House: It's very stylish and has a beautiful garden. I loved to read on the deck and soak up the sun. We easily found anything we needed. Kitchen was well equipped. If you want to nitpick you could find things but there are basically no problems. The TV is tiny but hopefully you aren't going to Sydney to watch TV! It's fairly quiet except for the birds who are quite vocal. I thought it was very spacious too, but maybe it's because I'm used to tiny Japanese apartments... We were very happy with the house and it was a much better experience than a hotel.
Location: It's close to a bus stop and very close to a small group of cafes and restaurants. There is a great hiking path nearby as well and a park (the Manly scenic walk) that I highly recommend. One thing you should know is that Manly is a little far from other scenic spots in Sydney. You'll normally have to ride the ferry to Circular Quay or take a pricey Uber to get to the heart of Sydney. And the ferry itself is a bus ride or a 30-min walk.