This review is for the first days coming out of COVID lockdown.
All of the fundamentals of a rental were great. The property had been professionally cleaned; the check-in/out process was smooth; and the host provided excellent and expedient communication.
Pros:
- A lovely semi-private location on the lake, amongst many other nice properties.
- The route to the property is easy to follow.
- Fantastic to plant yourself on the dock and enjoy the scenery.
- Seeing wildlife in the area (birds, fish, otters, deer)
- A nice little sandy beach is a short drive, walk, or kayak away.
- Versatility of having three different buildings is fantastic.
- Nice firepit.
- Pleasant kayaking routes on the lake.
- Beds were comfortable.
- Bugs weren't really an issue until you get up into the wooded area away from the lake. Just keep the doors closed.
Cons:
- Not under the control of the host, but the garbage requirements can be inconvenient, in that you are permitted one free bag and it must not contain recyclables (or else you'll have to sort it when you drop it off at the dump). There isn't anywhere to store garbage inside/protected from animals if using all of the buildings, so you're living with the garbage or keeping in your car.
- There are a lot of the hosts knick knacks, which are okay, but many were precariously placed. We had a couple instances where items spontaneously (no shaking) fell off shelves and nearly missed someone's head or property.
- There's a fair bit of junk laying around the property grounds that could stand to be cleaned up (old appliances, broken furniture) but it doesn't ruin the view if you're looking at the lake.
- The structures could use some basic handyman fixes to address minor inconveniences. Doors are coming apart. Deck rails are popping off. Broken oven burner.
- The deck gaps are wide enough for the dining chairs to fit through, so you can fall through if you aren't precise in your chair placement (suggest an outdoor rug to fix).
- Must be very on top of food management (keep things in sealed containers) and vacuuming (provided) to keep mice away.
Overall, it was a very pleasant getaway to a rustic cottage on the lake. Ideal for groups. Not the best for small children, but manageable with very close attention.
