Beach Barn (U#10266)

I only ask for a few things when I rent a beach house: does the A/C work, do the toilets flush as expected, is there working WiFi and is the location good. This house checks all the boxes. It is a little dated and the BBQ grill is worthless. But overall, a nice house, great location. We would definitely rent here again.

Manager's Response

Everything was as described. We had a relaxing time.

Let’s start with the negatives. Living room/dining room furniture is cheap & uncomfortable. And living room will only sit 5 people. TV in living room has faded line through the center of screen. AC will not cool house during the heat of the day due to lack of insulation. Very uncomfortable from around 3pm-9pm due to heat. Although I didn’t like having to bring paper towels, toilet paper, trash bags, & coffee filters. And definitely didn’t like having to put sheets on all the beds.
If you can look past all that, the beds are comfortable & the view & easy access to the beach is awesome. Despite the negatives our family of 7 made the best of it & had a great time in Surfside! We’ll be back, just not at the Beach Barn!

Great experience. We stayed here 20+ years ago and now it's been completely renovated. We love it.

We normally rent Airbnbs so maybe we just had different expectations. And we did read the rules ahead of time, but this was still a struggle. And I don't know if this is just how the property management company runs things or if this is driven by the owners.

For starters, we rent at the beach 4-5 times a year. This is the highest cleaning fee we have ever been charged, by far. Then, we get to the property and all of the towels and linens are in a bag and we are supposed to make the beds and put out all of the towels. And then strip everything and put it back in the bag for the cleaning people to take away. Then we're also supposed to clean all of the dishes before we leave. This is pointed out in the rental information. BUT, we also have to provide all of the cleaning supplies to do this, along with hand soaps, bathing supplies, etc. They did provide RV sized rolls of toilet paper, one for each bathroom. And not even full rolls, if there was some left over from the last renter. At this point, I'm really wondering just what the cleaning fee is supposed to cover.

After making the beds and getting everything ready, we went looking for a broom or vacumn cleaner and found one. This is because there was pet hair everywhere. We had to vacumn the whole house. Definitely a disappointment.

The location is great and there are beautiful views of the ocean and beach. This could have easily been a different trip. It's all of the little stuff, or not so little stuff, that make all of the difference. I have to think that this isn't how the owners want their property to be handled.

The sat lower to the ground then I thought it would. The floor in the kitchen was messed up there were a few soft spots in the flooring and the stairs were a bit wobbly. There was standing water all the way around the property and the mosquitoes tried to drain us dry, but all in all it was a great trip

A good time was had by all,

Renting was easy. But the rental company policies - not so swell. I do NOT appreciate having to pay $1700 to rent a place and then end up needing to make ALL the beds when i arrive, plus bring bath soap, dish washing detergent, drinking water and ice. Those things should be a part of a vacation rental, and making the beds? absolutely NOT.

I really enjoyed this particular weekend. It was quiet and peaceful. Not so far into the fall/winter months to be too cold!

I really enjoyed this particular weekend. It was quiet and peaceful. Not so far into the fall/winter months to be too cold!

I really enjoyed this particular weekend. It was quiet and peaceful. Not so far into the fall/winter months to be too cold!

Overall this house was okay. We tend to spend more time outside than inside on our beach weekends. I would very much like to meet the photographer that took the photos for the web site...they certainly were able to make every room appear twice as big as they really are.

The house could definitely use some attention. Several deck boards were loose at one end and curled up, creating what could have been an issue had we not found small rugs to cover them with so we wouldn't trip over them. If you are bringing toddlers, several of the slats along the outside rail were missing, leaving spaces a toddler could easily slip through and fall.

The cleaning crew you pay a lot of money for is definitely not earning their pay. There was animal hair all over the floor and under the couch, sand in the upstairs master bedroom, the fridge and microwave mostly clean, but could have used a little more attention. And an electric outlet on the deck and one downstairs under the house would be a nice addition. We had to run an extension cord out the window to be able to plug in our music device on the deck, and during the day when the sun was beating on the deck, under the house was the place to be. Plenty of shade and a pleasant breeze, but no power anywhere I could find.

On the plus side, the deck is very spacious and beach access couldn't be any better. It was good for our purpose...mostly a place to sleep, since we're usually on the deck, under the house or on the beach until it's bed time.

Overall, it's not the worst place I've ever stayed, and I would rent here again if I couldn't find something else in a similar location. We gathered a few phone numbers from other houses nearby to look into for next year's trip. The last review item is "Would you recommend this to a friend?" and only has Yes or No as options. They need a Maybe option, because I have friends that would be just fine with this house, and I have friends that wouldn't be friends any m

We enjoyed our stay and loved that it was beach front. The upstairs master room was a little warm but we brought fans just in case. The kitchen was stocked with what we needed. We would definitely stay again. Thank you!

