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703 By The Sea | Pet-Firendly, Oceanfront In Topsail Beach!

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Welcome to 703 By The Sea
Open and Inviting Floor Plan
Bright Sunroom with Ocean Views
Private Boardwalk to the Beach
Oceanfront Deck

Reviews

8.0 out of 10
Very good
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air-conditioning
  • Outdoor space
  • Parking available

Explore the area

View in a map
Holly Ridge, NC
  • Place, Topsail Skating Rink Topsail Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Surf City Beach
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Place, Sea Turtle Hospital
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Airport, Wilmington, NC (ILM-Wilmington Intl.)
    ‪64 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

1 Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

2 Bedroom

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom

1 Bathroom

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Outdoor play area

About this property

703 By The Sea | Pet-Firendly, Oceanfront In Topsail Beach!

Discover your charming coastal escape at 703 By The Sea in Topsail Beach, North Carolina. This classic coastal cottage is pet-friendly, offers two bedrooms, one bathroom, and comfortably accommodates up to four guests. Perfectly situated in an oceanfront location, this beach bungalow is your key to a stress-free coastal retreat.

Offering a fantastic oceanfront deck, you can savor sweeping ocean views, breathe in the salty air, and enjoy private beach access just steps away. An outdoor shower adds extra convenience for rinsing off after sun-soaked days on the sand. The sunroom on the beachside of the home provides unbeatable water views right from the comfort of your getaway.

Inside, the living area is full of vintage coastal charm, featuring classic paneled walls, warm hardwood floors, and a smart TV for relaxing after a day at the beach. Pair that with a home-cooked meal prepared in the fully stocked kitchen, and you’ve got your own inviting retreat on the shores of Topsail Island.

The home features two bedrooms, including a primary bedroom with a queen bed and a second bedroom with two twin beds—perfect for families or small groups.

Located conveniently in downtown Topsail Beach, this uncomplicated beach bungalow offers direct beach access from the ocean-side deck. You’re also close to the Jolly Roger Fishing Pier, local shops, the Town Park, and restaurants—everything you need for a simple, relaxing beach escape.

Book your stay at 703 By The Sea today with Carolina Retreats!

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Topsail Beach

Located in Topsail Beach, this holiday home is on the beach. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Holly Shelter Game Land and Surf City Beach, while Missiles and More Museum and Seacoast Art Gallery are cultural highlights. Topsail Skating Rink Topsail Beach and Thomas Tackle and Seafood are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking, surfing/body boarding and fishing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with cycling.
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Map
Holly Ridge, NC

What's nearby

  • Topsail Skating Rink Topsail Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Surf City Beach - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Missiles and More Museum - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Sea Turtle Hospital - 5 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Camp Lejeune Main Gate and Visitor Center - 57 min drive - 74.3 km

Getting around

  • Wilmington, NC (ILM-Wilmington Intl.) - 54 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Circle K - ‬30 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬30 min drive
  • ‪Shaka Taco - ‬28 min drive
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬28 min drive
  • ‪The Lbc Bottle Shop & Beer Yard - ‬29 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is 703 By The Sea | Pets, Oceanfront In Topsail Beach pet-friendly?

Yes, pets are allowed at this property.

How much is parking at 703 By The Sea | Pets, Oceanfront In Topsail Beach?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at 703 By The Sea | Pets, Oceanfront In Topsail Beach?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at 703 By The Sea | Pets, Oceanfront In Topsail Beach?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is 703 By The Sea | Pets, Oceanfront In Topsail Beach located?

Nestled on the beach, this Topsail Beach holiday home is within a 5-minute walk of Surf City Beach, Topsail Skating Rink Topsail Beach and Missiles and More Museum. Thomas Tackle and Seafood and Ohana Paddle Sports are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 11 out of 25 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 25 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 25 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 25 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 25 reviews

7.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

9.2/10

Communication

9.4/10

Location

9.2/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mark B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
A very comfortable cottage in an excellent location. Perfect for you and your dog.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 24 Mar, 2026
Thank you for sharing such positive feedback about the cottage and its location. We are very glad you and your dog felt comfortable and welcome during your stay.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Clean, cozy, and RIGHT in the beach!
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Dec, 2025
Thank you for the positive feedback! We appreciate your kind words. We will look into how we can further improve your experience.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Garrett S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location!

