What items do I need to pack for a condo/townhouse?

[sherry7]

I just booked a Windsor Hills condo for our trip next month. It's been several years since we stayed in a condo/townhouse, so my brain is kind of foggy on what extras that I need to bring or buy once I get to Florida. So far, I've thought of:
*bath soap
*dishwasher detergent packs
*laundry detergent
*toilet paper, paper towels
*kitchen sized trash bags

Am I forgetting anything?

 

[Ametista]

Thats a good list. I would wait and check the house first though. Last place we stayed the previous people had left a large bottle of Tide and about 50 dish detergent packs. Also, get a little bottle of dish liquid in case they have non-stick pans or whatever else needs hand washed. Also, we always check to see if there are beach towels, and if not, we buy some cheapos at Walgreens. I don't like to take up my whole suitcase with towels so I never bring them.

ETA just remembered Kleenex, if you have an allergic type person.
ETA2 coffee filters

 

[sherry7]

Thanks, adding those to my list.

 

[aj2hall]

Great post! We're staying in a town home in Feb, too and I started a packing list. I can only think of one other item right now

Hand soap

 

[ParkHopperFan]

I also recommend waiting to see what they have in the unit. You're 5 minutes from a store, so if you need or forgot something, it's a quick stop.

 

[Ametista]

Ziplocks, so you can pack sandwiches/snacks for the parks, plus protects phone/camera on wet rides. Sorry, you got me thinking because I have a trip coming up in a few weeks.

A lot of the small things (ziplocks and coffee filters, plus Stevia packets in my case) are easier to bring from home so you don't have to buy big packs at the store. But you probably know that already.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

The condo we were in had paper towel in the kitchen, a small soap detergent, 1xdishwasher tablet, 1 sponge, 1x laundry detergent and a toilet roll in each bathroom. So depending on how long you are staying might affect what you need.

The super target nearby was great to pick up extras and had a small 3 pack of dishwasher tablets. We also left done Tide and tumble dry sheets but I wasn't sure if see would be left in the condo for the next guests

 

[crusoe2]

I've learned to pack something to scrub pots and pans with also - SOS pads or some sort of sponge with a rougher side for scrubbing. Our last time staying at WH, we didn't get around to doing any "real" cooking until later in the trip. We pulled out the pots and pans we needed only to discover that whoever used them last did not clean them thoroughly. They had been put away with dried food still stuck to them and apparently the cleaning crew either didn't catch it or didn't bother to take care of it. We didn't have anything on hand to deal with it - the dish cloth and little sponge that were provided were NOT going to cut that. And we didn't have time to soak it off and then cook or make a run to the store to get more cleaning supplies. I think we ended up stopping off for something on the way to the parks or waiting to eat after we got there. And some of the food we'd bought went to waste. Not the end of the world but I was not pleased.

There are several other things we usually take. But we drive down so this may be a bit much for folks who fly. Some of those other items are a small bottle of Shout stain remover or a stain remover stick (in addition to the other laundry supplies already mentioned), clothes pins, bottles of liquid soap and solid air fresheners for the bathrooms, and cooking items like salt & pepper, any seasonings I plan to use, cinnamon sugar for the kids' toast, etc. I tend to pack a lot to take down not only to save money but to save shopping time once we get there. I hate using up precious vacay time to shop for groceries. Plus it always takes longer to find everything in an unfamiliar store.

 

[Badamon]

Drinking straws (for adults as well as the kids! ). Your lists look good to me, can't see any essentials missing. We're flying SW and plan on one bag being a "household" bag that will hold all of the extras like trash bags, baggies and zip locks, spices/salt/pepper, refillable water bottles, ice packs, laundry stuff, bath products, etc. Seeing as our bags fly "free" we'll it will save us from buying things we have already have at home. We'll see how it goes!
Have a great trip!

 

[Sprockie]

I've learned to pack something to scrub pots and pans with also - SOS pads or some sort of sponge with a rougher side for scrubbing. Our last time staying at WH, we didn't get around to doing any "real" cooking until later in the trip. We pulled out the pots and pans we needed only to discover that whoever used them last did not clean them thoroughly. They had been put away with dried food still stuck to them and apparently the cleaning crew either didn't catch it or didn't bother to take care of it. We didn't have anything on hand to deal with it - the dish cloth and little sponge that were provided were NOT going to cut that. And we didn't have time to soak it off and then cook or make a run to the store to get more cleaning supplies. I think we ended up stopping off for something on the way to the parks or waiting to eat after we got there. And some of the food we'd bought went to waste. Not the end of the world but I was not pleased.


