An idea. Nine months. A home.

From the city to Rhayader.

Myself and my family have lived in Rhayader for six years, having relocated from the city, and we absolutely adore this scenic location and its fabulous community. From the views to being out in nature, we can never get enough.

I have a great passion for interior home design, photography and customer service. At the end of February 2024, heavily pregnant and juggling a toddler, I was determined to have Ty Ray Penmaes ready for its launch in March. Our newborn arrived at the end of March, and April was a busy month of adjusting to new family life.

A lot of love, time and effort has been put into Ty Ray Penmaes by us all as a family, and we continue to do so to make the bungalow as homely as possible for your stay. All we kindly ask is that you leave it as you found it.

More than a renovation.

I call Ty Ray Penmaes my “nine-month project”. I remember being up the ladders stripping wallpaper and painting the walls — a hands-on, start-to-finish project I became genuinely proud of.

A holiday let has a public side: the rooms, the photographs, the welcome. Behind that is a long list of practical decisions. What needs repairing? What will guests need? How does a booking become a comfortable stay?

This home was put together personally. The story is not one of an experienced hospitality team launching another property. It is the story of learning something new, alongside family life, and taking responsibility for a place people choose for their time away.

“I had never done it before. This is what I wish someone had told me.”

March 2024: a new beginning.

Welcoming the first guest marked the end of the project’s first chapter, not the end of the work. Running a holiday let means keeping the home ready, communicating clearly and looking after the details between stays.

What I’ve learned.

Good information matters. A guest should know what they are booking, how the home is arranged and who to contact. Local recommendations should be useful, not just a long list of attractions.

The practical side matters too: safety, budgets, cleaning, maintenance and changing rules. The holiday let guide brings those subjects together honestly, without presenting the business as effortless or promising a guaranteed return.

A place in a community.

Rhayader is more than a location on a booking page. The welcome pack shares local places, from Gigrin Farm and Gilfach Nature Reserve to cafés, pubs and outdoor spaces. Staying here is a chance to spend time in the town as well as the landscape around it.