Overall I was very pleased with my experience and would stay again.
Pros:
- Brand new kitchen and appliances, well equipped, that enabled me to forgo takeout and dining out during my stay
- Great internet, which was super important for my remote work on Zoom and Teams calls
- Master bedroom bed was new-is and super comfortable. I’ve stayed at many places in the past that overlook the importance of having high quality mattresses that are not worn out. Nobody slept in the other two bedrooms so I cannot comment on the quality of those beds
- Separately controlled thermostats for the main house AC/heat and master bedroom.
- Lots of independently controllable lighting in the main living room / dining room area
- Long driveway at the end of a long dead-end road with plenty of property separating this house from neighbors, with lots of trees; very serene setting.
- Cool, exposed brick interior in living room area gives the space a nice vibe
- Enough basic supplies to last me a few weeks (paper towels, tp, dishwashing tabs, laundry tabs, hand soap, etc.)
- Fairly short drive to downtown Chesterton, groceries, and the lakeshore.
- House is equipped with a back up generator that runs on natural gas. This was a huge, unexpected bonus as a storm blew through one of the first nights and knocked out power for may hours. The generator kicked in almost instantaneously and at first I didn’t know what was going on because the power only went off for a few seconds. This was huge for me because I was working on a time sensitive project and would have been in trouble if I had been stuck in the dark with no internet.
- Nice covered front porch with small table and chairs, making it easier to get in and out when raining and pleasant to sit out in, rain or shine.
- Nice patio with table, chairs and an umbrella in the back that I didn’t use but would have like to!
- Friendly neighbor who takes care of the yard was kind enough to introduce himself. Nice to know someone next door is keeping an eye on the place.
Cons:
- THE WATER STINKS. Literally smells like strong sulfur/ rotten eggs. It is well water and it is probably safe to drink and bathe, but not too pleasant. Fortunately, the fridge has built in filtered water with a new filter, which I used for everything - making coffee, cooking and rinsing in the bathroom. Showering in the water and it’s rather unpleasant - even for someone like me that does not have a strong sense of smell.