House rules
The same terms at both our houses
One set of rules, whichever house you book. The few things that genuinely differ are listed at the bottom rather than buried in the middle.
These standardise the two properties and fill gaps where nothing was written down. Under review by the owners.
- Getting in
- Keypad entry — no keys to collect or return. The door code is sent before you arrive. Nothing to collect, nothing to post back, and arriving late is not a problem.
- Check in
- From 4:30 PM
- Check out
- By 10:30 AM
- Early or late
- By arrangement, subject to availability
- At check-in
- Government photo ID and a credit or debit card at check-in
- Minimum age to book
- 25, and the person who books stays in the house
- Quiet hours
- 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM
- Extra guests
- Everyone staying the night goes on the booking — tell us who is coming and we will add them
Dogs, smoking, events
Dogs are welcome
Up to 3, a nightly charge applies — the amount is on the Vrbo listing, approved before you book. Not left alone in the house, not on the beds.
No smoking indoors
Permitted in designated outdoor areas only, using the receptacles provided. Both houses are old and timber-framed, so this one matters more than it usually does.
Events by arrangement
Events are welcome by prior arrangement only, under a separate event agreement and fee. Here that means up to 20 attendees.
Extra beds, and sleeping out
When a group books above the bed count we provide the difference: air mattresses, a pump, pillows and towels, and a new sleeping bag for each extra guest. The bag is new, nobody has slept in it, and you take it home with you. It is included in the extra-guest charge — there is nothing extra to pay for bedding.
The air mattresses stay indoors. They puncture on decking, gravel and dry grass, and cool night air lets them down overnight. Sleeping out is fine — just ask us first and bring your own mattress. Your sleeping bag is already yours, so that can go wherever you like. Plenty of families do it here and we are happy to say yes.
No deposit hold
A small non-refundable damage waiver added to each booking, covering accidental damage up to a set limit. Deliberate damage and missing items are still charged. A refundable deposit still applies to events and weddings, where the exposure is genuinely larger.
We changed this deliberately. A large hold on your card at the moment of booking is the thing most likely to make a good guest hesitate — and arguing about its return afterwards is how pleasant stays end badly.
If your plans change
- 30 or more days before arrival
- 100%
- 14 to 29 days before arrival
- 50%
- Within 14 days of arrival
- No refund
Events and weddings
- 6 or more months before the date
- 100%
- 3 to 6 months before
- 50%
- Within 3 months
- No refund
Before you leave
Short enough that it actually gets done:
- Sign out of any streaming accounts on the TV
- Start the dishwasher
- Bag the trash and put it in the outside cans
- Strip used linens into the basket
- Turn off the grill and close the gas
- Put any furniture you moved back
- Turn off all the lights
- Turn off any room air conditioning
- Leave the washer door open, unless a load is running
Particular to this house
- Events
- Up to 20 attendees
- Water and sewer
- City sewer, Kingsland MUD. Water comes from a private well, so a power cut means no water, not just no lights.
- Irrigation
- Automatic overnight irrigation, 12:01–6:30 AM. Fixed schedule; bring anything of yours in off the grass
- Cameras
- Two exterior cameras, front and back. None indoors
- Internet
- Fast internet throughout. The network name and password come with your booking, and they are always on the refrigerator as well.
- Master patio doors
- The master has two French doors straight onto the patio — a short cut out to the water end of the house without crossing the big room.
Everything else is the same as at Concord Manor.
Questions people ask
How do I know it looks like the photographs?
Ask us for a video walkthrough before you book. We would rather show you than have you arrive surprised.
Can we bring a dog?
Yes — up to three, approved before you book, for a small nightly fee. Not left alone in the house, and not on the beds. At the lake house please note the yard is not fenced, so bring a leash or a tie-out.
What if our plans change?
Full refund up to 30 days before arrival, half up to 14 days. Inside 14 days we cannot refund, because the week rarely refills at short notice.
Does the lake drop in summer?
No. Lake LBJ is constant-level — the waterline in August looks like it did in April, which is not true of most Hill Country lakes.
We want to fish — do we need to bring it all with us?
No. The cove fishes well straight off the back yard, and the Ace in Kingsland — minutes away, and reportedly the largest in Texas — has a serious fishing department: tackle, bait and licences. Bring a rod if you have a favourite; everything else you can pick up when you arrive.
How many does it really sleep?
Eight, easily, in four king beds — no air mattress involved. We can take twelve. Each guest beyond eight is $27 a night, and that covers everything they need: the air mattress, the pump, pillows, towels, and a new sleeping bag that is theirs to take home. Sleeping bags rather than sheets, because the mattresses sit on the floor and a sheet will not stay on one. We would rather tell you now than have you find out at bedtime.
Can we get a boat in?
There is a dock at the house you can tie up to. The ramp closest by is small craft only; a larger public ramp is a few minutes away.
Will the air conditioning cope in August?
It holds 72°F when it is 110°F outside. Guests mention it in reviews, which tells you what the competition is like. There are three window units — kitchen, bunk room and master — as a backstop if the central system is ever down; you should not need them.
Is the cove actually quiet?
Yes — it is the end of the cove, so there is no through boat traffic, and guests regularly say the neighbors are part of what they liked. One thing worth knowing rather than discovering: a private helicopter is based across the cove and comes and goes every few days, always midday or afternoon. It is brief, never early or late, and children love it.
Can someone work from here?
Yes, and properly — a desk, a portable folding table so you can set up wherever suits, a small monitor, and 100+ Mbps internet. Fast enough for video calls, not just email.
Is the whole house ours?
Yes. The whole property is yours — you are never sharing it with other guests.
Is there enough crockery for a full house?
There are plates, silverware and glasses for twelve, which matches what the house sleeps. If you are a larger group for a meal, bring paper or plastic — there are usually some extras around, but not a full set.
What to expect when you book
Dates, prices, availability and messages all live on Vrbo — payment, guest verification and cover stay on their side of the line, which protects you as much as us.
A same-day answer
Every enquiry answered within a few hours, and always the same day.
No deposit hold
A small damage waiver instead of a large refundable hold on your card.
Minimum stays
Two nights off-season, three on holiday weekends, longer only in peak.
Let yourself in
Keypad entry, and the code comes before you arrive. No key collection and nobody to wait for.
Whole house
You are never sharing the property with other guests.
Events
Ask first, so we can be honest about whether the house suits your day.