Ok, Experience with Owners Could Have been Better
Review Submitted: September 3, 2011
Date of Stay: July 2011
We rented the home for a week in mid July for an extended family vacation, and were excited about the proximity to the lake, the beach, and the home looked perfect for everyone. To a large degree this was the case. We loved the house, the multiple level of decks were perfect for keeping small children in sight, we had pretty much a private beach for the week, and it was easy to find. I think it's fair to also point out some of the things that could have been done better for others:
1.) It was not as clean as it could have been. We arrived as the cleaners were working, and they stopped, probably to get out of our way, but they weren't done. We paid a fee to get a clean house, they should have finished, which meant we had to do it.
2.) We had a lot of ants in the house. I know it's the summer and ants are a fact of life, but we had to set 5 to 10 traps to get them all throughout the house and keep them away from the trash.
3.) It's been 7 weeks since we finished our vacation and we have yet to see our security deposit returned. The security deposit isn't cheap. To be fair, Alicia tried to return my check, and there were some bank problems, but that was 4 weeks ago, and hasn't returned any follow up emails.
4.) The place was advertised as fully stocked, and while we know that didn't mean with food, we had reasonable expectations of basics like TP, paper towels, etc., but we had to go out and get our own. If there is a list of things to bring, just let us know.
Overall we had a very nice time, and would not discourage anyone else from renting, but just want to make others aware of some of these issues before you rent. Sometimes a growing list of little issues and annoyances detracts from the good time we all expected.
Recommended for:
Sightseeing,
Families with Teenagers,
Families with Young Children
Owner's Response: This is the fourth summer that we have been renting our home to families.... and we try to create a wonderful environment, in which you don't have to think about much of anything - except enjoying a leisurely vacation. I believe our other reviews attest to that fact. Unfortunately, anything and everything that could be an annoyance occurred during Bob's family's visit.
1) The cleaning crew was running late because of illness on the staff - and were not completely ready when the guests arrived - a little before check-in time. Instead of making the guests wait in the driveway, after a long drive, they left linens for the guests to make their own beds.
2) It was the beginning of the summer, and we had used the house the week before. There were, as often happens in early summer, a lot of carpenter ants. Terminix came the week prior to these guests, and did a thorough spraying while we were there. Unfortunately, as anyone with ant control issues knows, that caused the ants to really come out during the time these guests were at the house. They were then gone for the rest of the summer!
3) We are all squared away on the deposit. As the guest mentions, there were documented problems with our bank's automatic checking system - causing a very long delay in actually getting a check to the guest at the correct location. I have confirmed that the guest has, indeed, received his deposit check back, and has deposited it in his account.
4) We try to provide the necessities in the house - including linens and towels, a fully stocked kitchen for cooking necessities, including spices, all pots and pans, dishes, silverware, small appliances, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and starter paper towels, trash bags and toilet paper. We do not supply enough paper products to supply 16 people for a week - the amount of paper for each family can be staggering.
We appreciate constructive comments - and in general, I believe the family was not disappointed with our home and amenities overall. Unfortunately, as the guest says, there were a few things that did happen that added up to taint the memories of their visit. The length of time to receive their deposit check put them over the edge, which I believe prompted this "OK" review. In general, we really try hard to make an effortless vacation for our guests!
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