Vacation Rentals by Owner

Wonderful family vacation house

Guest: Catharine (Charlottesville, VA)
Date of Stay: 10/07/11 Review Submitted: 10/26/11

We spent a wonderful family weekend at this lovely home right on the lake. Very spacious accommodation, with four private bedrooms on the main floor and great bedroom upstairs with bunk beds for children. Lovely cathedral-ceiling family room overlooking the lake with lots of seating for family gatherings. Sunroom for reading, cocktails or smaller gatherings. Well-equipped kitchen. Dock on the lake is a great spot to relax, soak up the sun, watch speed boats on the lake, and enjoy magnificent sunrises and sunsets. Thanks for a great weekend. Wish we could have stayed longer!

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

Great Lake Vacation home

Guest: Joe B.
Date of Stay: 07/09/11 Review Submitted: 07/21/11

Our family got together for a week to relax and play. The house layout is different but not a negative. We spent most of our time on the deck which is wonderful-shade in the morning and late afternoon but sun the rest of the day. The property is great and you're surrounded by the lake with excellent views from house. We spent time in the sunroom with its great views-a wonderful place to read. The marina is close which our teenagers appreciated and the upstairs room was perfect for our boys. Carolyn is a perfect host and was responsive to all of our needs. I highly recommend this house and Smith Mountain Lake. Two golf courses (Mariner's Landing and Westlake) are within 20-25 minutes and there are plenty of dining options around (Jonathans and Blackwater Cafe were both nice).

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

Great Family Convening

Guest: Jim A. (Lynchburg, Virginia)
Date of Stay: 06/18/11 Review Submitted: 06/28/11

I had family comming from all over, some as far away as Georgia, for vacation. This place was perfect. 4 familys, including my 80+ yo parents all convened for a week of fun and boating. The dock provided perfect spots for the 2 boats and jet skis which came along. We travled the lake sightseeing and fishing. The channel out front provided excelent skiing for the ones on the dock to see. The house was extremely comfortable for all of us. We used the grill on the back deck for most of our dinners. Alot of time was spent on the "party deck" of the dock and the kids made great use of the wonderfull beach area. This was a perfect vacation spot. I look foward to returning!

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

Wonderful Wonderful place to celebrate friendship and relflect!

Guest: Phyllis (The Villages, Florida)
Date of Stay: 09/29/10 Review Submitted: 10/14/10

College friends of 50 years converged on the site and found just what we needed there - a dock looking over water so cyrstal clear, a family room and another family room! And a little corner hide-away too - if we wanted to find a corner for peace and solitude. Jig saw puzzles! Completed two. A table seating 9 comfortably, a kitchen easy for a team of 3 or 4 to work together preparing dinner, parking for 4 cars close to the front door, books to read, adirondack chairs down by the water on the lower level, beds that were so-o-o-o comfy! The dock where we gathered for morning coffee and really didn't want to leave for the entire day - was the favorite!! These friends have been vacationing together for 17 years, finding a new "home" in a new location each year. This house seemed to be the best ever! Thank you Carolyn! for sharing your marvelous home.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

2010 Wine Festival

Guest: Amy (Callaway, VA)
Date of Stay: 09/24/10 Review Submitted: 09/30/10

We had a wonderful time here. We always use the Wine Festival as a small reunion for my dad's family. This house was able to accomidate us wonderfully. The view of the lake is gorgeous. I would recommend this place to anyone and we hope to stay again next year. Enjoy!

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

Annual Family Weekend Get-away @ SML

Guest: Nancy (Chesterfield, VA)
Date of Stay: 09/17/10 Review Submitted: 09/24/10

We had the perfect weekend at your beautiful home. The house was immaculate and smelled wonderful when we walked in. It was great having an extra refrigerator and your two new bedrooms are beautiful. We spent alot of time on the party deck and were able to enjoy the water this year because it was so warm! We're already planning our get-away for next year and are talking about even staying longer. Thank you for sharing your lovely home with us!

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

FANTASTIC LAKE HOUSE!!!!

