Relaxing get away spot, clean, comfortable, great views, great location

Guest: JT (Pittsboro, NC)
Date of Stay: 01/23/12 Review Submitted: 01/30/12

I just returned from my third stay at this condo. I saw that a prior reviewer had some negative things to say, but all the other reviews were great and my prior 2 experiences were great. I'm not sure where the negative reviewer was coming from, because the condo was even nicer than the last time I was there. There is a new table and chairs that make the livingroom feel much larger, the area rug in the livingroom was brand new, and there is nice porch furniture that wasn't there last time I was there. There were plenty of towels and sheets - many of them were brand new. The bedroom comforter looked like it was new as well. The condo was fresh smelling and very clean when I checked in. The owner, as always was very friendly and seemed to want to be sure I had a great stay. He has been wonderful to work with, and the instructions sent in advance are very clear about what I need to bring and what is supplies. I'd say, if there is any question just email the owner and ask him. I do know this owner has some other condos on Carolina Beach as well and I've heard they are every bit as nice as this one. This trip was intended as a quiet get away, so I didn't do a lot of eating out or tourist activities this time, but I have in the past and the location can't be beat. In summary, I whole-heartedly recommend this condo - I will be back again!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.

Great condo and amazing location

Guest: Chris (Raleigh, NC)
Date of Stay: 01/16/12 Review Submitted: 01/17/12

Great condo with an excellent location and view. I can hear the waves crashing as I type this from inside the condo. Some important things I noticed immediately: 1) This place is CLEAN and all the appliances work - which is so helpful and something you can't take for granted these days! 2) This condo has everything you need. I noticed that they have a new comforter and sheets on the beds and the towels look brand new also. Plenty of dishes for cooking and nice patio furniture to boot. 3) The location is great. Local coffee shops and restaurants are close, along with plenty of shopping within a 5 minute drive. (Food Lion, etc) Of course, downtown Wilmington is roughly 10-15 mins away! 4) I love the private out-door shower, and they also have a grill that you can use also. 5) WiFI is great. Strong signal, which is helpful. I was emailed detailed instructions before I came which included clear driving directions, so that made navigation easy and simple instruction for entry. Okay, the beach is calling my name... gotta run!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Great Location-Quaint "on-the-beach" Bungalow!

Guest: A.J. (Charlotte, NC)
Date of Stay: 01/14/12 Review Submitted: 01/17/12

A last-minute beach trip was as easy as VRBO-61355! Not only was the owner very easy to deal with, but check-in was hassle free and the place was immaculate when we arrived--it almost shined. The apartment is a perfect size for a small family or couple wanting to get away. For those of you who aren't familiar with Carolina Beach, this is probably in the BEST location of all. Not only is the condo beach-front, but you are within a 5 minute walk from Michelangelo's Pizza (yum), Shuckin' Shack (a must-go-to location for seafood) and The Fat Pelican (great beer selection and local dive). Even though it was chilly out, the walk was easy and made this trip a perfect one. Everything seemed well-maintained in the condo, included all basic amenities, and the extra dvds and games were a plus. This isn't a fancy place, just perfect for a beach vacation. Some commented that the hallway-bed was weird---not at all! The bed isn't in the way, and great if you have a guest coming to spend the night, or you are a couple with a child. One neighbor said they bring a sheet and tack it up so their kid has their very own tent-fort during the vacation. Overall great place if your main focus is beach-seafood-beach! Can't wait to rent again. :)

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, pet owners, adventure seekers, families with young children.

