Smith Mountain Lake House w/ 2-Story Boat Dock!

Reviews

• NOT WELL MAINTAINED

  2/5

  House is in a nice location on the lake with a good view, but it is not well maintained. We entered through the basement and the carpet is very stained. We couldn't get the tv's to work and realized many batteries were missing from the remote controls and others didn't work. Many lights didn't turn on and we noticed bulbs were missing or blown. I purchased enough batteries to fix 6 remote controls and purchased bulbs for several lights. The main bathroom has 2 lights and after replacing the bulbs, I realized one fixture did not work so my family used a flashlight at the sink throughout our stay. Many vines and weeds were covering railings and crossing walkways which I found necessary to trim back so my Mom did not trip and fall. I was concerned about the outside fence enclosure as it continued to lean into the yard during our stay, but my husband said he already fixed the upstairs vacuum and an outdoor gate so the fence could just fall down. I did contact management with a power outage we experienced and they were quick to respond. I also sent pictures of the neighbor's tree falling across the driveway on our vehicles and management texted that they would notify the neighbors. I then received another text to see if power was restored. No further communication was received. A subsequent text would have been appreciated for some concern that our family and vehicles were ok and that we could actually get out of the driveway, but nothing. Overall, we left the house in better shape than when we arrived, but we will not return.

  Manager's Response:

  Hi Amy, we want our guests to feel comfortable and relaxed during their stay, and we're disappointed to hear that you encountered several issues. After following up with the homeowner, they’d like to share the following:
  - We apologize for the missing batteries and light bulbs, as well as the fixtures and TVs you mentioned not working. We will check those immediately!
  - We’re also sorry the basement carpet didn't appear clean. The guest before you had brought pets, and while the carpet was thoroughly deep cleaned, not all the evidence could be removed. The carpet will be replaced soon, but unfortunately, it wasn’t possible before your stay.
  - Regarding the leaning fence, this is the first we've heard of it, and we will check on that and make repairs as necessary. It's possible the dogs from the prior guest, who caused the carpet stains, may have damaged the fence as well.
  - As for the vines, we completed a full yard cleanup, including hedge trimming, in the last week of July this year. We’re surprised to hear that overgrowth was an issue, but we’ll check on it and have our fall cleanup scheduled for the first weekend of November.
  
  We apologize again that things weren’t up to your standards and will ensure these issues are fixed quickly! Thank you for your valuable feedback.

• Great place!

  5/5

  Great house with plenty of views of the lake and easy access to the dock. AC worked great during the hot weather while we were there. Lots of good restaurants around. We would definitely stay again.

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

• Great Vacation Rental

  5/5

  Family Vacation. The host was very responsive to our inquiries, and the property had all that we needed. The location was perfect. We have a very relaxing wonderful stay and would rent again. Thank you for sharing your home with us!

• Vacation

  4/5

  We had a great time, just a few issues that needed fixing.1. The top dock needed some of the decking boards to be fastened down. They were sticking up and could cause someone to fall.2. In the upstairs master bedroom the split heat pump unit was working properly. But all things considered everything went well we were still very satisfied and we would recommend this place for anybody that like the lake life

  *This review was originally posted on Vrbo

  Manager's Response:

  From the owner: "Thank you for your review, Joe! We appreciate you bringing those couple of concerns to our attention so we can take care of them ASAP. The mini split unit has been fixed and is fully functioning again. We are so glad you were able to enjoy your time and we look forward to having you back again in the future!"

• Great Week on the Lake

  5/5

  Our party was four adults and two kids and there was plenty of room to spread out - we had a great time and spent a ton of time down on the water! We had plenty of room to dock our pontoon and bass boat. The interior of the house is clean, the upstairs is recently remodeled and it is nice. There is plenty of entertainment downstairs for the kids/everyone on down days.

  I think some of the previous reviews were a little exaggerated. A majority of SML was developed in the 80s and before then, it was small community fish camps (some of which you can still see) and summer homes. The water in the house is fine for drinking and bathing - no issues. Yes, it is a gravel but well maintained road to the house, like many roads in the area. Compared to a lot of homes on this lake, the steps and ramps to the dock were a breeze. If you have never stayed on Smith Mountain Lake, most homes have extremely steep grades and lots of stairs to get to the water's edge. There was no mold. The kitchen has everything you need. There are lights on the dock. We would rent again.

  Thank you for sharing your home!

  Manager's Response:

  From the owner: "Thank you for your review, Kevin! We are so glad you were able to enjoy time down on the water as that's our favorite place at the house, too! We're so glad to hear the home provided for all your needs and was a slice of heaven for you to enjoy. We look forward to having you back again in the future!"