Vacation Rentals by Owner
Oceanfront -May Special 25% Discount- Pet Friendly - 4 BR [#125095] | View Property
Oak Island
House, 4 Bedrooms + Convertible Bed(s), 2 Baths (Sleeps 8-10)
$1395-$2295/wk
Write a Review
Traveler Reviews (36)
Location, location,location
Guest: David & Anne
Date of Stay: 03/29/12
Review Submitted: 03/30/12
We have had a fantastic holiday in your superb home and we appreciated the comfort and location, location, location over the last two weeks. We managed a show down in North Myrtle Beach last night and that was a big hit. Golf at Oak Island has been great – I played one of my best rounds in ages but best of all was just relaxing on your terrace counting the waves. You have a wonderful home here and when we come back we will be sure to stay here again.
Recommended for:
Great location, needs some love
Guest: Oldgreymare
(Iowa)
Date of Stay: 02/25/12
Review Submitted: 03/22/12
The Good Stuff: Location, views of the pier, waves, pelicans, dolphins, sunrise, sunsets; sun time on the deck, proximity to restaurants/shopping, the beach-the beach-the beach; lots of wide open spaces; lots of crisp clean sheets and towels; toilet paper and coffee filters, always a happy bonus find and we paid that forward as well when we left. It is a rental cottage in a windy, salty, sandy, watery ocean-front environment. Vulnerable to the elements and furnished accordingly. The Could-be-betters: 1. The dishwasher is apparently not permanently mounted. It was set on blocks and had vibrated itself off so that it was askew under the counter. When you tried to close the door, the whole unit shifted under the counter. My husband and his little toolbox took care of this temporarily, but it needs attention. 2. Cupboard door hinge screws were so loose some doors were hanging off at angles and did not close. We tightened them where it was possible, they need to be checked. 3. The laundry door would not close correctly - this is a rather simple adjustment - which we did. The contents of the shelf landed on the wash machine, so I took it all down, cleaned the very grubby shelf and reorganized. Also wiped down the gritty washer and dryer inside and out. 4. Lamps needed dusting badly, some new bulbs and some structural repairs, which we took care of. The real problem for us was that despite being advertised as "no pets", your cottage has been home to your cats. My son and daughter-in-law's sneezing, nasal stuffiness and itchy eyes from cat allergy were indicative, and the can of cat food in the cupboard, the two catnip mice wedged under the couches, the 3 bottles of Resolve under the sink, and the ball of cat hair I swept up pretty much confirmed it. I have a photo. Needless to say, their week with us was less than hoped for, she is pregnant, no allergy meds allowed. Now that the cat dander is in the heat ducts, I don't think your house will ever again be " cat-free". In the interests of full disclosure you really should make it known to potential renters. We will be back to Oak Island next Spring, but will seek another rental unit.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet owners.
Fantastic week.
Guest: John & Elizabeth
Date of Stay: 09/10/11
Review Submitted: 09/10/11
Fantastic week - Beach was busy over Labor Day weekend, then we had the beach to ourselves. Beautiful location. Dennis (the property manager) and Robin (his assistant) helped us get set up. Grilled fish from Hagg & Son. Day trip to Myrtle Beach - Do not ride the Ferris wheel in 35 mph-it is scarey. Everything was perfect. Thanks so much to Robin for all the dining recommendations. I wish I could celebrate my birthday every year at the Blue Point Marina. Golfed at Oak Island - nice track. Dinner at Fishy-Fishy in Southport - great view and atmosphere.
Recommended for:
We loved our short stay
Guest: scott m.
Date of Stay: 09/01/11
Review Submitted: 09/06/11
We loved our short stay in the cottage on the beach. The house was charming and very spacious indeed for our party of 5, with two bedrooms to spare. We could watch the sunrise and sunset from the wraparound porch that faced out on the sea, and the proximity eliminated the need to cart belongings to the beach. The cottage was also just a short walk from the best local restaurant, and a short drive to the local supermarket. We will definitely try to book the cottage again and return to watch the pelicans and dolphins if we are lucky.
Recommended for:
Thank you
Guest: Christy.
Date of Stay: 07/16/11
Review Submitted: 09/03/11
Thank you for sharing your home with us. We had an enjoyable stay. Our 4 teenagers had a blast going to the pier while we relaxed. The house was perfect for all of us. The wireless was a great addition.
