Distinct West Dennis Vacation Home - Great Local to Beaches
West Dennis Vacation Rental - ID 36473

What a wonderful time we had at this home. It was my husband and I and our 3 small children, ages 2-6. It was only a few minute walk to the beach with one in a stroller. Part of the beach is on the open ocean but we spent most days on the part of the beach near the opening to Swan River. It was perfect for smaller children with shallower waters where they could wade and swim. We played with our kids building sand castles, collecting shells, and catching smaller crabs and minnows in a small stream that runs off the river. It was tough getting the kids out of the water and off the beach! The home was fantastic with plenty of yard for the kids to play out back when we were there. The home is open floor plan and spacious with large decks where we had morning breakfasts and dinners. The owner takes great pride in the home and the views of the river and conservation land are amazing. Such a great spot! Jim treated us like family and extended his hospitality to make sure we had a wonderful vacation. We have booked it again for next summer and are looking forward to it already! show more show less

Gorgeous! This was our fourth summer renting on Cape Cod and is the best home we've stayed at yet. We spent a little more than usual this year and it was well worth it. We are 2 parents, 2 small children and 2 grandparents. The 3 bedrooms on the first floor were perfect for us and the cathedral beamed ceilings on the second floor is amazing. The open floor plan is wonderful with lots of glass, windows and sliding doors on the second floor. We love the décor throughout the house.

We ate almost every night on the large upper deck and cooked on the grill. There is plenty of space in the kitchen which has more than we needed in the way of utensils, appliances and dishes. The deck and views of Swan River are fantastic. It's not on the beach but you feel like you are right there by the ocean.

There are 3 bathrooms in the house, 2 with tubs to bath our children but the outdoor shower on the rear deck is best of all. We coaxed our son (6 years old) to take a shower with his dad and, after his first shower, he was sold. He asked us if he could take another shower the next morning! Now he wants us to build an outdoor shower at home, "like Jim's". LOL

The yard is very large and only a 5 minute walk to the beach with our children in tow. We found a nice spot on the beach that was protected from the open ocean and shallow enough for our children to play in the water and watch other children catch crabs and minnows. Looks like crab nets are is in their future!

Jim was great, easy to work with and very accommodating. We will definitely return this summer and think we found our vacation "home away from home" for years to come. show more show less

Light and bright living space in a great location. Easy access to everything, beach, shopping, restaurants. 3 amazing deck spaces, the top one with lovely sunset views. House is large with a great yard and the outdoor shower is AWESOME. Everything you need for a fantastic vacation. Highly recommend. Jim is a great host!

Can't say enough about this property! The house itself fit our entire family (2 adults and 3 kids) plus we had 2 additional adults with us for half of our time and there was more than enough space! the incredible yard gave the kids plenty of space to run around before and after the very short walk to South Village Beach! The outdoor shower was quite the hot item for us and the kids after coming off the beach, its fantastic to be able to shower off and leave all the sand outside! for someone who cooks, the kitchen was amazing, fully stocked with everything you need to cook! The multi level deck
provides excellent outdoor sitting areas upstairs and down. the upstairs deck has a wonderful propane grill for nice summer cookouts- that overlooks a beautiful osprey nest and the ocean in the distance! the house is a very short walk / bike ride to South Village beach which is a great beach for families of all sizes and ages! we will be staying here for years to come!

it is very clear that Jim puts a lot of effort into maintaining and updating the property in order to make your stay as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

the host is super friendly and extremely accessible during the stay if you need anything. very welcoming and friendly! show more show less

This house checks all the boxes. Spacious and comfortable interior, fully stocked kitchen w/plenty of utensils and appliances, outdoor dining area and shower and a huge yard for games. Smart TVs in every room for those rainy days! The location puts you close enough for a walk to the beach and it's only a short drive to bustling town centers. We recently did a drive-by and caught up with the owner. He was installing brand new floors and had the siding refinished as well. Can't wait to stay here again!
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I don't make a habit of giving negative reviews. I always try to be fair and give people the benefit of the doubt.
This house was not ready to be rented...
* Owner said cleaning woman didn't show up so we were over 2 hours late getting the keys to the house. Had to wait outside. But he offered nothing in return for using up over 2 hours of our family vacation. He left food from the previous renters in the fridge for us to clean out.
* House was filthy, rug in master was a tripping hazard because of all the wrinkles. He said the carpet was new, but I see he has replaced it. Huge 2' x 2' square hole in the master bath next to toilet. Could see the garage!
* Framing around front door was unfinished with insulation and dry wall visible all around it. Most windows did not function. Not enough fans because he never hooked up the obvious central air unit that is next to the deck. Most outside lights did not work.
* On the 2nd day, we asked for a fan for 1 of the bedrooms. The 1990's (we checked the label on back) microwave blew. A good landlord would have apologized and brought another one immediately. He did not offer and almost accused us of breaking it. Blamed water stains on kitchen windows on us. Not our fault if the window wouldn't close. He turned off the ice maker on the fridge so we couldn't use it. We had to use a stick lighter to light the stove.
* The dining chairs are so old, the finish is sticky and the cushions are stained. The previous table was also old, white with a sticky finish. It made me think that most, if not all, of the furnishings come from his Estate Sales business. That would be fine, if the furnishing were in better shape.
* Bathroom drawers were broken. Too many "rules of the house" were posted everywhere.
* Jim showed up to the house an hour before our check-out time with the excuse that he needed to return his Kayak to the garage. He could have given us our privacy as we were packing to leave.
After charging us $3,500 for the week plus cleaning and security fees, he decided to keep a good portion of the fee!!! There was no compromise with him. After many phone conversations and emails, he became verbally abusive to me. We have owned rental properties on Cape Cod and we would NEVER treat our renters the way Jim treated us.
We were a family of 4 responsible adults and our 2 grandchildren (13 and 10) .
I suggest that if you decide to rent this house (which, if done right, could be a fine house), you make sure he doesn't take advantage of you like he did with us. As a side note, his wife owns the house next door. We felt like we were being watched. show more show less