Great Location But Total Crash Pad In Dire Need of Attention

Guest: chastity w.
Date of Stay: 12/22/11 Review Submitted: 01/12/12

I had rented this place for a month as a working retreat. When I walked in, there was a smell of wet dog & cigarette smoke. The condo seems to hold odors for a long while. Burned out light bulbs in LR & Bathroom, which I replaced. Sprayed a lot of Febreeze, which helped. There were roaches – and I had to put down traps & boric acid. The connectivity issues with both cell phone & wireless internet service (which is NOT in the apt) were a major problem. Linens (towels & bedding) had to be washed twice, by me. Bedding and towels had NOT been washed upon my arrival and overall, all is in truly shoddy shape. Expect flat pillows, torn comforter, torn sheets, faded towels etc. Dishwasher broke down while I was there. Mirror in bathroom was dismantled/ripped out from the wall. Throw rugs in LR & carpets in BR were heavily stained. There were NO cleaning supplies (sponges, DW capsules, dish washing liquid, cleaning sprays (Windex) -- things of that nature), no TP, paper towels, coffee filters or trash bags, aluminum foil, etc. There *was* a pepper shaker in the cabinet. My advice? Be prepared if you're staying for a week or more to bring this ALL this stuff with you b/c as the owner will remind you (as he reminded me): none these things are specified in his "contract." Utility closet containing HVAC & hot water heater are dangerously wired. Glass shards from the dining room table were found in the carpet as I was vacuuming daily. There was an unexpected amount of beach sand on the floors -- lots of it under the sleeping nook in the hall. Throughout the space, the compound from the cottage cheese ceilings is cracked in numerous places & falling in. On a much more positive note: I loved the view (behind the dunes) from one half of the patio door (though the whole thing needs replacement), the dog-friendly option and most importantly: the location of the place -- it simply doesn't get any better (you can walk everywhere), but it was obvious that the owner (who vehemently refused to offer any recompense for ALL the stuff I had to scrub clean, purchase & leave behind for other incoming tenants) has not checked the condition of his place in quite a while. Due to all these things, I opted to leave the place much earlier and much cleaner than I found it. All in all, I'm sorry it didn't work out as well as I'd hoped and expected from other places I've rented every year via sites like VRBO in the past. : (

Owner response:Future guests, obviously there are two sides of every story and I’m asking you to read the many very positive reviews over many years prior to making a judgment about my vacation home. In short – in over 20 years of renting to guests, I’ve never had a guest as difficult to deal with. This guest called me 4 days after she checked in on Christmas Day. She was rude, insulted me, my neighbors, and the town and used lots of profanity. She told me that she expected paper products would be provided and they were not and that she had just seen a roach so she was leaving and expected a full refund. I told her I could get an exterminator there, but would not issue a full refund. She later changed her mind and ended up staying for all but the last few days of her stay, even inviting friends/family to stay with her New Years’ weekend. The bathroom mirror had come off the wall but was still fully useable and will be fixed 1/23 at the next vacancy. The wireless service did fail for 1 day and was promptly replaced. Although the condo is non-smoking, some musty odor can accumulate especially if the heat or A/C is not run. I normally have air freshener available for such rare instances. The guest did call and inform me the dishwasher had worked, but stopped then told me not to worry about it because she wouldn’t be cooking much anyway. We keep appliances in good working order and it was fixed today. We do use roach traps and exterminate as needed. The linens are washed after each stay. The pillows were replaced in May. Linens are replaced as needed, and checked several times a year. We use a cleaning company that has been in business for 14 years and has an excellent reputation. I’m not sure how the guest is qualified to know if the wiring is hazardous, but it was installed by a licensed electrician and inspected by the City according to code. It is not hazardous. The ceilings are certainly not falling in! We do supply cleaning equipment, but not detergents and paper products or extra plastic bags. We clearly state that in the check in materials sent to each guest. Apparently this guest didn’t read that information and had other expectations. Most guests planning to stay for a month would expect to purchase their own products. I realize your vacation is important, and making your stay pleasant is important to me. Please read other reviews and if you have any concerns, feel free to ask any questions. Remember, there are truly 2 sides!

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, pet owners, families with teenagers.

Perfect Location!

Guest: Sarah (Durham, NC)
Date of Stay: 07/23/11 Review Submitted: 09/01/11

We stayed at this great place in July of 2011. It was the perfect location and size for our stay. It was so close and convenient to the beach and the boardwalk. I recommend this place to anyone with pets!!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners.

Great Place!

Guest: Lisa (Dunn, NC )
Date of Stay: 07/18/11 Review Submitted: 07/25/11

My husband & I have just returned from staying here the week of July 18th and were very pleased with our stay. Everything was nice and we had a very relaxing week! This place is very cute and is in a very good location to walk to most places and that is just what we did and enjoyed it. Our dogs enjoyed walking around the lake every afternoon and we went to the "North End" several times with the dogs and did some surf fishing. I would like to comment about the previous review written about the low ceiling fan, my husband is 6'2 and he did not have any problem with the ceiling fan just to let you all know. Scott thanks for the great stay and we will be back again!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners.

