Let's start with the good:
- location: right across the street from a public beach access with a walkway mark, so sometimes traffic will stop to let you pass. Great for beach access. Definitely the best selling point of the property.
- cleaniness: the inside of the property was clean. There were a few pieces of trash outside on the property when we arrived (a tube of caulk, a face mask in a tube). Could be better.
- retro: I'd describe the cabin as rustic and old school, which is charming compare to the mega mansions in this area. It's not huge, but perfect size for our family of 4 with a dog.
- availability: it was a last-minute spring break getaway with the kids, so the fact that it was available for some an awesome location is good.
- amenities: it's basic but has almost everything you need. The kitchen is small, note there's no dishwasher. It's not a huge issue, just something that easily missed if you aren't reading the list of appliances carefully. Being it's still covid, we cooked all of our meals in the kitchen and pots and pans were definitely handy and are in decent shape. It could use a baking sheet as we did a bit of baking but couldn't find a baking sheet.
The Smart TV has a lot of channels available. The bedrooms were comfortable. The washer/dryer combo was handy in the hallway.
Now the bad:
- Being so close to the beach, you can tell the house takes a beating from the weather on the outside. The doorknob facing the ocean is completely rusted out and wouldn't lock. There's a bar on the side to keep that door locked. The concrete step to the house has a big chunk missing, although this might be related to the weather. The inside area can also use some TLC. Paint on the window framing is all chipping off. Not knowing how old the house is, we were wondering about lead paint on the windows. With a window right over the sink, the dish sponge was placed on the window sill. The kitchen counter area was tiled but many of the tiles were coming off the wall or broken. Upgrading to these areas seem minor and shouldn't cost a lot, but will make the property a lot less rundown and more appealing. The bedrooms appear to be in good shape though. The beds were comfortable.
Overall, we were looking for a get-away from the crowds and my kids loved playing on the beach and even splashing in the cold ocean. We've vacationed in OBX regularly and looking forward to return post-pandemic.