Guest: Andrew (Broadway, VA)
Date of Stay: 09/13/10 Review Submitted: 09/25/10

Fantastic lake house! We loved the unique layout. GREAT home for people with disabilities. Lots of entrances to the various bedrooms/living areas so you can by-pass stairs. We could not have asked for a more accessible party deck with beautiful views. We loved not having to bring our own linen! Saved a lot of space in the vehicles. Extra full size fridge was very welcome. Hard to store food for 9 or more people in a single fridge. Carolyn has thought of everything! Several marinas are very close and made boat rental very easy and able to pick up/drop off folks right at the dock at the house. We have been coming to the lake for 8 years and have stayed at several different lake houses. Carolyn's home is by far the best bang for the buck. She was a pleasure to deal with and understandably proud of her home (We had a great conversation about the home's design and history!) We'll see you next year.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Great Place/Location for 10 Adults on B-Day Trip

Guest: Jimmy (Northern Neck, VA)
Date of Stay: 09/09/10 Review Submitted: 09/13/10

My three day weekend was great. I finally got to relax once I saw the location, walked around the perimeter of the house, and hung out on the back deck. It took a couple of minutes to take it all in. The outside landscaping was nice. Once inside, I knew I chose a great place. The house was clean and the second refrigerator was very useful. The floor plan is somewhat of a maze and has three different ways to get in from the front. Very helpful while loading and unloading the car. The large kitchen table was perfect for my 10 person group. I enjoyed looking out at the lake and the bridge off in the distance while I ate. I wasn't looking for a crowd and didn't find one by going the weekend after Labor Day Weekend. The local shops/bar at Bridgewater Plaza was a short boat ride, but look to rent a boat elsewhere. If you rent a Boat for two days make sure you get it for 48 hours and not 8am-6 pm each day. I rented a Pontoon boat at 9 AM on Friday and had to return it at 6 PM on Saturday. Would of like to had more time without paying an extra $50 to return it Sunday morning.You will find a nice Food Lion at the end of the Diamond Road. I recommend you take the extra trip to Kroger's in the Westlake Shopping Center. It will be worth your trip. The small bait shop near the house is worth a visit. Thank you Carolyn for all your help in setting this trip up and quick responses to all my questions. It's going to hard to go back to a tent after this Lake House Vaction.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Good Location

Guest: Marina (Richmond)
Date of Stay: 09/03/10 Review Submitted: 09/08/10

Very nice place to stay for a family with grand-children. The house is a bit smelly, but warm and beautiful so is the view outside. This place makes you forget about everything and enjoy each day in a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere, just what a perfect vacation should be all about… We had four wonderful days there and … now it is time to pay the bill – even for a plumber. This is not a new house, so look out for the toilet leaks and clogs. Apparently, there was one in the bathroom upstairs that quite honestly we didn’t know about until the owner told us. We did notice though that the shower downstairs was not working well at all. On top of that, we were blamed for not stripping the beds. And least but not last, one door that stays unlocked after you leave (and there is a half of a dozen of them in there) will result in a complain. Not to mansion the fact that we had to park the 5th car at a place we rented a boat and jet skis from. Good thing the place was very safe (Bridgewater Plaza). So, keep in mind that there are only 4 cars allowed to be parked next to the house with plenty of parking space! Finally, as an advice, check everything twice behind yourself, definitely call whenever you see that something is wrong or you’ll be left without a security deposit! Almost forgot to say that the e-mail is just for rent confirmation, you’ll never hear a response if something concerns you or you have a question.

Owner response:We are so glad you found the house warm and beautiful and enjoyed your stay as much as our family. I understand that you left a day before your friend that used the upstairs bed and bath, so I am sure you were unaware of the situation. When the housekeeper arrived, water was coming from the upstairs commode, through the light fixture on to the new carpet below - damaging the carpet, light fixture and ceiling. Your friend called me to confirm the damage. He was aware of the overflow and stated this was the cost of doing business. I leave phone numbers for both myself and my housekeeper for situations like this. I only wish he had used them. As it turns out there was no leak, the commode was stopped up. Although this has not happened before, we do supply each bathroom with a plunger. It is so unfortunate that none of this needed to happen. The total deposit will only cover part of the damages. Although we request that you strip beds and lock the exterior doors upon departure, we do not withhold the deposit when this is not done. As you probably know by now, your guests email went to my spam folder. When I found it I responded immediately. We work very hard to maintain a comfortable home and are upset when it does not work out.

