Forestport Home w/ Access to Otter Lake

Reviews

• Great place to stay

  5/5

  We were very happy with our stay. The house was very clean and big enough for our group of 7. Very satisfied with this house.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Fix the Windows

  3/5

  We were a family of (12) Grandparents, Parents, and Grandkids.

  I'll start with the positive.

  The price was reasonable based on its location, number of bedrooms, and available lake access. The sleeping facilities, kitchen, Livingroom were adequate. The Livingroom is large and accommodating. The beds were made and there was an appropriate amount of towels and washcloths. There was plenty of refrigeration available, a large side-by-side and a drink refrigerator. There are 2 good sized screened porches to enjoy. There is a full-sized washer and dryer in the basement. We needed to use the drier one time to dry  towels and it worked fine. I believe that the washer would work fine also.

  Our number one complaint is that most of the windows could not be opened and there isn't any air conditioning. Most of the windows have storm windows covering the inside windows making it impossible for them to be opened! The owners stated that in 2023 that they plan on correcting this when the season was over, They have not. They are well aware of the problem, they provided 3 or 4 fans plus 2 ceiling fans.  The craziness is that some of the downstairs windows already have double hung windows that are covered by storm windows! They could remove those two storms and it would solve a little of their heat problem! If you have ever been in a 2 story home during the summer, you are well aware of the fact that heat rises. There is only one window that opens for the entire upstairs, 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, and a hallway! On our first day there, arriving after the 3PM booking time, the house was closed up and had accumulated all of the daytime summer heat! Our attempt to cool the upstairs area was completely impossible! Once we endured the first night, on the remaining nights we placed all available fans (we brought 4 additional ones with us) strategically around and we managed to remove a few degrees from the upstairs rooms. On the third and fourth nights one of the family members chose to sleep on a cot on the side porch rather than be upstairs!  

  With a small amount of money and a little bit of labor the property could be an easy 4 star.

  I'm sorry to say this but, As it is right now we will not be returning nor recommending it for renting during the summer months!

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Dale, the right vacation home is everything, and we're glad to hear you enjoyed the reasonable price, spacious living areas, and great amenities like the lake access and screened porches. After sending your feedback to the homeowner, they’d like to share the following:
  -We sincerely apologize and understand your frustration with the windows and lack of air conditioning. Unfortunately, our usual handyman is no longer available, and we have discovered that changing the windows requires town permits. We are currently in the process of obtaining these permits to address this issue.
  Thank you for your feedback. We are committed to making the necessary improvements. We appreciate your understanding and hope to have the opportunity to host you again in the future.

• Work stay

  5/5

  It was a very nice house and location.

  My company had a job to complete in the area, and this property met all the requirements needed.

  Thank you to the home owner for allowing us to stay in such a short notice.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Misleading photos, Disappointed in the Quality

  2/5

  Other than having enough beds the large living room to play in, we were very disappointed in the quality of the property for the amount we paid. No garbage pickup, you are supposed to take it with you. Previous renter didn’t take theirs's and when I reached the property contact they stated that they would come remove it. They never came. As a result, we ended up with a mouse in the living room. Key to the front door is hard to turn and the door sticks. Deadbolt doesn’t have secure place to latch into. No railing on the outdoor stairs. Upstairs bathroom doorknob didn’t have a latch and you could not close the door to the bathroom. No lock on the bathroom. Paint is bubbling and peeling off the walls and ceiling of that bathroom. Downstairs bathroom has tiles peeling off the wall and the door is very difficult to close. Lamps/TVs in locations where there aren’t outlets to plug them in. Stairs inside squeak horribly and there are gabs in the stairs you can see through. No handrail on the internal stairs. No screens in any of the windows. If you are not providing AC guests need to be able to open the windows. Not enough dishware for the number of people advertised and there are no wine glasses. Cobwebs on the kitchen ceiling fan. Moved the couch to get to an outlet and behind the couch had not been cleaned. Ran out of hot water while showering, hot water heater not big enough for the number of people advertised. Smell coming out of the basement, discovered an open sewer pipe.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Stephanie, we followed up with the homeowner after reading your feedback, and they wanted to share the following:
  - The home was built in 1920, however, we’ve done numerous updates, and the home is well maintained. We take the accuracy of our listings seriously and can confirm the pre-stay email sent before arrival states to please take all trash with you when leaving since there is no local garbage pick up. We're sorry if this caught you off guard.
  - Considering the home is located in a natural wooded area, mice can be prevalent in the woods and occasionally enter if doors are left open. We have ongoing pest control that manages and protects the home from these issues. We also have yet to receive a complaint regarding the front door and we can confirm it works as it should.
  - As seen in the listing photos, there are two steps to the front porch, and we do not advertise a railing. Guests are encouraged to book a vacation home that best suits their needs. Also, the upstairs bathroom does not have a lock on the doorknob, however, it has a wall type of lock to securely lock the door for privacy.
  - Additionally, the maintenance team has also reported there are no issues with the paint or tile work. Also, every lamp, TV, or electronic device has a designated spot in the home to be plugged in, so previous renters may have moved stuff around.
  -The stairs do squeak slightly as the home was built in 1920. We have plans to install a handrail on the stairs shortly. We are also having new windows installed before next summer. Our kitchen is well stocked to accommodate 16 guests. We do understand being able to cook during your stay is important to most guests.
  - We have addressed your concerns regarding cleanliness with our local team to ensure that this issue does not recur for future travelers. We have never experienced problems with bad odors and I can assure you there is absolutely no open sewer pipe in the basement.
  - While we do regret our home was not up to your expectations, we are happy to share that no issues were reported by the guests who stayed the following weekend. We are accustomed to providing five-star experiences and have worked very hard to provide a clean and comfortable place for guests to enjoy. We will continue to do all we can to provide the best possible stay for our guests!

• Get away

  4/5

  6 grandchildren throughly enjoyed themselves as did the adults. Only downfall was not enough fans so first nights were rather warm

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo