First I want to say that we had a fabulous week at Holden Beach. The location of this house was fantastic! No, it isn't ocean front, but with beach access across the street, it is pretty close. The fact that it sits on the marsh, gives you a lot of privacy on the back deck and it was the perfect place to sit and drink coffee while the rest of the family was still sleeping. Also, because of where the house is situated, with fewer houses near-by, the beach itself was never crowded. That being said my husband is still complaining about the distance from the bridge (it may be a 7 minute drive, not a huge deal).
I loved being able to have our pups with us, they loved going on walks and it was nice to not have to worry about them while we were on vacation. There is some give and take with staying in a dog friendly house. Previous guests had obviously let their pups soil the carpet and the house itself was not very clean. Dog hair was everywhere and there was a faint ammonia smell to the house when you walk in the door. The carpet in the house was disgusting.
The kitchen was not stocked very well. I believe there was a total of 7 forks, which makes feeding a family of 4 pretty difficult, but we managed. There was a coffee maker, a toaster and enough dishes as long as you run the dishwasher every day. On the plus side, the microwave in the house was amazing!
The furniture in the living room was filthy, even the covers on top of the furniture were pretty bad. However, I had seen a previous review and came prepared with plenty of sheets to cover the couches. The couches and beds were all very comfortable.
We enjoyed our stay immensely, and being able to run back to the house from the beach without it being a huge ordeal was worth every penny. My only suggestion is to get rid of the carpet and buy a set of utensils.
Thank you for offering the house at an affordable price.