Vacation Rentals by Owner

Home Away from Home

Guest: Susie (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 01/07/12 Review Submitted: 01/24/12

I cannot say enough about our stay here. While many vacation homes tend to be somewhat tacky, this house was open, welcoming and beautiful, inside and out. Not three minutes' walk from the front door to the water, the house is convenient enough that you appreciate the environment. There are no intersections to cross or traffic to contend with, and the owners provide an accessible shed with beach items such as rafts, chairs, and much more. We can't wait to come back and enjoy the beach during warmer months.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Excellent property and accommodations; excellent vacation.

Guest: Walt (Mechanicsville)
Date of Stay: 12/26/11 Review Submitted: 01/20/12

My wife and I stayed in this beach house the week between Christmas and New Year's. The property was very clean and we enjoyed the proximity to the ocean. Although it was not summer time, we were able to walk on the beach. We needed a nice place to relax, and we hit the jackpot with this place. We were especially impressed with the cleanliness of the kitchen and bathrooms. The kitchen was well stocked with pots, pans, dishes; almost anything a person would need. The beach house is in an uncrowded, quiet location; however, it was only a short distance to restaurants and night life. We would most certainly rent this property again.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

We are back!!!

Guest: Susanna (Richmond, VA)
Date of Stay: 09/10/11 Review Submitted: 01/30/12

I can’t say enough about this house. This will be our third summer renting from Mike and Tanya. We felt in love with the house, the beach and the owners. All of us highly anticipate the return to the beach house. This house is very welcoming and accommodating from the moment you open the door- freshly cleaned, cool and spacious for our family. There are 8 of us. We love the fact that is has 2 master bedrooms with private bathrooms. Our parents are very happy to use the first floor master since they can’t climb steps now. We love short distance to the beach and no road crossing. The beach is wide and clean. There beach chairs, umbrellas and beach game for us in the shed. We love the bikes that are in the shed for us. The State park trails are awesome. The kitchen has everything you ever need for cooking and cleaning. We love it! The yard is fenced-in and we love to grill (charcoal and gas grills) while our kids play in the yard. We had our dinners out on the deck most of the time. The outdoor shower is very helpful to wash off the beach sand. The house has a TV in each bedroom and family room has flat screen TV. There is also computer with internet access and karaoke in the family room. Fantastic!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

SUNRISE AND SUNSET AT THE BEACH

Guest: Mary and family (Charlotte, NC)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 01/28/12

This house lived up to every expectation we had - it was very clean,spacious for all of us (9); central AC; beautifully furnished; family room and each b/r had a TV, books and dvd/vcr libraries in the family room; great outdoor shower (a big plus at the beach); very well equipped kitchen; nicely landscaped garden and deck with comfortable furniture were relaxing and inviting for drinks and sunset dinners. There was so much site seeing in the area - Boardwalk (plenty of good restaurants), Busch Gardens, Botanical Garden, Zoo, Aquarium and etc. But the most important for us was a short walk to the beach. Atlantic ocean, with it's power and beauty, offered us the most amazing sunrise, sunset and and long-long walks on the beach. We and the kids had a wonderful time watching the dolphins. The beach was very clean and not crowed at all. The oweners provided all beach gear including a lot of beach games and toys. We enjoyed our long bike rides in the park. The onwers prodided bikes as well.This vacation was the most memorable and relaxing for the entire family . MIKE AND TANYA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE ARE COMMING BACK NEXT SUMMER.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Amazing Home, Amazing Beach, Amazing Time

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/27/11 Review Submitted: 02/04/12

We knew what to expect before arriving because of the great information provided by the owners, Tanya and Mike. We spoke to them several times, and they were courteous, informative and very friendly each time. A pleasure to work with. The extensive photo catalog provided was also terrific. What we did not expect however was how close this home is to the beach...steps really, with no streets to cross…very safe and convenient with children or for bathroom breaks. The home itself is immaculate and beautifully decorated...like a real home, not a beach house. The deck is large and the private yard is peaceful and charming. We ate on the deck as much as we could. The outdoor shower was one of our favorite features, and we used it daily. The kitchen is beautiful with all the conveniences you could need. The floors, the bathrooms, the furniture, the artwork...everything was just lovely. You can tell that the owners have really invested a great deal of time and love into this home. Also, having private, reserved parking was a huge bonus. You will not be disappointed. The street is quiet; the beach is clean and calm; and the drive to the boardwalk is less than 5 minutes. We are planning to return this summer and have already recommended this place to our friends. Thanks for a memorable vacation that our children won’t stop talking about, even to this day.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Some things to consider...

Guest: Fun Family (Arizona)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 07/17/11

good things: * unit is very clean * kitchen is very well equipped * plenty of beach gear - chairs, umbrellas * friendly owner * easy access to the beach - do not have to cross major road *security deposit was returned very promptly following visit not so good things; * not allowed to have guests over - per a clause in the contract and verbal direction from owner * internet did not work * kitchen is small, completely cut off from the rest of the house and an old television takes space on what little counter space there is in kitchen * the house is right next to the highway so the traffic noise is extreme - making the deck less than a pleasant experience, the noise also interferes with sleeping Some things that I have learned in the process are: * request a sample contract early in the planning process to see if there are any clauses that we are uncomfortable with * request a floor plan with measurements to better gauge if the space will work for our family The owner is quite a nice person and I hate to say anything negative although I do wish that some of the previous reviews had been more realistic in their descriptions. Our family overcame the small kitchen, the loud traffic and the requirement that we NOT have guests over and had a fabulous time anyway!

