We stayed here for 5 days/4 nights in August with two adults and 9 children/teens. Overall, I think the value is good, but I think there are some things to be aware of.
First, the PROS:
º Lovely big house with excellent set up for groups or large families
º A++ for decor
º Lots of seating
º Lots of light
º Good location with easy access to the freeway into Victoria (about 20-25 min, depending on traffic)
º Great Wi-Fi
º Fantastic office space for people who need to work
º Bed/ bedding was clean and comfortable
º Really convenient walk-in closet in master for people with a baby who needs a private place to sleep
Now for the CONS:
º Cleaning crew was still there when we checked in at 8pm (check in time is 4pm). They said they thought we were coming the next day and requested we go away for an hour and come back. This was super inconvenient after traveling for 12 hours with so many kiddos who were tired and hungry. Definitely not a smooth check-in.
º This is a shared house. The whole upstairs is private for one party, but there is a basement apartment that is rented out.
º The floors are SUPER squeaky downstairs and the whole thing is wood flooring and vaulted ceilings--everything echos. The downstairs renters complained about the noise of us walking around above them and the management passed that on to us. We were being quiet and observing quiet hours (10pm-8am), and I truly think there is no way to avoid sound transfer. This is something to consider if you rent either space. If I had known there were downstairs renters, I don't think I would have rented this space.
º I was disappointed in the level of cleanliness. There were wads of hair on top of the shower drain in the master bathroom, which I can only assume means they didn't clean the shower at all. The towels were left in the dryer with a note on a paper towel in the kitchen that we were free to get them out and use them. All of the bathrooms smell like urine. The bathroom vents are covered in dust.
º There were several broken things in the house that negatively affected usability. The master bedroom fan is loose, which makes it clunk and squeak during use--additionally, you cannot turn off the light and use the fan at the same time which made sleeping nearly impossible at night as there is no house AC. The shutters in the master bedroom were broken in a few places, the master bathroom sink drain is missing the drain stopper, the drain stopper in the jet tub is broken and the water just continuously leaks out, the master bathroom door is really squeaky which is unfortunate at night.
º There are ants all over--especially the kitchen.
º The garbages and recycling on the side of the house were overflowing, with no room for more--one garbage can was growing maggots and smelled terrible, even all the way near the front door.
º No extra kitchen garbage bags or paper towels were provided--the owner suggested I go buy more and they would reimburse.
º There are no washcloths provided for washing face or body, FYI. Bring your own.
º Very limited cooking options available. Make sure to bring things like salt/pepper, cooking spray, oil, spices, etc.
Overall, I think this could be a very solid option for large groups with a few improvements. I think some repairs are in order, pest control (ants), more attention to detail in cleanliness and amenities (like extra garbage bags, paper towels, wash cloths, etc), and more attention to when guests are arriving. I'm not a super particular person, but there is a level of cleanliness, functionality, and availability that I expect when I pay $400/night + fees for a stay.