Our stay went well. Lawrence, the property manager, is friendly and attentive. At first, we were thrown off to find no driveway for the house, but we soon learned that on-street parking all over town is creative and functional. We parked on the side street–very close to the house–and had no issues. Similar rentals come with a sheet of detailed directions about how things in the house work: the front-door keypad, the TV and remote, the HVAC system, when to take out the trash, and how to override the smoke alarms if they malfunction and go off. This happened to us, and I knew what to do, but I worry that many may not. The house would benefit from counters, benches, towel racks and such so that travelers can lay out and/or store their belongings; in particular, my wife was frustrated with the bathrooms–and the bedrooms need dressers or shelving. The primary issue is that the front steps are treacherous for three reasons: the rises and runs are not to code so they are very, very awkward, and there is no functional handrail; plus, there is no gutter above the stairs, so when it rains, you have to pass through a waterfall while trying not to fall. But, the house is tidy, very clean, and has a warm feel. It’s clear that the house is a new endeavor; it just needs a few tweaks to be ready for prime time, but the location, and the property manager are all good, so with a little attention to detail, this house should be great.