Recommended for:
Guest: Jennifer & Patrick
Date of Stay: 07/09/11
Review Submitted: 07/16/11
We had a wonderful week at Oak Island. Lovely beach, great waves, fun to watch lightning show, fishing from the pier. Thanks for sharing . Love to sit on the porch for morning coffee and evening meals. PS. The waves were amazing for boogy-boarding, skim-boarding, etc.
Recommended for:
Guest: Sue
Date of Stay: 06/25/11
Review Submitted: 07/16/11
The house had great deck chairs. Dinner on the porch each night.l Body boards at the ready. Thanks for installing wi-fi. Oak Island is the perfect low-key environment.
Recommended for:
Grand Ocean View
Guest: Sue
(North Carolina)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11
Review Submitted: 07/06/11
The location of this rental is excellent with beautiful beach front views from the deck and this is where my excellent rating stops. The house is in fair shape. The dishwasher is not attached so falls forward when the bottom rack is loaded and the linen closet panel door is broken so will not stay on the track. We just laid the door against the dryer instead of wrestling with it all the time. Due to these safety issues, I would not recommend this rental for families with small children. In a rebuttal to a previous rating on this blog, the owner mentions installing new laminate flooring. The shoddily installed flooring has gaps and must have been installed over rotted flooring in the kitchen because the kitchen floor is spongy. Thank goodness the weather was perfect, and we did not have to stay inside to look at the beach. You cannot see out. Washing the windows did not help. The windows are etched with sand and fogged up due to the broken seals in the double paned windows. We had 5 laptops with us but only one would work with the house internet (after 1.25 hrs on the phone talking to the internet server, Time Warner). We talked to the owner about this problem on Sunday, and they arranged for wireless internet to be installed on Tuesday. It was a very positive experience talking to the owner and manager. The owner did provide a bowl of fresh fruit upon our arrival. There are plenty of boogie-boards stored under the house. The one thing we missed with this house, was an outdoor enclosed shower with hot and cold water. This house had an open air shower and hose on the deck with cold water only. The owner needs to bite the bullet and put some money into this house. This is our 6th visit to Oak Island, and we love the island because of the family atmosphere. Every morning I either biked or walked and one day took a Zumba class at the Oak Island Recreation Center. I particularly enjoyed biking along the marsh side away from the wind and out of the direct sun. In Southport, Fishy Fishy Cafe which is right on the bay, offers great seafood. I ate the shrimp/crab wrap, yum, and my husband ate the shrimp/bacon wrap. Delicioso! Also, in Southport, Spike's serves the best creamy soft serve ice cream in North Carolina. I slurped down a Root Beer Float on 3 different occasions during our visit. Our big surprise was the July 1 celebration of Oak Island Day. The grand display of fireworks was shot off from the Yaupon Pier and we had front row seats.
Owner response:Because of our 200 feet of beachfront. and private beach access, Xanadu, with its wrap- around porch and balconies. is rented from mid-April to mid-October. It's large enough with its 4 bedrooms and sofa-bed in the living room to handle many guests. The new granite counter-top offers additional casual seating, but now after 3 months of vacationers having fun with these extras, our maintenance crew has to be on its toes, and they are. When called, we respond quickly to the needs of our guests, as with the wi-fi, but we need to be told, and no one on the island is better prepared. For 5 years we depended on the rental agency to deal with problems, but we found we were on a long list of hundreds of other beach- house renters waiting our turn for repairs. To avoid this we now have a property manager, Dennis, with 25 years of experience on the island, and a staff ready to respond to our renters' needs first.. With these priorities in place there's no need for our guests to deal with anything that's not in perfect order, but you do have to call and sometimes on minor issues guests feel they're being a nuisance. Please, if you stay at Xanadu, call immediately. It's important to keep the property in the best condition, not only for your stay but for the next renter.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers.
In desperate need of updating...
Guest: Kathy
(Raleigh, NC)
Date of Stay: 05/21/11
Review Submitted: 05/29/11
Upstairs air-conditioner didn't seem to be cooling. We kept the thermostat between 55-60 and the temp. stayed above 80 degrees. Downstairs livingroom furniture was very uncomfortable and worn. We were suprised that there were only two tv's in the whole house and it was so small you had to sit in front of it to see it. However, we did enjoy the porch as this was probably the best feature of all. Would never consider going back or recommending to anyone. Would definitely recommend updating to the owners and it was way overpriced for what we got!!
