We went into this, with an open mind, after reading all reviews. For the most part, we planned to be outdoors most of the time, and felt the cottage would serve our basic needs for cooking, sleeping, showering etc. We did not expect a brand new home on the lake. For accuracy, it’s an older cottage near the lake. There is one house between the property and water. However, the lake is easily accessed from the road dead ending in to it. Yes, cottage could use updating, maintenance, renovating, etc. (so could a lot of other places we’ve stayed at through VRBO.) That being said, I do believe there are core items a vacation rental should have. The suggestion list, below, is based on sheer/basic comfort and maximizing layout:
1) replace both mattresses. Reviews are accurate, they are worn passed their life expectancy, and not comfortable after a day on the lake.
2) replace living room furniture. Futon is shot and requires pillow stacking to sit upright. Otherwise, you are sunk back too far. The two “sitting” chairs, from the 70’s or 80’s, are pretty loose in suspension. Again, after a day on the lake, a regular sofa (even pull out for more sleeping space) and a couple recliners would be great for relaxing.
3) replace/fix dishwasher. “Out of service” sign appears to have been there awhile. Again, convenience/time saver vs hand washing dishes.
4) if adding a pull out sofa, increasing guest capacity, explore a newer/larger hot water heater. This would accommodate more showers, with less wait, for hot water regeneration.
Overall, we enjoyed the lake and the area. The cottage is neat and clean. A few improvements, in core areas of comfort would go a long way! Thank you to the hosts for their hospitality!