Nice place with good restaurant options nearby!
Stayed 5 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Jun, 2025
Thank you for the kind review! We're glad you enjoyed your visit and found the nearby dining options to be satisfactory. Your feedback is valuable in helping us continue to improve the experience for all our guests. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Verified

4/10 Poor

Teddy D.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness
Entire rental furniture needs updating, primary bed and mattress needs replaced, kitchen utensils and cookware need to be replaced, please replace screendoor or install a closer, update shower head (outdated).Great location and access to beach, our dog loved the short trip to the sand and water. Personally for us, we feel we paid much to much for what was provided to make our stay and review positive.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 31 Dec, 2025
Thank you for your feedback. We're glad your dog enjoyed the beach and location. We appreciate your input on updates and will consider your suggestions for future stays. We hope you had a pleasant visit despite the minor issues.
Verified

8/10 Good

sheila w.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice comfy beach cottage

Only 3 steps to sand trail to beach! This was a great set up for our senior dog who has trouble with stairs.
Stayed 13 nights in Feb 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 19 Mar, 2025
Thank you for your positive review. We're glad to hear that the 3-step sand trail was a great setup for your senior dog, making it easier for them to access the beach. Our goal is to provide comfortable and accessible options for all our guests, and your feedback helps us continue improving our offerings. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Pete M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect and relaxing

Property is just the right size. There were two of us and our dog. House is very quaint. Very clean and a well stocked kitchen. The deck is perfect to sit on, relax and view the ocean. Ocean is just steps away. Will definitely visit again next year.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 28 Apr, 2025
Thank you for your positive review of our property. We are delighted to hear that you and your dog enjoyed your stay and found the house to be well-appointed and conveniently located. We look forward to welcoming you back next year to continue exploring the beautiful coastal surroundings.
Verified

8/10 Good

Ashley P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great little beach house

We had a nice stay and loved being right on the beach. The path to the beach is a little overgrown making it an itchy walk to the beach. The property also only supplies 4 bath towels for the week and has no washer/dryer. Next time I will be better prepared and bring a lot of towels. Those were the only downsides, the rest of the house and beach was great.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 9 Jul, 2025
Thank you for your review. We appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear you enjoyed your stay overall. We will look into addressing the path to the beach and consider providing additional towels for future guests. Your suggestions help us improve the property and guest experience. We hope you'll stay with us again in the future.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kathy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great little getaway but Hurricane Ian interrupted our week

Good
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 3 Nov, 2022
Good afternoon, Thank you for your review of your stay in Topsail Beach. We're so happy you had pleasant stay with us. We hope you will consider us again for your future vacation. Have a wonderful day! Thank you, Angel Cray Carolina Retreats
Verified

8/10 Good

JeMae G.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Needs updating

Met our basic needs since we primarily used cottage for sleeping only while visiting family nearby. Kitchen only room that had been updated. We did not cook there so don’t know how well stocked. Great location on beach in South Topsail. Clean enough. Beds were okay. Good communication. Biggest disappointment was how worn and dated the floors, furniture and fixtures were. Needs a major update. Has potential to be a very cozy, comfortable cottage with character.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Jan, 2025
Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. We are glad the cottage met your basic needs and that the location on the beach in South Topsail was great. We will certainly consider your comments about the need for updates to the floors, furniture, and fixtures. Your input is valuable, and we will use it to help improve the property for future guests. We hope you had an enjoyable visit overall, and we look forward to the opportunity to host you again in the future!
Verified

2/10 Terrible

Allan M.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Dirty and raggedy, in a good location.

Location is great, ease of use is great. However there were large cockroaches found in the kitchen on 2 nights. There was white dog fur everywhere, it would get on our clothing just from sitting on the furniture. The house smelled like pet urine. There were multiple outlets that didn’t work. The coffee maker didn’t work. The furniture felt unstable. The door to the main bedroom didn’t shut all the way. The windows in the sunroom didn’t work properly.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 25 Jul, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. While we’re glad to hear you enjoyed the location and ease of access, we sincerely apologize for the issues you encountered during your stay. This is certainly not the experience we aim to provide. Cleanliness and comfort are top priorities for us, and we regret that the condition of the home—including pest concerns, pet odor, and maintenance issues—fell short of expectations. We are addressing your comments directly with our housekeeping and maintenance teams to ensure these matters are thoroughly corrected. Your feedback is incredibly important and helps us improve for future guests. We truly appreciate you bringing these matters to our attention, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a much better experience in the future.
Verified

6/10 Okay

kathy p.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location
Disliked: Cleanliness

Not the cleanest

Had a decent time considering. Outdated, but that didn’t bother me. Not sure if the owner situation but they need to check out who’s cleaning for them. Door knobs, floors, sinks not clean. And rugs were all gross, didn’t even want to walk in them.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Sept, 2021
Hello Kathy, I completely understand your frustration and wholeheartedly apologize for this experience. This is not the level of service you should expect from Carolina Retreats. We strive to provide an excellent customer service experience to our guests, and in this case we fell short. We would love to make this up to you by making your next experience with Carolina Retreats incredible. Please reach out to us if you would like to book a 2022 stay in any of our properties. Topsail Realty Management Team
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dottie P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Vaca During Covid-19