Owner response:As the owners, we always appreciate honest feedback and are thankful for the opportunity to address some of the points mentioned in this comment. We always provide the address of our home and encourage potential renters to go on googlemaps.com so that they can see the exact location of our home, which is conveniently located less than 200 yards to the beach. The street next to us can get busy but this is the very first time, in four years of renting our home, that we have had anyone bring up a noise issue. No previous renters before or since have been bothered by it while sleeping or relaxing on our private deck. We are ALWAYS accessible by phone and email and ask our renters to advise us of any problems occurring in the home. Had the renters told us that the Internet was down (due to a thunderstorm in the area) we would have fixed it immediately. It was simply never brought to our attention. In terms of the kitchen, it is a standard-size eat-in-kitchen with direct access to the formal dining room. We provide over 40 pictures of our home, by email or on our blog, so that potential renters can see, in advance, the space we have in our home, which again has always been sufficient. As a matter of fact, we always try to supply as much information as possible about our home and the area, in general so that we have happy customers. As in every home, there are some limits...our home fits a maximum of 9 people comfortably and for this reason we could not allow the request by the renters, in this case, to have an additional house-load of people to come over for regular visits. It would simply be over-crowded, would create a fire hazard and would be unfair to our neighbors. We always try to accommodate special requests and have had only positive feedback in the past. Above all, please read our contract that we send you immediately. We have 60 days cancellation policy with a full security deposit refund. We do take our contract very seriously and so should you. In the future, we look forward to continue renting to informed, excited customers and to share our beautiful home with families spending their summer vacation in Virginia Beach.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers

Family vacation 6/11/11 - 6/18/11

Guest: Judy (Brookeville, Md)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 06/19/11

This place had everything that anyone would need and was very large. The 2 master bedrooms were great and there was plenty of room for everyone. Mike and Tanya were great and there place really was like a home and had everything that you could think of. The place was only minutes to the beach and no crossing of busy streets. It was easy to go back for lunch. Would highly recommend this place. We plan to return.... Judy, Tom, and Family.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway.

ALL THE COVINIECE OF HOME AND MORE

Guest: Sam (Marlboro, NJ.)
Date of Stay: 04/02/11 Review Submitted: 04/10/11

The home was superb. It was very clean, and nicely decorated. The location was great. Everything was less than 4 minute drive. The kitchen was amazing. It had everything that you could possibly think of (blender, mixers, microwave oven, dishwasher, lot of dishes and silverware). There are two master bedrooms in the house. The first floor bedroom the a private bathroom seems to be a great idea for those who do not like steps. It feels more like home away from home. The State park was awesome with amazing bike and hiking trails. We also took bike rides to the Boardwalk (about 15 min one way). Of course the biggest attraction was the ocean. The house was only a few steps to the beach. The beach was wide and very clean. We took long walks to Boardwalk and Fort Story. We were told that dolphins are common visitors to this beach when the weather gets warmer. We had a wonderful time and we are planning to come back next Summer. Date stayed 04/02 -04/09

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Blissful Beach House

Guest: Mike (Jersey City, New Jersey)
Date of Stay: 03/19/11 Review Submitted: 04/07/11

It is clear from the moment you set foot inside this beautiful house that the owners want to give vacationers a relaxing and unique setting for their visit to Virginia Beach. The clean, open house is well-kept and not at all "beachy", but instead has all the comforts of home. This cozy home is beautifully furnished, and there is a calming air that nicely compliments the ocean, which is perfect as the house is barely a two minute walk from the front door to the shore. The owners, Mike and Tanya, are extremely kind and responded quickly to my questions prior to our arrival. They have supplied a shed full of beach-going gear and a convenient push cart. I cannot say enough about this house, and I look forward to our next stay.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Great Family home

Guest: Val (Murrysville Pa)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/30/10

Our family had a lovely time here, very clean with all the amenities you need and close to the beach. A very relaxing time with easy access to other activities too.There was plenty of room for everyone, a good deck for sitting out in the evening, and supplies for the beach included. Tanya and Mike were very helpful.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Virginia Beach Vacation

Guest: Susan (Southern California, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/10/10 Review Submitted: 07/20/10

Our family stayed here recently and we couldn’t have been more pleased. The home was in fantastic condition, clean, conveniently located, quiet and we thought perfect in every way. There were plenty of sand toys, chairs, umbrellas, a children’s pool and other beach equipment that was available to use. The home was equipped with everything we needed in the kitchen, right down to the blender, ironing board, fan, and washer and dryer. There were plenty of plates, cups, silverware, cooking utensils and a dishwasher. We were able to walk 2 minutes to the beach, come back and shower outside, make dinner and enjoy our evening family time. The owner’s were great to work with and we plan on returning to this lovely home again. This is a wonderful vacation getaway. Thank you for a wonderful time.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Awesome Rental - just like home

Guest: Heidi & Brian (NW Ohio)
Date of Stay: 06/12/10 Review Submitted: 07/28/10

This house is all you can think of and more. Very nice, very clean. I loved that it was close to the beach but not right in the middle of all the tourist area. We were close enough to that section for a visit but was able to nicely return back to our nice little retreat. The owners were wonderful and the neighbors are too. We had plenty of room for me, my husband, my 3 kids and my parents. Couldn't have asked for a better place to stay. I highly recommend this rental and would love to go back some day.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children.