We booked the entire house for our stay and found that it ended up being so much bigger than I expected it to be. With four children, I try to be as organised as possible and pack to ensure that I have things to make my life easier EG kitchen utensils and appliances as rental properties so often have the bare minimum and low quality at that. What a surprise it was to find that not only did I pack unnecessarily but I over-shopped as well.

The kitchen has virtually every appliance that one could poke a stick at (there is even a rice-cooker) and condiments both basic and "specialty." There was ample tea, coffee, sugar and yet another unexpected treat, delicious hot chocolate which the kids relished. The cupboards had sauces, herbs and spices, olive oil, dressings and the list goes on. The fridge had milk and butter and orange juice to welcome us as well as small boxes of basic cereals.

There is more than ample amount of containers, crockery and cutlery, paper towel, plastic wrap, foil, baking trays and this was all just in the upstairs kitchen.

As for the house itself, it is clean and well presented and the beds were extremely comfortable and the pillows were comfy too - I take my own pillow everywhere (I know that's OCD) but Aalen's pillows were of a very good standard and plenty of them. Having a few living areas allowed for us to not be under each other's feet, especially after a long day of skiing, and having Foxtel was an added bonus. It's location to the centre of town - walking distance - made life so much easier too.

Though I didn't meet Dianne, her correspondance was fantastic and her understanding, even greater. I would highly recommend this house and we plan to make Aalen a regular place to stay in the future.