My mid-70's parents visited Minneapolis for a weekend and stayed here to be close to us.
Here's our TL;DR:
The house is in a good location and is great for small groups who are okay with very low frills and a bit of roughness around the edges. Host was very communicative.
Here's more context from their stay:
Strengths:
- The hosts were incredibly communicative. We had questions about sites to see nearby, check-in process, the unit, parking , etc. They typically responded in just a few minutes each time.
- The location is great: right near some main roads in Minneapolis for easy driving, walking distance from a few parks and restaurants, short drive from Downtown and Mall of America.
- Parking on the street was ample, and there is a dedicated space in the back in front of their garage. The alley spot probably best serves a small(er) car - my parents had a Suburban that they ended up parking on the street.
- Great for 2 people, maybe 3 IMO, but with some caveats. 2 guests in the main room was great, but 2 in the second room would be a bit cramped IMO, especially with how the bed is positions into a narrow, slanted nook. Even more on the living room pullout would make this house feel over-filled. With just one upstairs bathroom, a small kitchen, and a connected dining + living room - I'd suggest against any groups larger than 2-3 people.
Weaknesses:
- An overall roughness around the edges. I think this unit could benefit from more pictures or clarity around the layout and accessibility. It's affordable for sure, but the age of the house definitely shows.
- The garage, at the time of our stay, was left open and filled with piles of stuff. Pulling into the alleyway to park only to be met with a broken down car, old bikes, boxes of stuff, etc wasn't particularly welcoming. The hosts came to the house during our stay with a tow truck to remove the broken down car, but when the first thing you see it a garage full of junk - it's not the most welcoming sight.
- We couldn't find a way to lock the front porch door. The entry to the home itself had a nice lock, but the screened-in porch lock didn't seem to function.
- Overall, accessibility favors a younger crowd. My parents are in their 70s, and are active for their age - and even they found it difficult to move about the space at times. The bathroom is narrow, one bed was low to the ground, the storage closet where towels and other toiletries are kept was challenging to access due to the low slanted ceilings, the front steps were chipped and worn, and one of the hand railings came loose from the wall after using it just a handful of times. To a younger guest who's okay with roughness around the edges, these might not be a problem.
- Amenities within the house were also a small area we'd hope to have improved. We couldn't find extra toilet paper anywhere in the house - might be a cleaner / re-stocking issue? The internet had somehow come unplugged before we checked in and it took them a bit to realize that issue. We didn't see any instructions on how to use the TV remotes. Again, small items, but it's an attention to detail that we felt was lacking.