Short version: If you’re planning to visit Austin, this is where you want to stay. The neighborhood is quiet and well located. And everything works.
Long version: Check-in is smooth, with an electronic combination lock on the front door.
The house is located in a quiet neighborhood that is conveniently located between an H-E-B, a Fresh Plus Grocery, a 99 Ranch, Walgreens, Korean Market and even a Japanese Market. The two main highways through Austin, the 1 and 35 are to the West and East respectively. There’s barbecue and Asian food to the East, Pizza to the North and West, and an eclectic breakfast place, Bird Bird Biscuit, to the South. We walked to all of these places during our stay. Basically 5 short blocks or 2 long ones will get you to groceries or restaurants in any direction.
There are two bedrooms. The bed in the front bedroom has a lower and stiffer mattress (our preference) and the rear a higher and softer one. The bathroom is well laid out with enough hooks for everyone’s towels and room just outside the door for all of your toiletries. There’s plenty of hot water for multiple showers in a row.
The main room has two couches. Note that the larger one differs from the listing picture. No worries, it’s comfortable. There’s also a workstation in the main room adjacent to the wireless router. The internet is quick. We measured 40Mbs down and 6Mbs up with our VPN enabled.
The kitchen is as per the photographs. Fully functional and large enough for a couple to prepare dinner together. Note that the microwave is mounted quite high above the stove. I’m tall, so it wasn’t an issue. There’s a dining table with room for four, and a large pantry for your foodstuffs. Also, the refrigerator includes an ice maker, which proved wonderful during the heatwave this June.
Speaking of the heatwave, the air-conditioner is fully up to the task. We spent the hottest parts of the hottest days blissfully cool in the house. And there are ceiling fans in the rooms to ensure complete air circulation.
There is an attached garage, which we didn’t use. The driveway is long enough to park your car without interfering with the sidewalk. And there’s street parking right out front. The washer and dryer in the garage were clean and well maintained.
There are lounge chairs in the backyard, which unfortunately we didn’t take advantage of due to the heatwave. And a couple of chairs and a table on the front porch.
A couple of nits: The garage is narrow. If you drive a large vehicle, it’s going to be tight. Austin is a car-centric town. Public transportation is difficult to use and inconveniently located. We tried it and elected to drive instead. Just park in the driveway.
And, there isn’t a place to hang coats or bags near the front door.
In summary: Fully functional, clean, bright, well maintained and comfortable. We will certainly be back.