Overall this air b&b is a quality place, but for many reasons it was not a good fit for me and my family. I do not like to write negative reviews on air bnb in particular because these are people's homes and I don't want to make anyone feel bad; however, I think there are some things that potential renters should know when they are booking the "Heritage Home near Kits Beach".
First and foremost this is Judy's full-time home. The only time she opens the house on air bnb is when she is going away on vacation. The pictures make this place look absolutely adorable, but in reality it is very cluttered. There is something - some decoration, some book, some piece of furniture, some knickknack or plant - in every single space, drawer, closet, and shelf in the house. I personally found it quite overwhelming. And honestly, the garden is also claustrophobic - you can barely walk in the front yard and around the outside of the house. Obviously this is her preference, but that means that when renting you have no space - we struggled to lock our bikes up, and every time we walked up the stairs to the front door, we were attacked by roses. Also, with Judy being away you are expected to take care of all of these things. Watering plants and feeding fish and all the other things should not be all that much, but you start to get the feeling that Judy is very particular about these things she is asking you to take care of. Not to mention she is very rigid with dates - Months in advance, and only 48 hours after we booked, we asked if we could reduce our stay by a couple of days because we realized the move out date was going to be stressful for our family and she said nope that was not convenient for her. I thought it must be because this was a rare instance when she was away, but what I came to understand is it was all about making the most money on the renters while they take care of the place. There is just no other explanation for this kind of uncaring and inflexible behavior. Finally, the house is old, which is the source of its charm, but also some stress for you if there are renters living below you. We lucked out and realized the renters were not there, but if there were people downstairs you would feel horrible about every step you take in the house. You can barely walk to the bathroom at night without waking up everyone living with you. Not to mention, we opened a closet to see if there was room for our bag in it, and all of the slats fell to the floor. Quickly a few other details that might be of value in your decision-making: There is only one bathroom and it is upstairs, and there is no dishwasher. A dog lives in this home so if you sit on the carpeting you end up with a layer of dog hair all over your pants.
On a positive note, some of the other things the reviews say are totally true - like the neighborhood is amazing, quiet, and safe. The people who live in the area are totally delightful. The house is also in a great location for the beach and shops. Also, because this is someone's home, the kitchen is well-stocked, which makes cooking the garden vegetables a joy. We did love the fact we could walk out and pick some tomatoes and herbs for our dinner at night. Also, when it is sunny the house has a lot of nice natural light.