The Paradise Farmhouse is set on a breathtaking piece of property and surrounded by incredible paths through the bird sanctuary. There is a peace at the Paradise Farmhouse, a calm and serenity that makes for a very relaxing environment. The beach where some of our friends caught some cute little rolling waves was only a 30 minute walk too!
The house itself can be likened to that of a bed and breakfast. Each room is well equipped, good size and comfortable, and also has its own bathroom. The kitchen and living room / gathering rooms are not open and large but also have everything you need to host dinners.
It's worth noting, the Farmhouse is owned and sits on the land of a non profit, The Norman Bird Sanctuary. Due to this, it is not completely private and people will pass through the property, park on the property, and there are activities and events on the property. This also means that the property manager is VERY present, in fact, it felt as if there was someone watching us at all times. I received several texts and calls while on the property reminding us of the rules, whether we were abiding them or not. The house next to the Paradise Farmhouse was part of the "watch team" and reported back to the property manager on a daily basis. It felt like we were being monitored and did not truly have the freedom to be ourselves and just relax.
There are many rules for the house / property as well. Some that were noted in the lengthy welcome letter and noted here on Airbnb, and many that were not. For example, there are no ball sports to be played on the property. This was told to us once we were already engaged in a game if whiffle baseball. We felt this was peculiar, especially given that there were fireworks launched from the property (for July 4), which one would assume is more distracting / damaging to the birds than a single whiffle ball. There is also no drinking outside the house aside from the small porch area. It's not to say we were drinking heavily, but having a beer while sitting on the lawn in the sun, or during sunset was something that we expected would be okay. This was something that we were not aware of before we arrived.
It's all to say, the Paradise Farmhouse is a beautiful piece of property and because of that I say it is worth considering. However, if you have children, or are looking to have privacy and independence, this house may not be for you. We felt like we were watched from the moment we stepped on the grounds, and we're not left to experience the house on our own. Due to the intense rules and overly intense communication throughout our trip, our fun and freedom was truly affected.
I hope this is helpful!
Lindsey