There are several other things we usually take. But we drive down so this may be a bit much for folks who fly. Some of those other items are a small bottle of Shout stain remover or a stain remover stick (in addition to the other laundry supplies already mentioned), clothes pins, bottles of liquid soap and solid air fresheners for the bathrooms, and cooking items like salt & pepper, any seasonings I plan to use, cinnamon sugar for the kids' toast, etc. I tend to pack a lot to take down not only to save money but to save shopping time once we get there. I hate using up precious vacay time to shop for groceries. Plus it always takes longer to find everything in an unfamiliar store.

Wow, I think we must have stayed in the same place - or at least the same management company. We didn't have any dishcloths or potscrubbers. Towels were minimal, 1 dishwasher tab, 1 half roll of toilet paper in each bath, no paper towels, no cleaning supplies..........
As a rental property owner myself, I know that if I want my things left nice and clean, and the cottage to be left clean and tidy - I provide good cleaning supplies, good vacuum etc. It only saves me money and time in the long run - and good return customers.

 

[disneymomoftwins]

The last Windsor Hills townhouse we stayed in we had to bring our own wash rags. They supplied towels but not rags.

 

[Badamon]

I've read some reviews on several sites of people giving poor ratings of rental units because owners/management didn't provide start up supplies. Quite a few people have a misconceptions of what self catering means when it comes to condo/TH/house rental. Any extras that get us started (paper towels, dish soap, bath soap, trash bags, laundry detergent etc.) are appreciated, but they should not be expected. Don't expect a weeks worth of toilet paper, or dish washing detergent to be supplied. For those that have not rented before, plan on bringing or buying most every day items you use at home. I agree to wait and check the inventory of the rental unit before shopping too much, often there are some things to get you started or get you through your stay.
Love staying off WDW property, it gives us so much more room and flexibility with food. Enjoy!

 

[tina.tina]

I always like to bring my own washcloths and liquid hand soap.

 

[dismom115]

I have stayed in many condos around the country. Most the time we drive so I pack a tub of basics. I have mine started for our march trip to Orlando. As I think of things I'll toss them in. Trash bags, paper towel, baggies, grocery bags, power strip, ketchup packets from fast food, small servings of flour, sugar, etc. Basically anything I would use at home. We will grocery shop but I don't want to buy large quantities on vacation when I would only need one cup. I also tend to not think of my everyday items when making a shopping list! I plan on either using or passing everything in there to another vacationer so the tub is ready for new purchases!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I don't know if coffee & filters was mentioned but we would always bring that too. The coffee sold at Publix would always be a huge thing that I know we'd never finish in a week. At home I could buy one of those vacuum packed bricks for cheap that was just perfect for 2 of us for 1 week.

 

[Jedimom]

I packed several kitchen items, just in case the ones in the condo were missing or in bad shape. I knew I'd make breakfast a morning or two, so packed my big electric griddle, a good egg pan, pancake/egg spatula, small measuring cup. Since we flew on Southwest it wasn't a big deal to include these in our luggage.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I packed several kitchen items, just in case the ones in the condo were missing or in bad shape. I knew I'd make breakfast a morning or two, so packed my big electric griddle, a good egg pan, pancake/egg spatula, small measuring cup. Since we flew on Southwest it wasn't a big deal to include these in our luggage.

When I first read your list I thought, "Well, they surely must drive." That is until I got to the part about flying SWA. Don't you just luv them? With 2 free bags pp x 4 of us we could bring a ridonculous amount of stuff and still not max out the number of allowed bags.

 

[tlh0726]

I have an over the door shoe organizer that I use for all the bathroom items, including Contacts/supplies and makeup. I put everything in a slot, roll/fold it up, put it in a suitcase, once there unroll it and hang it on the inside of the bathroom door (or when at a value resort I hang it at the closet area) simple and keeps everything together and organized through the trip.

As for recipe ingredients, I premeasure dry ingredients and put them into ziploc baggies marked with what is inside/meal it is for.

We are staying in a 3 bedroom townhouse for our April trip. We are driving so I will be taking everything that does not need refrigerated. I want a short quick pick up grocery list!