Overall – a great place with a heated pool, great for a family to relax within 25-minute walking distance to the beach, and about 15 minute walk to very-well-stocked grocery store.
The good:
The house has spacious living-dining area, a heated pool, with private, fenced-in and palm-bordered small back yard, with a large propane grill. There’s a double-garage, with beach chairs, a beach umbrella and pool noodles. The driveway has ample parking too. The kitchen is well-stocked with plates, glasses, cutlery and cookware, and the adjacent dining area has a large table with a bench on one side and chairs enough for plenty of seating. There’s a large TV in the living area and another in the master bedroom (Direct TV). Internet was fine. The laundry room has a large, newish Samsung washer and dryer set. The property is pet-friendly, not just in policy but also by the fact that the back yard is fenced-in.
Other reviewers have noted a “messy” backyard, but the palms shed bits and pieces all the time, which wasn’t a big deal to us. We found the back yard and the outdoor seating very pleasant. Also, we found all the utensils we needed, unlike other reviewers.
Location:
It’s about a 25-minute walk to the beach (or longer if the drawbridge is open) and about 15-minute walk from a large and well-stocked Publix grocery store, which has a good selection of wines and beers as well as food and household supplies. Due to COVID we didn’t use them, but there was a good selection of restaurants near the Publix, including a Houston’s with open-air, canal-side seating. The house is on a quiet residential street of well-kept houses, and the whole neighborhood feels safe. The beach parking lot wasn’t full each of the 3 times we visited it and paying was a doddle with a credit card ($2.40 per hour). The beach itself was quiet with well-spaced groups 2 of the 3 times, but one afternoon it got busy.
Less good:
The kitchen appliances are old. The dishwasher soap-dispenser didn’t work, and the oven door had to be pushed just-right to light up the display so you could set the oven temperature. The bathrooms are small, although the master bathroom seems newly renovated. The 3rd bedroom is a small twin bed with a roll-out bed underneath, not really suitable for adults. The half-bath is a toilet only accessible via the garage, which is a bit weird.