A charming home for sure. We enjoyed our stay very much. If you like old design this is the house for you. Cedar siding and roof, copper flashing, its adorable.
The home's common spaces are large, great for large family gatherings especially the large dining room table. There were 15 of us in the main house, and 2 more in the cottage next door and we all fit very comfortably.
Some of the bedrooms are small but just fine for sleeping. The grounds of the home are beautiful. The front yard is huge, with a view of the quintessential New England harbor just across the street. The back/side yard is very private, surrounded by trees and plants with a big table and chairs for everyone to sit around and enjoy. They have a large barbeque as well, so it’s the perfect spot for family to be together and enjoy a meal outdoors. We also took advantage of the firepit at night which was a lovely way to end a summer day.
Not all bedrooms have their own bath and a couple weren’t in the best of shape. Some had no locks on doors or exhaust fans.
The house was certainly walking distance to the quaint downtown but traffic on the roadway in front is very heavy during the day. You cannot drive and park at the nearest beach (Merkel Beach) as no parking is available to the public. You must walk 10 minutes but note that there are no sidewalks. The traffic on Snowy Inn Road is light however. There are other beaches a short drive away with parking available at a cost.
It's much too far to carry a paddleboard or kayaks to Merkel unless you’re very fit and want to risk the traffic. Note that there is no functioning trailer to carry the kayaks or paddle boards.
The bicycles are in some disrepair, and we couldn’t find a bicycle pump so I wouldn’t count on those.
The house has some maintenance issues here and there, such as leaking shower, damage from roof leak in kitchen, broken icemaker on main fridge, loose tables, outdoor chairs with no cushions. We recognize that COVID has made finding people to help clean and maintain the home is likely a major factor.
Despite some disappointments with little details at this price point, we had a great time, and the owners were absolutely lovely to deal with.
