Best Value - Private Château with Huge Open Lake Norman Views

• Diamond in the rough

  Diamond in the rough

  • Guest Christy F.
  • Date of stay 06/23/12
  • Review Submitted 06/30/12
  If you're looking for perfection or elegance, this is not the house for you. If you have kids and/or pets and don't mind cosmetic blemishes and some minor functional issues, but want to be right on beautiful Lake Norman, this is the place for you. My first impression was that the pictures didn't accurately reflect the state of the property, but I came to the conclusion that it's just that the trees/brush have overgrown. The view from the house down to the lake is much more obstructed than the photos show. But it is still a beautiful view. The house is older and not in perfect condition, but it was good for what we needed it for - to bring our family and dogs with us and spend a week on the lake. The house has 3 levels - the front of the house opens to the ground level, but if you drive around the circular drive to the lower level, it leads to the basement/walkout level. That's where the kitchen and bedrooms are (plus a bathroom and a living area) so we unpacked down there. The kitchen is stocked with a toaster, coffee maker, waffle maker, and some older pots and pans, plus dishes & utensils. There are no plastic cups so if you have kids you may want to bring some. There is an extra refrigerator in the dining area, which we found very useful for keeping ice and drinks in, and used the main fridge for food. There is a gas grill on the back patio which we used and it worked well. There is a patio halfway down to the water that has some sparse furniture and a brick grill. We didn't find the brick grill to be useful - it is small and it was full of yard debris, so we brought our portable fire pit and put that down there and enjoyed that area in the evenings. There are quite a few spiders down by the lake, but as we found out, it is just part of lake living. The house was bug-free and clean. There are some hardwoods and some laminate flooring which was easy to keep clean. The dock is great - it is very large with 2 boat slips and jet ski docks, which worked perfectly with our lake kayaks. We rented a pontoon from the owner for 3 days, which was great. It's an older boat, about 20-22 feet, with a 90hp motor. We rented a tube from Lake Norman Marina and the kids had a great time with that. The owner of the home is very kind and forthcoming. He does his best to address any issues. Once we relaxed and accepted we weren't staying at the Ritz, we really enjoyed our stay there. I would recommend the property, especially if you have pets.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 2/2

• Diamond in the rough

  Diamond in the rough

  • Guest Christy F.
  • Date of stay 06/23/12
  • Review Submitted 06/30/12
  If you're looking for perfection or elegance, this is not the house for you. If you have kids and/or pets and don't mind cosmetic blemishes and some minor functional issues, but want to be right on beautiful Lake Norman, this is the place for you. My first impression was that the pictures didn't accurately reflect the state of the property, but I came to the conclusion that it's just that the trees/brush have overgrown. The view from the house down to the lake is much more obstructed than the photos show. But it is still a beautiful view. The house is older and not in perfect condition, but it was good for what we needed it for - to bring our family and dogs with us and spend a week on the lake. The house has 3 levels - the front of the house opens to the ground level, but if you drive around the circular drive to the lower level, it leads to the basement/walkout level. That's where the kitchen and bedrooms are (plus a bathroom and a living area) so we unpacked down there. The kitchen is stocked with a toaster, coffee maker, waffle maker, and some older pots and pans, plus dishes & utensils. There are no plastic cups so if you have kids you may want to bring some. There is an extra refrigerator in the dining area, which we found very useful for keeping ice and drinks in, and used the main fridge for food. There is a gas grill on the back patio which we used and it worked well. There is a patio halfway down to the water that has some sparse furniture and a brick grill. We didn't find the brick grill to be useful - it is small and it was full of yard debris, so we brought our portable fire pit and put that down there and enjoyed that area in the evenings. There are quite a few spiders down by the lake, but as we found out, it is just part of lake living. The house was bug-free and clean. There are some hardwoods and some laminate flooring which was easy to keep clean. The dock is great - it is very large with 2 boat slips and jet ski docks, which worked perfectly with our lake kayaks. We rented a pontoon from the owner for 3 days, which was great. It's an older boat, about 20-22 feet, with a 90hp motor. We rented a tube from Lake Norman Marina and the kids had a great time with that. The owner of the home is very kind and forthcoming. He does his best to address any issues. Once we relaxed and accepted we weren't staying at the Ritz, we really enjoyed our stay there. I would recommend the property, especially if you have pets.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 1/1

• A wonderful place to stay, relax and enjoy the family.

  A wonderful place to stay, relax and enjoy the family.

  • Guest Julie
  • Date of stay 05/21/11
  • Review Submitted 09/16/11
  We rented the home for two weeks the end of May into June. Our daughter got married in the area and it was perfect for us, with last minute planning and having friends and family visit. We had plenty of room for our kids, my daughter and maid of honor and even our daschund. We enjoyed the beauty of the home, landscaping , docks and water and rented a ponton boat nearby. The layout of the home was great. We will be back and recommend this property. Thank you for helping us create great memories. Julie Central Florida

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, girls getaway, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, families with teenagers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

• The perfect getaway. A wonderful waterfront retreat.

  The perfect getaway. A wonderful waterfront retreat.

  • Guest Cory
  • Date of stay 07/30/11
  • Review Submitted 08/07/11
  We just returned from this wonderful lakefront home. We didnt want to leave. The owner was so accomadating and helpful and was very quick to answer a question and take care of any issues we had. We would wake up go fishing on the wonderful dock (cast near the rocks you will always catch a fish there!!) have lunch go fishing again well into the dark of the night. The house is very beautiful easy to take care of,fully furnished, and very homey. it decorated nicely but not overly ornate to the point in which youre afraid to touch anything. perfect home to rent with kids or pets. Property is very pet friendly with a well fenced yard. Our dog enjoyed the ducks and the fish. I cannot wait to return to this property every chance i get. There is no other property on lake norman i will rent. Cory -Eastern shore of virginia

  Recommended for: Sightseeing, families with young children, pet owners, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

  Did you find this review helpful? Yes | No Helpful votes: 6/6

Additional information about rental rates

$300 to hold upon booking.

Balance due 30 days prior to arrival date.

Additional Fees and Taxes:

Occupancy Tax charged on all reservations.

$100 Refundable Cleaning Deposit Required.

Pets welcome with a $100 Pet Fee.