We had a great stay and enjoyed the beach and accommodations! 2 ceiling fans were not working and someone responded quickly to resolve the issue! The only reason for the 4 instead of 5 star rating was cleanliness--one room had a dry contact in the bed and a partial cereal bar under. Also, there was no hot water our second day--too late to bother notifying anyone in the late afternoon since we checked out the next morning.

We had a very good time. It was a little cramped but there was eight of us and the capacity is eight. The kitchen has nice appliances but could use some more utensils.

Manager's Response

Great value, not perfect for price and location hard to beat.

Kitchen was well stocked with utensils and appliances were all newish and clean. AC in upstair master bedroom was a little lacking. Overall a nice beach home.

Clean, responsive, peaceful.
Satellite wasnt working but we still had wifi.

It's was great

Bluewater staff was very helpful. Location was perfect. Cleaning staff forgot to clean oven there was food left in the oven for us to clean up. Otherwise, home was clean.Don't care for the sheet policy though. While on vacation, and if you arrive late, the last thing you want to do is put sheets and pillow cases on all the beds. We had a great time and we'll be back.

Loved the house. The house was beautifully redecorated, new appliances. clean and comfortable. Being beachfront made up for the weather being less than perfect.

We loved staying here. Right on the beach. We rent a house every spring break at Surfside and this have been our favorite place to stay.

Overall this property needs better bathroom cleaning, plumbing repair, floor repair, and dining area wall repair. The upstairs balcony is dangerous because vertical slats are missing leaving wide gaps where anyone could fall through. We lost electric power the first morning causing us to have to leave. We are still waiting a fair resolution by the management company.

Long time renter at Surfside. This property is older and while clean, functional and beach front, it does feel its age. That said, it worked for our group and we enjoyed ourselves. One room definitely has a king, but the other rooms' beds, which say queen, felt more like doubles - a little small. Would be more comfortable with kings.

Was the house perfect? No, but we didn't expect it to be. We had a wonderful time playing on the beach and being together that's all that really mattered. The house was comfortable for 3 adults, 3 children and two dogs. I would stay here again.

This Beach Barn was nasty, had a soured smell & needs to be updated. It looks like that started painting some of the interior but they stopped in the middle of rooms.

first thing upon arrival,no water acct.broken pipe. stairs were broken. water leaked from upstairs shower to kitchen. water leak around window during rain storm resulting in water running out of electrical plug. water standing under house causing bad mosquito problem. railing around top deck broken & loose. no access to beach unless you went through next door house or carport. pictures on website very deceiving. worst place I've stayed in & been going to surfside off & on for over 40 years. washing machine made so much noise couldn't even talk while on. house lacked from general maintence & repair.

It was great

It was great

Check in was easy-peezy, even after hours. There is standing water all around the house, so you have to squash thru mud to get to the beach, and go down to the beach using the next door neighbor's path, but that's okay. The problems with the house: there is noplace for your clothes; no dressers, no drawers, noplace to put your suitcase so you live out of the case on the floor. The beds are VERY comfortable. The water is terrible so the toilets look nasty but I think they're actually clean; they just look bad. NO soap-- no laundry detergent, no dishwasher detergent, no bath soap. nada. the air conditioner was awesome, though, and ceiling fans are great, in every room. WE had a good time, and for the money -- not a bad experience.

Very nice! Enjoyed every day! Great place rented.

We will definitely be back!! Beach Barn was clean, conveniently located, and right on the beach!!

Me and four of my friends have been wanting a girls beach trip for several years. It exceeded our expectations. The house was just fine (not fancy but comfortable) and location is spectacular. Bluewater rentals made it quick and easy and the young lady in the office was very sweet. Surfside is a great beach. We will be back!

Enjoyed Surfside Beach. Rental was adequate but in need of a few repairs. Pic nic table needs to be removed, very wobbly and unsafe. Sliding glass door was off track and difficult to open.

But property is beach front with amazing views.

The house was clean and any questions we had were attended to promptly.

The house was clean and any questions we had were attended to promptly.

We had a great time. The location was great with an easy access and view of the beach.

This was our second trip back this year after renting it for a week this summer...unfortunately the weather was not as cooperative but Hey... the Beach is the Beach! My first experience with Brannan was 39 years ago as a High School Senior in Houston when we rented a house for a week after graduation... Surfside had always been our beach of choice. Fast forward and now living in Michigan.. I started researching houses online last year in the bitter winter. Experience now tells me that I nailed it with the Beach Barn. Location is everything.. and beachfront in Swan Lake is where to be. The layout is cozy.. with a Master downstairs and really a 2nd Master upstairs along with 2 additional bedrooms. We were 4 adults, 2 kids, and a Border collie and everyone had their space... Outside, right down the front stairs across the grass, thru the cutout and you're on the sand.. and not much traffic being so close to the county/city line. As I write this I'm already planning a 10 day visit next summer. I wish I owned this house. That being said..the only thing I would point out is that the deck is really showing signs of weathering..could use some attention as well as the picnic table needs replacing.
Can't wait for summer again!!!