Small but well maintained

Guest: A7thson (Pa.)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 06/26/11

Overall we were very pleased with the condo. Beach access was easy and the views from the balcony were nice. You can't see the actual beach over the dunes but can certainly watch the sun come up over the ocean. The place was well appointed (for a rental) and fairly well maintained. Scott made the rental easy and the cleaning crew was exceedinlgy friendly and accomodating. It was also close to the boardwalk area and plenty of dining.The condo is fine for just 2 adults or a couple with a small child. I wouldn't want to put any more people in it than that. Except for a few minor things I probably would have given it a 5 star. My cons on the place were.. there is a ceiling fan in the living area that is a bit low, I'm 6'2" and I felt like I had to walk around with my head ducked for fear of being decapitated, (a ceiling hugger one would have been nicer) in the bathroom the shower head was at about my nose level which meant ducking to shower. (not much he can do about that without a major remodel though) the mirror was also a little low. Granted all of this is a personal thing but taller people probably know where I'm coming from. The only real maintenance complaint is the faucet in the bathroom need replaced, or worked on. it was difficult for my wife to pull it on and had a tendancy to shut off on its own. But maybe nobody has mention it yet. As a side note and no reflection on the condo itself I would probably lose the small bed in the hallway and turn it into a eating nook with a counter and chairs. Yes you would lose a sleeping area but the condo does have a pullout couch, and it would allow for the dining room table to be removed and open up the living area. and you could possibly add a futon or something in there. Sorry, just the home remodeler coming out in me.

Owner response:Thanks for the suggestions. Just a note that the mirror, ceiling fan and shower are all at standard heights. I can understand what you are saying though, and will consider a ceiling hugger fan in the future. The hallway bed is much more useful in a rental. Guests would rather have extra sleeping space - I've researched it! I'll get the faucet looked at - it was working fine when I was there a few weeks ago, but beach air causes all sorts of stuff to go awry! I hope you will come back again!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+.

Excellent Value!

Guest: Tammy (Wake Forest, NC)
Date of Stay: 04/08/11 Review Submitted: 04/14/11

My mom and I wanted a long weekend away at the beach, and this cute little condo fit the bill exactly. The sliding glass doors open up to a balcony that faces the ocean with beautiful unobstructed views. We saw a gorgeous thunderstorm roll across one night! The condo is well-appointed with everything you need, from linens to dishes. And the bed in the master is very comfy....perfect ending after a long day of exploring! The condo is very close to great restaurants. Be sure to check out Treehouse Bistro...just wonderful. Scott was a pleasure to work with. We look forward to coming back again and again!

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway.

Perfect place for a couple

Guest: Weezer (Knoxville TN)
Date of Stay: 10/30/10 Review Submitted: 11/09/10

This one bedroom condo was perfect for my partner and me. Even though it's a first floor apartment (up just one flight of stairs), it has a beautiful view of the ocean from both the balcony and the living room. Scott, the owner, was easy to work with, accommodating and pleasant. Everything was just as advertised, and his instructions for everything (getting into the apartment, etc.) were easy to follow. Everything about the condo was just as described, simply furnishes, and exceptionally clean and immaculate. There's access to washer and drier in the garage below, where one also can park. A second vehicle can be parked in the driveway. Maybe a small thing: we especially appreciated the apartment's bright lighting! The condo enjoys direct access to the beach. November was too cold for swimming without surfing suits; the beach in that area is clearly favored by surfers. It's such a great beach to walk! Enjoyed walking the beach to the boardwalk even though at this time of the year (November) there wasn't a lot going on and a lot of things were closed. Nevertheless it was fun seeing local residents gathered in the pizza place and simple diner-type eateries, gamerooms, etc. that are open year round. [If five people stayed, two could sleep in the pull-out sofa in the living room, and one person could sleep in a bunk-size nook in the hall -- really cute. For a young child you might want to put padding on the tile floor next to it.] We enjoyed nearby Wilmington's historic character (a historic area of nearly 300 blocks!), the history museum there, and shopping some of its numerous antique stores and a whole lot of thrift stores, which, by the way, had great prices. If you like that sort of thing don't miss Castle Street. Also the lake just two blocks or so from the condo is delightful and provides good dog-walking. The fishing pier at the north end of Carolina Beach is a plus (and has a good snack and beer bar with, by the way, huge servings of great fries.) Our dog, Brie, loved the ocean, the beach and the apartment. Note: Carolina Beach allows dogs on the beach only after Oct. 30. Being able to have her with us was a special bonus. The neighbor who owns and was staying in the condo next door was friendly and very helpful without being pushy. We would definitely recommend this property to friends!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, sightseeing, pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.

Vacation August 2010

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/14/10 Review Submitted: 08/31/10

We had a great time and weather. The location is super and the condo is clean and cheerful with a great view. The rental process was very efficient and courteous.

Recommended for:Pet owners, families with young children.