Recommended for:Age 55+

One of the best vacation homes I've rented

Guest: Sally (Stockton, N.J. USA)
Date of Stay: 08/07/10 Review Submitted: 08/16/10

Our family (8 adults, 12 year old, 5 year old, 2 year old, 7 month old and 2 month old) spent our vacation in the Hulett house last week and we all agreed that it was one of the best vacations ever. As noted by others the cove area was one of the best parts of the property. Without it there really would have been no place for our little ones to enjoy the water. The house itself was clean and very comfortable with lots of places to sit and read or chat or just look out at the lake. While we did not eat many meals outside we did use the party deck every evening for just relaxing and enjoying the night time air. The comfortable rockers on the front porch were one of my favorite places to escape the unseasonably hot sun this year. The kitchen is very well stocked and the extra refridgerator came in handy for keeping all our beverages in. In a nut shell we liked the lake and the house so much I have already requested that Carolyn book our family in for August of 2011......

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

Best House on the Lake

Guest: cj (roanoke, va)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 08/09/10

Have been to the lake many times and this was the best house ever. The walkway from the house to the deck made it very convenient for outdoor dining. Rooms comfortable & clean - it was great not having to bring sheets & towels! The extra refrigerator was a big help and the kitchen was well stocked. I would definitely recommend this to a large group and hope that i will be able to stay there again.

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

Great House and Location for Family Getaway!

Guest: Chris (VA)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 08/05/10

We loved everything about this house. It has enough space so that you felt like you could have privacy. It has a great party deck and boat dock - just perfect for watching the kids swim or seeing the sun set. The best part, in our minds, is the private beach. It was just what we needed for our youngest family members. They could walk into the water and play for hours. Nothing I read mentioned the amazing gold glitter in the water! Must be fool's gold from the mountains, but it made a neat shimmering effect! We were able to dock our 17' boat and play in the water - even doing kneeboard starts from the beach. The house was set up with everything we needed and it is convenient to a grocery store about 10 minutes away. Carolyn and her family were a pleasure to work with. She patiently answered all our questions, provided all the info we needed ahead of time, and quickly returned our deposit. We definitely plan to stay here again!

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

Very nice location

Guest: Jim (South central PA)
Date of Stay: 06/05/10 Review Submitted: 06/19/10

Very nice setting with the dock on the lake. Our grandchildren enjoyed fishing from the dock. The house was clean and comfortable for our large family.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Wonderful Family Weekend

Guest: Tonito (Ashburn, VA)
Date of Stay: 05/13/10 Review Submitted: 05/28/10

We rented this house from Carolyn in order to celebrate my son's graduation from college. We arrived on Thursday and checked out Monday. It was a fantastic weekend. First, the house and accommodations are great. We saw many houses at the lake that were like mini-mansions, but this house felt just like a lake house should feel. The views from almost every room were great, the beds were comfortable, the rooms spacious, and plenty of room that we never felt like we were on top of each other, and there were 12 of us. The upstairs bedroom was perfect for my sister, her husband and their 5 kids. They loved that room and the kids spent many hours up watching movies, playing foosball and other games. The outdoor amenities were great as well. My favorite place was the front porch with these great rocking chairs, nice views and peaceful feel. The party deck out back got lots of use as a family gathering spot, a great place to eat, and a great place to watch my brother-in-law pull the kids on water skis around the lake. We also spent a lot of time outside playing bocci ball and watching the kids swim from the private beach or off the floating dock. While our trip was wonderful (and we will be back), the best thing about this house is working with the owner. Carolyn Hulett is a great lady and also very patient. She made the whole experience easy and she always followed through on everything she said she was going to do...even if I didn't. I highly recommend this house to anyone who wants to spend time at Smith Mountain lake.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children.

Great Location

Guest: Larry K (Buffalo, NY)
Date of Stay: 07/25/09 Review Submitted: 07/11/10

Used the House for annual family reunion. I can not think of anything negative to say about this. The view from the deck is wonderful, and it is quick to get into town for shopping etc.

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