Location: This house is in a very quiet area, away from the business and condo strips. It is right on the beach, allowing for immediate access to the dunes from the back deck. We loved the convenience of being able to go back and forth to the beach all day. The beach was active but not crowded, and we felt we had ample space. The back deck shares beach access stairs with the next-door unit, so occasionally we saw our neighbors on our shared deck and passed each other coming and going. Was slightly awkward, but not enough to detract from the great location.
House: The house had clearly been newly renovated and we loved the tasteful decor and comfortable furnishings. It felt spacious with lots of natural light. The kitchen was large and well appointed, the living area comfortably seated our family of 6, and the bedrooms provided enough space for us all to relax. The large deck off of the living area was great for al fresco meals. It was nice to be able to park our minivan in the garage. We especially enjoyed the large master suite, and loved watching the stars from the deck and waking up in the morning to incredible ocean views. The place felt like a home.
Toys: We were pleased with the beach accessories. There was a portable shade structure, two-man beach kayak, paddle board, big ocean foam float, many boogie boards, inflatables, and sand toys, beach chairs, and a wagon to cart things over the dunes. We definitely appreciated the enclosed shower at the beach level to rinse off before coming into the house. The ping pong table in the garage was another fun attraction for our kids, with comfortable chairs nearby for observation.
Attractions: Although the house is on a remote strip between the gulf and the bay, there was a water sports rental 5 minutes away where we rented a catamaran and jet skis. Shopping & restaurants are over the causeway, less than 10-15 min away.
Owner responsiveness: The owner was very easy to work with and was quick to respond to our messages.
Check in/check out: Check in was very easy, and all was in order as expected. Check out was at 9 am, which was earlier than listed. I'm sure the cleaning crew needed time to clean the house before the next guests, but we'd have appreciated a later check out time.
Summary: This was a fantastic property! We were sad to leave and wished we'd have booked a longer stay. We will definitely be back to this property on our next vacation to the Emerald Coast.