serviced by mains electricity, private water and private drainage. The farmhouse has an oil-fired boiler.

EPC Ratings
Farmhouse: Band F

Council Tax
Band E

Rateable Value
According to the Valuation Office, the cottages have a rateable value of £33,000. Interested parties are advised to make their own enquiries.

Local Authorities
North Devon Council

Viewings
Strictly by prior appointment with the Vendors’ agents, Carter Jonas - Taunton office.

Note*
PLEASE NOTE THE PIN ON THE MAP DENOTES SOUTH MOLTON. This is a confidentially listed property, please contact the agents for more information.