Votsalo House

I rented this house long term. It was in good condition, but there were several serious drawbacks that I think should have been disclosed rather than hidden. Although the stated square metres may be right, the house is spread over four levels. A steep, slippery staircase leads down to the bathroom, a nice double room facing the garden, and a second room that felt more like a basement. That room has a very small window, mostly blocked by another outside wall, and no air conditioning. There are also a couple of steep steps dividing both the first floor and the ground floor. I'd suggest a maximum of three people, since the cabinet in the second room has no shelves. The house is very noisy. The main road is close, and the fittings don't block the sound. Cars make noise during the day, and at night there's a rooster and other animals at a small farm next door. I made clear when booking that I needed to work remotely, but none of the outdoor areas was really usable for that, due to the lack of Wi-Fi and power, direct sun, and traffic noise. The south terrace isn't sheltered from wind as advertised. The north terrace has no pergola, so you can use it only until 9:30 in the morning or after 7 in the evening. It has the nicest view, but because it lacks wind protection too, it's really only usable for breakfast and dinner. The landlord is a decent person, but very inflexible. I booked for four and ended up using the house alone. Given the hidden surprises, and an ankle sprain that stopped me doing sports, I asked for a fair 8% discount on the balance. I got only 1.7%, and the landlord threatened to shut off the utilities. For complaints, he came up with his own fixes, such as saying a garden irrigation faucet was a good replacement for the outdoor shower you normally find at houses by the sea. Another issue is that Votsalo is a detached building, but it's not a single house as described. It's split into two narrow two-floor apartments, and the neighbors are so close they can see inside the double room, as shown in the pictures. There are only a few mosquito nets, and some don't close the windows properly, so be prepared for mosquitoes. There's a lot of outdoor space, but it's not on the same level as the living room and is very uncomfortable to use. It's basically only suitable for lying in the sun, which you don't really need to do when the beach is within walking distance. The outdoor lighting is inadequate. A couple of lights on the walls don't properly illuminate the outside patio or entrance. The doors also don't close properly, and need to be pushed or pulled hard.

The area was peaceful and relaxing, with the beach nearby and a lovely garden. There are plenty of facilities around too. The hosts were the nicest, easy to reach, and quick to sort things out. We had a great time at Votsalo house and will definitely be back!