Fantastic

The Beach Barn was clean when we got there. We had a great time and all pitched in to clean it per instructions on the sign out sheet.

The Beach Barn was clean when we got there. We had a great time and all pitched in to clean it per instructions on the sign out sheet.

We had a great time. The place could have been a little cleaner but it was ok overall. This is my 7th rental in Surfside and will be back again.

Wonderful week with awesome weather! Beach Barn exceeded my expectations. Very well stocked kitchen. Plan on returning in October!

Good facilities had a great time the weather sucked but nice place to stay.

First time at Surfside in over 10 years....we still love it. The weather was perfect, husband and son caught fish, neighbors were friendly. We built 11 sand animals that lasted all week. We will be back !!!

First time at Surfside in over 10 years....we still love it. The weather was perfect, husband and son caught fish, neighbors were friendly. We built 11 sand animals that lasted all week. We will be back !!!

First time at Surfside in over 10 years....we still love it. The weather was perfect, husband and son caught fish, neighbors were friendly. We built 11 sand animals that lasted all week. We will be back !!!

Love everything, the location, cleanliness, the rental folks bend over backwards to make sure all is good! Couple of yrs back our cabin had to much rain water under it, so they put us in another until they could get situated.......all this makes for a great vacation!!!

You walk out the door...theres the Gulf of Mexico, Gods entertainment park! Water, sand and sun - what else do you need? And the Beach Barn itself is a wonderful place to relax when the temp gets a little too high or in the evening after a long day of water play.
As far as eating, we visited The Red Snapper Inn and Kittys Purple Cow. Both excellent. (I recommend both.) WE
did not make any of the other eating establishments on this venture, however, I have a feeling they, too, are wonderful. Anyone reading this review......THUMBS UP!!! Cmon Down!!!!

We enjoyed our stay and thought it was a good value for the experience. Not a Hilton, but not a motel 6 either. It had all the amenities needed for great week at the beach. Things that would have been nice would be an outdoor shower, looks like it had connection at the beach stairway, but no shower head. The upstairs bathroom light and fan on same switch and the fan makes a lot of noise for late night potty runs only to wake up everyone on the top floor, we resorted to using a flashlight. the pathway to the beach could have used some more grooming but was still very usable. TV was only local channels but I was able to link to my hotspot for netflix and amazon movies so the modern TV with WiFi was a life saver for late night movie choices tethered to my ATT hotspot. Beds are basic and sort of small, but after a long day on the beach, I still slept well, picky sleepers or tall people might have a challenge. AC worked well after replacing the batteries and cooled the place nicely. Bathrooms did not have any shelf space and bedrooms did not have closets. Two upstairs bedrooms did have a close rack, I would suggest adding racks to other bedrooms and/or folding suitcase stands like those in hotels. Shower heads could be better quality, but these were just small things and suggestions, as we had a great time at the Beach Barn.

Grandparents and kids ages 11 & 7 had a great weekend even though it was a lil chilly. House is good for beach house. Can't remember if it explains clearly that beds are 1 king and 4 full size (not queen). OK for us. Kitchen had adequate equipment. Sofa has seen better days but you are at the beach.

As a single father of 5 kids this was the perfect beach house and we will request it again in the future. great size, plenty of space and great beach right outside the door. Only suggestion bring drinking water the city water is horrible if it were my place i'd have a whole house water filter.

The location of this house is great. It's right on the beach. We had some noisy neighbors, but that can't be helped. The common spaces are a bit small (kitchen, living room) but it doesn't really matter if you spend most of your time at the beach. Overall we enjoyed our stay at the Beach Barn.

The Beach Barn is in a perfect location to be able to enjoy the beach. It has easy access to the water but also a beautiful double deck for those early mornings and late evenings. Our group had a wonderful time!

We had a wonderful time at the Beach Barn. Very quaint rental fully equipped and perfect location at the end of the public beach. You could hardly tell it was a holiday weekend as those on the beach appeared to be fellow renters. Our only complaint were
the bedroom situation: the master bedroom had a King and Queen bed while the remaining 3 rooms had Fulls, making sleeping arrangments a bit tight with our party. I would recommend that be listed in the discription for future renters. Other than that next year
we plan on doubling our stay! Thank you Bernadette for your hospitality and to Brennan Realty!

We had a great time while staying in Surfside. Had some minor issues but it did not take away from a great time. Will be back again in the future.

We had a wonderful Memorial Weekend 2011, stayed four nights (Mon-Fri) house has lots of beds with a great beachfront location and a nice deck. We had family over and had a blast. The only minor issues we had is the top deck patio door is broken and most of the remotes did not work or were missing batteries. We will probably try and book again next year. Thanks Brannan.

Too bad Alex messed up the beach - we would have liked to have stayed the whole week.

The Beach Barn was great. We had a fantastic trip.

We were so pleased with everything and would come back tomorrow if we could. We had some family complain about the air conditioning, however, I think it was doing the best it could with 11 people coming in and out.