Owner response:Recent updating - new floors, a granite kitchen countertop with additional casual dining area, the appliances and air conditioning are all less than two years old. We have maintenance emergency service 24 hours, in case any real problem does occur. We stay at the beach house 4 months out of the year ourselves. The furniture is less than 5 years old, we find it very comfortable and it offers a great seating arrangement for entertaining. Our beach house is situated on over 200 feet of the finest beach front on Oak Island, with our own private direct beach access - a rarity. Many people would consider our location the best on Oak Island for privacy. We have high speed computer access and every modern necessity. The people who would enjoy our house the most are people who would enjoy a real ocean front experience, with a wrap-around porch and balconies off the bedroom. There' s a guest book with comments from our visitors giving insightful comments about what they've enjoyed most about their stay. We love to leave the doors open and feel the sea breeze and hear the sound of the surf, but on ninety degrees days, we have to give this luxury up - a small adjustment!
Recommended for:
thank you for sharing
Guest: Sharon
Date of Stay: 09/25/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
Thank you so much for sharing your home with us. This is the best beach vacation we've ever had. We love the island, the beach and especially the house. We hope to vacation with you again next Fall. We hope you enjoy the small gift we bought for the house, this way we will be a small part of your wonderful Xanadu.
Recommended for:
picture perfect postcard weekend
Guest: Anne-Marie
(Charlotte)
Date of Stay: 09/16/10
Review Submitted: 09/23/10
wonderfull and relaxing weekend. The amenities were great. The house is nicely laid out with two rooms upstairs and two down. There is comfortable furniture in the greatroom, and an ample kitchen with great counterspace if you enjoy cooking . Welcoming oceanfront porch with chairs and loungers, make it perfect to watch the waves roll in, and shrimp boats pass by . The house is conveniently located near shops and restaurants. The property care taker is very attentive, and responsive. All that said, we had a wonderful long weekend. We experienced beautiful sunrises and gorgeous sunsets. I strongly recommend this property for a great get away weekend. This trip was a "mom's get away weekend", but the set up of the home is very conducive to a family (or multi family) vacation. I look forward to visiting Xanadu again!
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.
Nice Beach
Guest: Donna
(Danville, PA USA)
Date of Stay: 09/03/10
Review Submitted: 09/14/10
Just got back from a wonderful week at Oak Island. First time visiting there and we had a wonderful time. Nice beach for walking. The kitchen could use some extra mixing bowls and pots and pans. The granite countertop is very nice but the cabinets need work. The bedroom balconies are not much, not enough room for a chair just to stand. The house was clean and the welcome bowl of fruit was a very nice touch. I would recommend this house to anyone who wants a quaint oceanfront beach house. Nothing fancy but wonderful location. I would rent this house again.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners.
August 2010 Vacation
Guest: Oak Island Fan
(Concord, NC)
Date of Stay: 08/21/10
Review Submitted: 10/24/10
The house is comfortable and rent again. Eight adults were comfortable and we enjoyed the porch overlooking the beach. It was clean and had no problems with a/c or hot water. Owner was easy to work with. Improvement recommendation is to improve under the house and moving the hammock to a better location would be desirable.
Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers.
Cockroaches and Mold
Guest: Steve
(CT)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10
Review Submitted: 09/15/10
We paid for two weeks. We left after one because of a number of reasons. The two biggest mold and cockroaches. It is amazing that their property manager is an exterminator and roaches are a problem. Light over stove was covered in mold and grease. Simply disgusting. Among other problems, a/c couldn't cool the house because of the draft howling through the windows and doors. Average indoor temperature was 80+. Had to buy my own fans at Walmart because the fan they provided was broken and covered in a film of dirt and grease. Used paper plates because plates were covered in caked on dirt and mold. Had to replace several light bulbs. Ran out of hot water daily. One inch gaps between laminate floor boards. Very pool installation of new laminate flooring. STAY AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE. DON'T RUIN YOUR VACATION. Owners were not willing to refund any money for the second week or the first for that matter. Had ceiling paint falling into my hair while I showered. THIS HOUSE IS A DISASTER. The hammock was broken and unusable. They did replace before we left. I do have pictures that I will attach if possible.
Owner response:Eleven prior guests and three after had no problems and wrote glowing comments in our guest book.(available on request). We installed new flooring and granite countertops in May, and had the property thoroughly checked for moldew, mold, and any other possible problems as a matter of course that everyone does before incurring this kind of expense. Our central air conditioning system is less than 2 years old, and in perfect condition, and capable of cooling a home much larger than ours(technical information also available). We received no complaints from this renter until 6 days after their arrival. We wouldn't stay one week in a house with mold! Also my wife and I hate bugs and like it cool, so we keep the doors closed as did all of our other guests.When our property manager (whose profession is pest control) confirmed their complaints were unfounded, we denied their request for a refund. The property manager stated that for the first few days of their stay it was very windy, and that was probably the cause of their discontent and wanting to get out of paying for the second week. Had they told me openly about the weather problem we would have sympathized with them and at least tried to rent the second week and saved them that expense but we weren't notified of their departure until Sunday of the second week. Three guests had wanted to rent the beach house that week. It was the first time it was empty in 12 years, it was even too late for family and friends to take advantage of what turned out to be the best week of the summer. It is a shame they didn't stay - all the way around.
Recommended for:
Beach and location was the best
Guest: Jess
Date of Stay: 07/31/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
Had a fantastic time. Kids loved finding all kinds of creatures on the beach. Parents loved sitting on the porch talking til the wee hours while the kids slept. There was something new everyday. Thanks for a wonderful vacation memory.
Recommended for:
Fantastic time here.
Guest: kelly
Date of Stay: 07/31/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
We had a fantastic time here. We spent everyday at the beach boogie-boarding, skim-boarding, playing in the sand and playing in water with nets. The kids caught many little fish. We had lots of fun in the evening sitting on the porch watching the ocean. We loved it. Thanks.
Recommended for:
Best vacation Ever
Guest: Dean
Date of Stay: 07/31/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
Everyone pitched in for everything. Four familes sharing one house with no drama - a rarity these days. 4 families as 1. I wouldn't trade this for anything.
Recommended for:
Wonderful family reunion
Guest: jennifer
Date of Stay: 07/24/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
It was just so awesome to hear the waves al of the time. My grandson loved looking for crabs on the beach at night. The house is very comfortable and truly enough room for the 9 of us. It was great to have the fruit basket for breakfast on Sunday before we had a chance to shop. It was a wonderful family vacation.
Recommended for:
Enjoyed late breakfast after walking the beach
Guest: tom
Date of Stay: 07/15/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
Enjoyed the ferry to Bald Head Island, Wilmington too, and back to Oak Island. Visited the light house on the island. Made necklaces for the kids out of shells. Kids spent the week on the seashore.
Recommended for:
really enjoying the week
Guest: Judy
Date of Stay: 06/26/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
It was the first time some of us ever saw the ocean, and the view from the porch is wonderful. We are from the mountains of KY, VA, and TN. this house is very much a beach house. The location is just right. Plenty of room for a larger family and a beach that wasn't crowded. Very good vacation!!
Recommended for:
very welcoming.
Guest: Pam
Date of Stay: 06/19/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
We actually had 2 families. We felt very welcome on entering when we saw the fruit bowl on the table. That was a nice touch! Our son caught several sharks at the pier. Some trout as well. Jelly fish were often seen and many washed ashore. We saw a stingray at the pier and dolphins daily. Thanks so much, we've had a wonderful vacaton!
Recommended for:
My kids had a blast!
Guest: steve & family
Date of Stay: 06/17/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
My kids had a blast and came running for cash anytime they saw the ice cream carts. We enjoyed feeding the seagulls. We saw dolphins, sharks, stingrays, a horseshoe crab, lizards, and found shark teeth and a piece of a sand dollar! We're from Cincinnati, so this was great!
Recommended for:
One of the best vacations we've ever been on
Guest: Sam from Kentucky
Date of Stay: 06/12/10
Review Submitted: 01/05/11
We caught 17 foot-long sharks, one trout, and one flounder. it was one of the best vacations we've ever been on. We boogy-boarded and that was fun, and we saw 4 dolphins. Enjoy your stay at NC1105.
Recommended for: