Seaglass Lakeshore Cottage

First impression- overgrown landscaping everywhere. House in desperate need of power washing. Cobwebs and bugs on screens, all over front siding and on porch, especially the ceiling. Two filthy ceiling fans are on the front porch, one has a missing blade. The furniture on the front porch had cushions that are very dirty; the pillows have black mildew on them. There are two 50’ hoses sprawled on gravel path to backyard. Washer and Dryer looked in good condition but took 2 hours to dry a load of clothes, indicating that the dryer vent line needs to be cleaned to eliminate fire hazard and improve dryer time. Front storm door closer was broken. Listing states "home cooked meal is a joy to prepare". The 24” cabinet where ALL cookware is stacked is like a Jenga game. The silverware drawer had crumbs, sticky spills, etc. We washed what we needed before using. There is no pantry or anywhere to put groceries away. The condition of the kitchen was very un-appetizing, cabinets were cluttered with lots of mismatched things. Normally we cook most nights but not in this house, so that drove expenses up considerably. The closets were a mess and the owners seem to have taken the closet in the primary bedroom as their owner's closet. They put a 3" long hanger on the linen closet door for renters - not enough for 2 people in the room to hang clothes. Primary bathroom sink is separated from countertop? Needs caulk or probably replacing. Shower curtains had black mildew on them and Vacasa replaced when we called. Curtains in other 1st floor bedroom are 6" too short for window and there are no blinds in these windows! I made a video of the dust I wiped off the wood blinds in living room that I sent to the manager. They are DIRTY! The screened in back porch was another big disappointment. Manager sent a guy with a blower but that a little like trying to put a bandaid on a broken arm - it didn't do anything to make the space usable for us. Fabric cushions don't work in outdoor spaces when you aren’t there to bring them in when it rains. They need to invest in furniture that is more durable. We normally have coffee on the porch in the morning and would have enjoyed meals out here. If we wanted dirt, we would have gone camping and then we would not have been disappointed. After we returned, I found listing photos of this house when it was sold in 2019. Every piece of furniture in it today was there six years ago, and who knows how long before that. This includes bedding. This house is in serious need of updating. We have rented 2 other homes in this subdivision the past 2 summers. We love the area and the pool nearby. With this house, it is impossible not to feel like these owners and Vacasa are ripping us off. If these owners cannot acknowledge the basics of home cleanliness and maintenance, they should not be in the vacation home rental business.

Nice location right near the pool

Overall, the size of the space worked well for our group of 9 (5 adults and 4 kids) and the location was central to the things we wanted to do in the area. The neighborhood the house is in is very nice and the pool and clubhouse are directly across from the home which is convenient. Although there is a clubhouse, there were no instructions or indications on whether we could access the clubhouse or not so we never tried to go inside. I really wanted to like this house and was excited from the photos on the website. I would give it 3.5 stars. That being said, there is room for improvement, especially with the nightly rate being charged for the home. Most furnishings and things in the home are worn and could use some replacing and/or sprucing up. The house was well stocked with paper goods, soaps, etc. but some items were difficult to find as there are a lot of things in the closets and cabinets. One other reviewer mentions luxury linens and I would not say the same. Note that the room on the first floor that says two twin beds is one twin bed and full bed that had a twin comforter on it. The outdoor space was something we were looking forward to using but it was not left in a manner that we could do so. The cushions on the furniture were wet and had a lot of dirt and debris, the grill was left with large chunks of old food and looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. We didn't even look at the pizza oven. Granted this is from the previous renters, but the management company should be inspecting the outdoor area as well. We hardly used the hot tub as it smelled to strongly of chlorine. Not sure if it had been shocked right before we arrived or what. We had a couple maintenance issues while we were there, and they were responded to promptly. We discovered after the maintenance had already come out that almost none of the very high ceiling lights in the sitting room worked and at that point I didn't have it in me to call the maintenance back yet again. These are all things that should be in working order. We needed to use the vacuum to get up some sand that had come in after the beach. We found the vacuum but the canister was full to the the top, even after emptying it, I am not sure if it actually worked. Yes there is a beach, but it is not close. The beach that you can use is Townline beach. It is about a 15 minute walk through a different neighborhood (Gowdy shores) and you pass multiple access points to private beaches before you get there. Once you are there, you have to go down about 30 steps to get to the beach, so this is not accessible for anyone who can't do multiple stairs and also don't plan on bringing a lot of beach items. We ended up driving and parking a ways away because we had the kids and all of their stuff. Once on the beach it's a nice beach, but it definitely isn't as close or accessible as some of the other reviews made it seem. And note that there are no restrooms at this beach.

We loved the board games and location to the pool/clubhouse. Additionally, the grilling and pizza oven area was useful and in great shape.

A perfect location. A clean & well appointed kitchen with ample counter space. Numerous large windows let in an abundance of natural light. The large front porch with several comfortable chairs was a fun gathering place. Equally fun was the restful screened in porch overlooking the gardens in back. My favorite was a small private deck off the master bedroom with 2 charming rockers. All bedrooms had clean luxury linens. Gas grill, bikes, fire pit & hot tub add to your vacation fun. A wonderful place to stay. Definitely check the HOA for pool info before making a reservation. Workers knew the pool needed to be attended to early Friday morning. Yet they did not check the chemical levels & it was closed all Saturday. Gordon beach has limited parking & down 30+ stairs. New Buffalo beach is a long walk from the parking lot.

This place worked really well for our group of 9 (4 adults and 5 kids). It's so close to the pool, which the kids loved. Worked great for cooking for our group...we took advantage of the nice outdoor grill. Pretty cool that that's an Ooni Pizza oven, but we didn't get a chance to use that. We had some small nitpicks about furniture, but overall a good experience. It's a half-mile to the beach, so be prepared for the walk. But the Gordon Beach neighborhood is a lovely place for a stroll, so it wasn't bad.