House was Unfortunately Disappointing

Guest: nawnek (Meaford, On, Canada)
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 01/15/12

This review is late because I hestitated to leave a not so flattering review. However, I felt that I really should to maybe give the owner some tips. We are seasoned VRBO'ers and have experienced many different homes in our travels. This is the first negative review I have left. There are several issues with this house but mainly the cleanliness. The stove, oven were not clean and there was a dirty, filthy broil pan left in the oven. The floors were not clean and the window looked like they had not been cleaned for a very long time, which is too bad since the view is obscured by this. The bedroom windows also. The basement was dank and musty, which made it unusable. The air conditioning in the bedrooms was nice but the main house needs it - kitchen, living area was unbearable the days we were there. We are 3 couples who travel on large touring motorcycles and one of the features we were looking for was the large advertised garage. We had to clean it out before we could park the bikes in there. The stairs to the water are not a problem but they are rickety and dock area is dirty. Nothing that a good power wash wouldn't fix the same goes for the deck surrounding the house. The chimenea was a nice addition but the very least the owners could do is give you a starter pack of fire wood, even add it to the price, no one would care. The main house bathroom (not the master) - was dated and the tub inoperable, we had to wedge something in to keep the drain open during showers. Some of these are little details that when taken care of promote a wonderful stay and would garner good comments. The house is adequate but could be fabulous. The owner met us there on the first day but never came by to see if we were ok, he did not walk us through the house. We are used to owners who are engaged but these ones are not. We called to ask for something, I can't remember now what it was, but had a difficult time getting them. The area is lovely but one thing we found is that there was little in the way of a general store in close proximity. We had to ride/drive each time we needed a staple i.e milk, bread etc. - so if you are going to stay here, you will need to be organized. The neighbours are very friendly.

Owner response:I do appreciate the feedback. I cannot speak to the oven issue (as this was never pointed out to me). The stove was indeed cleaned. The floors are always swept and mopped prior to each visit (by the cleaners, even though renters are "supposed" to leave the house broom clean). Although the windows are cleaned, there are a couple of windows that are old and have residue "between" the panes which prevent them from being fully cleaned. Some windows have, in fact, been replaced since the beginning of last year. (This includes most of the bedroom windows.) I do admit that the back bathroom (one of two and a half) is in need of updating. The tub issue has been corrected and was simply an adjustment in the stopper. The heavy rain of the spring (a very non-typical year) led to some leakage into the basement rec room. This has been thoroughly dried and ventilated. The garage is fully cleaned and usable. (The boxes in question were those from the new A/C units and new dishwasher). The deck was power washed and stained in the spring, but high winds can leave quite a few leaves on the deck. I believe the phone call regarded refilling propane and I do believe a fresh tank was dropped of promptly the next morning. I do not make a habit of stopping during the week as experience has shown that most renters do not like being "checked on". All renters do, however, have my cell phone number, as well as my work number, to reach me at any time. It is about a five minute drive (3.3 miles) to the local store and another five (7.2 miles) to a full grocery, but this is typical of the region. We do work very hard to provide a pleasant stay for all renters. I would point out that over roughly five years with every summer fully booked, we have only generated two negative reviews.

Recommended for:

Great week in the house

Guest: Nancy from NY (-)
Date of Stay: 08/06/11 Review Submitted: 08/29/11

Please let the owner know we had a great week in the house. I can't imagine being able to wake up every morning and seeing that view. We enjoyed the entire are including Taughannock Falls / Park, the wine trails, and the lake. It was a great area for walking and biking, too.

Recommended for:

Lovely lake house in beautiful location

Guest: Maryland family (Rockville, MD)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 08/12/11

We had a wonderful week here at the tail end of a heat wave, so the air conditioning in the bedrooms was welcome. Most of the time, however, open windows and fans kept the house very comfortable. It is very quiet and private, and the lake access is excellent if you don't mind steps. The house has undergone a series of improvements and, while they aren't quite completed, the renovated kitchen and master bathroom are really special. Maybe because it had been so hot there were more mosquitoes than usual, so pack bug spray. We walked to Sheldrake Winery's Simply Red Bistro for a superior meal, and were close to a farm stand, blueberry picking, hiking in Taughannock Falls State Park, and Ithaca. A great family vacation.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Disappointing house

Guest: Philadelphia Vacationers (Philadelphia, PA)
Date of Stay: 08/21/10 Review Submitted: 10/13/10

House is in a great location but it's state was disappointing. House was not clean as described and basic parts were not in working order, including windows, dishwasher, ice maker and garbage disposal. House was generally not cared for. The area is beautiful however!

Owner response:Some of the window mechanisms were hard to operate, and we have replaced all the affected windows. The garbage disposal unit has also been repaired. The fridge is a large side-by-side, and the only time we have had problems with it were when a guest overloaded it with too much food, causing the freezer to stop making ice. It was packed solid from top to bottom, and the weather was very warm. We went out of our way to provide coolers and ice to help the guest store this huge amount of food. We have had no problems with the fridge or ice maker before or since. The dishwasher is a high-end Swedish model that is very quiet in operation. Some people think it is not working, when it is in fact working fine.

Recommended for:

Guest: N/A (-)
Date of Stay: 09/01/08 Review Submitted: 09/01/08

We had a wonderful time. The house is wonderful and we were very comfortable. Our grandson and daughter came on Wed. They found all the games and had fun playing. We hope we can make it up here next summer. You have done a wonderful job fitting up the house. We appreciated having all the things we needed, so we didn't have to run out and buy it - thanks! Want to take the shower home! It was really great!

Recommended for:

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 07/27/08 Review Submitted: 07/27/08

We rented the house for a week in July for a family reunion. It was perfect! Spacious, airy, with a wonderful deck and large, modern kitchen complete with all the dishes and items we needed. The beds were comfortable. The decor is casual, but elegant. While the stairs to the dock would present a problem to the elderly, they were no problem for us. It was nice to have another deck on the water to lounge on. The large yard afforded space for visiting youngsters to play. It's a quiet neighborhood, and not far from a main highway. It was easy to visit wineries, museums, Taughannock Falls, the Cayuga Nature Center, Ithaca, and Trumansburg. A large shopping outlet mall is about a half hour away. It was a wonderful experience for us!

Recommended for:

Guest: N/A (-)
Date of Stay: 06/28/08 Review Submitted: 06/28/08

We all had a really great time here! No problems since the plumber came! We bought some large coffee mugs that we left for future caffine junkies to use. Had a very memorable stay. No issues. We really appreciate all your attention to our having a pleasant time here.

Recommended for:

Guest: dave f1 (doylestown, pa)
Date of Stay: 06/23/08 Review Submitted: 06/23/08

spent one week in mid june 08. the accomadations were spacious, clean and very well stocked with all the necessities. the owners were very gratious and helpfull in responding to any questions we had. great place 5 stars out of 5

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