St. Augustine Rose -- 1 block to beach, private pool!

We had our family vacation here with 3 couples, teens, small children and a 1.5 year old. We have been coming to St. Augustine for years and we love the area, especially Butler beach. This house was really close to the beach and could accomodate all of us. However, the house itself was not like the listing made it seem. The pool was smaller than it seems in the pictures. And the oustide needs quite a bit of updates like new furniture in the pool patio because they were really stained and worn, and the handrail on the outside stairs was broken. In the bedrooms, there was a lot of dust under the beds, baseboards, and on the ceiling fans. And in the kitchen we saw mold in the fridge water dispenser and the bottom of the dishwasher. Also, you get charged for "extras" like using the beach items, baby playpen, high chair and baby bathtub. No other house we have rented here has charged extra for any of that. Overall, we had a great time, but the house could definitely use a good cleaning and upkeep.

Everything was wonderful and easy. From check in to check out we had a great time and the house was just beautiful. Perfect location thank you.

The house was very nice with lots of room for our group of 9 to spread out. We did have some issues such as no WiFi & an ant infestation. The property management company was quick to respond & get our problems taken care of. The private pool was great & we loved that it was a short walk to the beach. The furniture does show some wear & a few of the outdoor cushions need to be replaced but the beds were comfy & the house was clean.

Pictures on the VRBO look a lot better than the actual house. Outside porch area looks like it’s been neglected & not kept up. The patio furniture is worn out/dirty. We didn’t want to sit on it. The pool area & patio screen needs to be cleaned. Disappointed in it. We didn’t feel comfortable eating down there. The pool is nice but was dirty. The manager said it’s cleaned on Tuesday/Thursday. We never saw anyone on Tuesday. Only 2 vehicles can be parked on the driveway. Parking can be done in the backyard but there’s low tree branches & grass that hasn’t been mowed in a long time. The shrubs are overgrown. Landscaping neglected. You have to walk through it all to reach the back step. The beds were not bad. Large washer & dryer were good. There are 3 1/2 baths. The master shower drained very slow. Kitchen is very well equipped for cooking. The living room furniture was uncomfortable and worn out. Covers had been placed on them. You could feel the metal frames. Needs replacing. The table area looks larger in the pictures. Tight squeeze if sitting by the wall. We loved the upstairs porch. No access to the downstairs outside doors or garage. From the pool area, you have to walk around to the front & up the stairs to get in the house.No details were given about the code only working on the 2nd floor door. Baby gates for the stairs should be included. You can rent for extra fee. Ants in kitchen and master bath. It needs some TLC. Location great. Walk or drive to beach.

You have to make the 2nd payment on the property manager's website (not through VRBO) and they don't send a reminder. So, I almost forgot about it. Great location; a short walk in a quiet neighborhood to the beach access. Driveway is steep and cars bottom out on it. Park behind the house at your own risk as the yard is unkempt and hides a stump. There are no interior rooms on the 1st floor, so you have to hike up the driveway and up the outside stairs to the front door on the 2nd floor. Horrible first impression upon entering because the old and matted down carpet on the stairs is truly disgusting. Fortunately, everything else inside the house (beds and couches) was clean and comfortable. There were some weird quirks that we found: 1) No closet in the master suite. 2) No ceiling fan in the bunk room so air circulation was poor. 3) The 1st level has a screened-in porch and pool but no lights for nighttime enjoyment. 4) Kitchen on the 3rd floor was really tough, as we had to manhandle a full cooler up all the stairs. We enjoyed the pool initially but no one maintained or cleaned it while we were there so by the 5th day, there was a scum line or something around the entire pool. The patio furniture was filthy. An outdated "guest notebook" created confusion as to who handles the garbage and gave rigid check-out requirements. Thankfully, the property manager texted us the check-out procedures and we followed them. We enjoyed our stay, but would not consider this a luxe property.