Perfect little house for my husband, two dogs and myself. It was a weird time to be on TI because of restrictions on restaurants and others due to virus. That said, what a beautiful place for social distancing before Shelter in Place was ordered. We loved walking on the beach of course, but also sitting on the little front porch protected from wind. Everything was very clean and comfy. Good WiFi. Perfect cottage, loved the location and reasonable price. We stayed two weeks so a washer/dryer would have come in handy, as well as gates to and off the deck. There was no food disposal which was a bit of a pain and the bathroom could really use some shelves, but those were minor inconveniences. Linen service was included though we took extra to cover furniture for our dogs. Kitchen was very well stocked with cleaning supplies, cutlery, dishes, new stove and new refrigerator. Very easy to keep clean. We will definitely be back in happier and healthier times!
Stayed 14 nights in Mar 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Sept, 2021
Hello Dottie, Thank you so much for your kind words! I am happy to hear you had a wonderful time and we hope to see you soon! Topsail Realty Management
Verified

8/10 Good

Lynn L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Location and View

This house was in the perfect location. Ocean front and the view was wonderful from the sun porch. Located near our favorite Beach Shop Grill. This is an old style beach house so you should be advised. It’s rustic and more like all beach homes were in the past. Very small. Bare bones. The house was overall clean. Kitchen and bath were renovated. Lighting needs updating. Lamps are really old and cheap. Light bulbs were missing in a couple. The pictures and mirrors and artwork were all pretty cheap. I totally understand you don’t want to put anything super expensive but it could be a little nicer. There’s no hair dryer. No washer and dryer. Sheets and towels were provided. Beds were fine. Bedspreads needed laundering. The best part of this house was the sun porch and ocean view. Really great and that’s where we spent most of our time. Easy beach access. And we could take our little dog with us. The price was good too. We would stay there again but would love to see it spruced up just a bit.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 21 Apr, 2022
Hi Lynn Longest! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed your vacation! We also love the view! This is one of our smaller homes and does not include all the updated accoutrements that many of our other homes offer as the home amenities and features are solely subject to the owner. We thank you for your feedback and will make sure our maintenance team has checked on the light bulbs within the property. Thank you for choosing Carolina Retreats. We hope that you come stay with us again soon!
Verified

4/10 Poor

Greg W.

Liked: Check-in, location
Disliked: Cleanliness, communication

Flies, flies and flies

To start with the place was dirty when we checked in, we had to clean basically every room upon arrival especially the kitchen and bathroom. Throughout the two weeks ,we were run off of the back deck almost daily due to biting flies ( dog flies ) we had to keep our lab indoors as they attacked him like you’ve never seen. There were several and I mean several outlets that were non functional, the refrigerator stopped working in the first 4 days due to a plug malfunction, they were supposed to pickup trash on Thursdays and Mondays, they didn’t show up the last Thursday we were there so we asked the host what to do with the extra trash, their response was to send a picture of the access trash, there were several wasted text on what to do which was never resolved. The beds are in terrible shape, even after cleaning the bathroom it had a horrible odor, water bugs ( which are hard to control so I get it ) were a strong presence. I had to remove/relocate briars in the walkway and path to the beach , the view is obstructed due to overgrown bushes, there is only a small window to a clear beach view. Its 2 walkways away from a beach access so the foot traffic is fairly heavy, they love to pitch tent in front of the house so mark your spot early. The pros are: the neighbors were friendly,close to anything you need, priced right especially for a beach front home. We have several more complaints but no need to keep on . Will we be back to this rental : NO!
Stayed 14 nights in Sep 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 26 Oct, 2024
Thank you for sharing your honest feedback. I’m sorry to hear about the cleanliness and maintenance issues you encountered, and I understand your disappointment. Your concerns are taken seriously, and I’m committed to addressing them promptly to ensure future guests have a better experience. Despite the challenges, I hope you were still able to enjoy your time at the beach. We’d love the opportunity to welcome you back and show you the improvements made to our property and guest services. Thank you again for helping us continually improve and taking the time to provide us with your feedback.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrew R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great for a quick break

We had a lot of fun here in the off-season. Great beach access, and just enough amenities near by and on the island to keep us from having to make trips to the mainland. If you stay here, don't miss a trip to the south tip of the island during low tide--a great place to beach comb, run the dog off leash, and enjoy the beachscape.
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 12 Jan, 2022
Thank you so much for your kind words and great review! We hope to see you on the beach again this year!
Verified

4/10 Poor

Paddy L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, listing accuracy
Disliked: Location

Disappointed

Although this property could have been just perfect, 2 days after I arrived , my beach access was totally blocked due to a dredging project.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Sept, 2021
Hello Paddy, I completely understand your frustration and wholeheartedly apologize for this experience. This is not the ideal vacation experience. We would love to make this up to you by making your next experience with Carolina Retreats incredible. Please reach out to us if you would like to book a 2022 stay in any of our properties. Topsail Realty Management Team
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Scott M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beach front cottage

Location is great, on the beach and short walk to restaurants. Well kept older beach cottage is a good value.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Carolyn H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beach life

It rained till Friday and only had 2 beautiful days on the beach. We still had a good time and enjoyed our time staying at the beach house.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 5 Sept, 2021
Hello Carolyn, Thank you so much for your kind words! I am happy to hear you had a wonderful time and we hope to see you soon! Topsail Realty Management
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Thomas H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Right on the beach!

Great little place for a couple on the beach if you have dogs. The house was clean but could use updating and some new furniture. But, overall great for the price! We've gone back several times now.
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tiffany H.

Perfect getaway!

703 By The Sea was the perfect ocean front cottage for our vacation! My husband and I enjoyed the week!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2018
Response from VrboOwner on 31 Mar, 2020
Thanks so much for your review!
Archival

6/10 Okay

Grant G.

Hard to dig on a last minute, beachfront rental, but there's issues that prevent a higher rating.

My lady and I decided that we wanted some beach time only 4-5 weeks ahead of when we wanted to go, so knew the best places were already gone. It was just the 2 of us so we didn't need much space, and didn't need to spend a fortune. The pictures for this place are pretty well done, but if you look closely you can see some issues. I understand how homeowners renting beach properties may want to limit expenses so it keeps them viable until they're ready to sell or live at the beach in retirement, but I think that this place is pushing the envelope on that phenomena and it could be costing the owners. There were a number of areas of peeling paint on the exterior, and the interior could also use some paint over the panelboard walls (not tongue and groove) to brighten the space up. The kitchen is motley crew of assembled cabinets and needs an overhaul. The bathroom wasn't palatial but was nicely remodeled and shows what's possible for a place like this. I'd recommend a ceiling fan in the bedrooms, LR and Kitchen, which could cut the owner's AC cost. Although the furniture wasn't our style, it was comfortable and sufficient. The sunroom area had half of its windows replaced, which allowed for them to be opened so the surf could be heard and felt - very nice. More costly projects would be to expand the front deck to span the face of the house (cuts off halfway) and provide a shaded area (we rigged a pop-up vendor tent on the deck, which worked great. The place was of simple construction, which would be fine for me if I was buying a beach house. I just think they may want to give it a little more TLC, although I recognize that the dollars need to work so apologize to the owner if you've had a tough time swinging the expenses lately. If you like to fish off a pier or be walking distance to a few restaurants and mini-golf, you would be in the right place. Would I return to rent it again? I doubt it, since it didn't bowl me over and I'm the type who likes to try new experiences when possible - there's plenty of beaches to be had in NC! In the end, if you're planning a last minute beach vacation for you and your lady and perhaps another non-demanding couple or some kiddos, and you want a beachfront house in a chill beach town (which likely requires that you prepare some of your own meals or go to the same restaurants a lot), this could work for you. We enjoyed our stay, but know that we could have enjoyed it more if some of the aforementioned were present.
Archival

8/10 Good

Charisse T.

Camp on the ocean.

Place was great for us. Views spectacular inside house as well as porch and deck. Loved the enclosed front porch and outside deck. We went end of March. Weather can be iffy. Front porch was great when afternoon breeze picked up. The place is very retro but very comfortable, cozy, and decorated nice. Could use a bit of TLC. We picked it because it was pet friendly, simple, and economic. Bathroom is updated. Everything was clean. Its like a cottage on the ocean. Topsail Beach is beautiful.
Archival

8/10 Good

tom h.

Great pet friendly place

This was perfect for what we wanted. We wanted a place to take our two doggies to the ocean. This little house is right there! Steps to the ocean. It is a small place and not fancy but cute. A few things needed some upkeep and updating but again, it served our purpose perfectly. The hose to the outdoor shower was broken and the fridge defrost leaked a bit. The view is spectacular but windows on front sun porch didn't open. Walking distance to a few great eating places and grocery store. We had a great stay and will be going back again soon!
Verified

6/10 Okay

Angela R.

Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

8/10 Good

TANYA C.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 7 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 25 Jul, 2025
Thank you for staying with us!

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