How much damage deposit should we expect?
We usually see anywhere from £500 to £2,000 depending on the house size and contents. For a decent property sleeping 14 to 16, expect a deposit of around £1,000.
Here’s what we see happen in our experience: about 85% of groups get their deposit back in full. The 15% who don’t usually lose around £150 to £400 for things like smashed glassware, red wine on cream sofas or carpets, or BBQ damage.
Our big tips for putting yourself in the 85% and holding onto your full deposit are to take photos when you arrive, noting any existing damage or breakages. Next, have a chat with the group, let them know what you’ve forked out and what they can do to help you get it back at the end. Assign a sober-enough person to keep an eye on things and intervene when Mike decides to try juggling glasses of red wine on the cream couch at 1 am. Above all, treat it like your mate’s house, or even better, your mate’s mum’s house. If you storm into a property like a Rolling Stone on a rampage, you’ll pay for the privilege.
Damage deposits can be a major source of worry for stag groups, but with a bit of thought and planning you’ll get an outcome everyone’s happy with.
What locations work best for stag parties?
The best location for your stag do depends on what you want. Are loud nights of thumping music your idea of a good time? You want somewhere way out in the middle of nowhere in the Scottish Highlands, mid-Wales, the Forest of Dean, Shropshire, or the Northumberland interior. Here, you’ll be blasting the music until 3 am with no complaints.
Are you thinking you’ll all get suited and booted and head into town to check out the local bars and clubs? We have properties within 15 to 20 minutes of Newcastle, Edinburgh, Bristol, Exeter, York, and Chester. This offers the perfect mix of town and country. A night in on Friday, a countryside activity during the day on Saturday then out on the town Saturday night. Sorted.
Want surf and sea? Cornwall and Pembrokeshire are the ones to go for. Want distillery tours? It’s got to be Scotland. On a budget? Wales and Northeast England deliver serious value.
Whatever you go for, here’s the mistake we see most often, so you don’t make the same one: booking a gorgeous Cotswolds manor in a village because the photos looked great. You’ll spend Saturday night in Toby Carvery because everywhere decent is fully booked, and the house’s 11 pm noise curfew means the “party” ends when it should just be getting revved up.
The best approach is to have in mind the kind of party you want to throw and look for the property to match.
What activities actually work for mixed-fitness groups?
We get it, Dad’s had a hip replacement, three of the group smoke like chimneys and Uncle Dave hasn’t so much as kicked a ball since 1992, but you still fancy a good day out. We recommend clay pigeon shooting hands down every time. It’s a great leveller because everyone thinks they’ll be better than they are, the lads start to get competitive. It takes two or three hours, and instructors keep everyone safe. You’re looking at costs of around £60 to £90 per person.
Another great option that levels the fitness playing field is go-karting. Pure competition, noise, and tonnes of fun for £50 to £80 per person.
For the beer enthusiasts, a brewery tour is a fantastic option. Usually you get lunch thrown in, it’s not physically demanding and everyone leaves a bit merry. Expect to spend about £35 to £60 per person.
There’s no reason for varying fitness levels to limit what you do on your stag. That said, in our experience, the activities to steer clear of as a mixed fitness group include gorge scrambling and coasteering. It looks amazing in the photos but it’s no fun if half of you can’t keep up.
Should we hire a private chef or cook ourselves?
It’s a great question. The answer depends on your priorities, budget, skillset within the group, and the kind of vibe you’re going for.
Let’s start with the cost. Private catering costs £60 to £90 per person for a three-course meal with service and cleanup. For a stag of 14 people, that’s £840 to £1,260 for Saturday night dinner.
Now that’s totally worth it if you want Saturday as relaxed celebration where nobody has to cook. If you’re doing a sophisticated vibe rather than a lads-on-tour type stag, or if the groom’s dad is dropping by, this might be a great way to spend the night.
Then again, if your plan is to booze all of Saturday or you’re not bothered about fancy food and a big sit-down meal, you’re probably better off with a big old BBQ or a massive order of fish and chips. Get the playlist going, open some cans and have some low-key fun. Equally, if someone in the group is happy to take on the cooking and a few of you don’t mind mucking in on the clean-up, that can be a fun way to hang out too.
If food is fuel and you just need enough to soak up the beers, we’d suggest a takeaway Friday night, a chilled BBQ on Saturday afternoon and a big fry-up on Sunday morning. This keeps costs down and bellies full without putting anyone to work all weekend.
Food can be a focal point for the weekend or the sustenance that keeps the party going, allocate time and budget accordingly for the best chance of a fantastic weekend.