Just in time for when the days get shorter and the nights darker we this week had our new “ginormous” chandelier installed in the living room. It will not only bring extra light to the room, it adds a nice cozy feeling.
The type of bulbs are so called Edison Lights, which looks like the old fashioned bulbs developed by Tomas Edison. These use LED filaments though, making them long lasting and energy efficient while still looking great.
The chandelier replaces the old ceiling fan.
This weekend we visited the house for some routine maintenance, as well as to relax a little bit ourselves. It was a wonderful day, so I ended up shooting a short movie clip of the view oout over the cove and the lake. Enjoy!
We know that accidents happen, which is why we require guests to purchase property damage protection. This protects you as the renter from having to pay for accidental damages.
Our property manager does a thorough walk through between guests and takes detailed photos. We know what the house looked like when you arrived and when you left. When you check-in please look around and notify us if anything is broken or damaged that you see. We probably already know about it, but sometimes damages aren’t visible, for example you try to use the DVD player and find out it is not working.
If you notice anything broken when you arrive, or if anything breaks during your stay, please report it right away. Accidents happen, we won’t be mad at you, but we need to know about it so we can replace of fix anything broken or not working as quickly as possible so the next guest can enjoy the house as it is meant to be. If the accidental damage is significant we will file on accidental damage insurance you purchased when booking with Home Away.
Property Damage Protection (PDP) will only pay for damages that are truly accidental. The policy do not pay for damages for example if you have a wild party, nor for theft. The insurance doesn’t cover normal wear and tear, but we don’t expect you to pay for that either.
The policy will also not pay for damages if you break the rental agreement. For instance if you bring a pet that you did not sign a pet agreement for and the pet causes damages, they will not cover those damages and you will be held responsible for them. If you say you are bringing a group of 10 and actually have 15 people present, they will not cover your damages and you will be held responsible for them.
If the insurance company believes that you caused damage on purpose, if you deny doing the damage or if for any other reason they do not pay for the damages, we will have to hold you financially responsible for the damage, as per the rental agreement. It is in your best interest cooperate with the PDP adjustors. This means returning their phone calls and giving them information they request, such as verifying that it was in fact accidental.
We won’t charge you or file on insurance for normal wear and tear or small things like a broken dish or broken glass or a door knob that comes loose. Even something like a simple carpet stain that can be cleaned we will not charge for, unless our cleaning crews have to charge us a significant extra amount for cleaning because it took a long time to get up or it needed multiple tries. Despite the fact that we won’t file for those things it helps us to know in advance when something like that has happened so we can handle it. So please let us know anyway, don’t just leave the house.
We do file on PDP or charge you if someone runs into the screen door and breaks it, if furniture is broken, if windows are broken, if someone knocks over a television and cracks it or if an authorized dog damages the sofa or chews/scratches a door and it must be replaced. We will work to get accidental damage insurance to pay for those things directly so you do not have to pay directly, but we need your cooperation in the process to protect your security deposit. If the insurance company do not cover it you will be held responsible for the damages, as outlined in the rental agreement.
While the claim is being processed we will hold onto your security deposit. If the damages are paid for as part of your claim and there are no unreimbursed damages we will return your security deposit to you after the claim is paid. If they deny the claim then we will withhold your security deposit to pay for the damages and we may have to bill you.
In the case of theft or intentional damage we will use your security deposit to make repairs and replacements or file against you in small claims court if the expenses are greater than the security deposit.
Therefore, notifying us of accidental damage and working with the insurance company to get those claims paid out helps to protect your security deposit.
We have updated the welcome book with a map of the property with the borders marked. We have had some guest in the past enter the neighbors yard and setting up hammocks there, which they of course did not appreciate. You are also not allowed to enter their dock or boathouse. Not only is it private property, there is a liability for them if something would happen. As we clearly explain not only in the welcome guide but also in the rental agreement you sign, trespassing on the neighbors property is ground for immediate eviction without any refund. They also have the right to call law enforcement.
We have installed a rope fence along the property line. Look at the map to see where our property ends. The easy way to think about it is to draw an imaginary line extending from where the bushes/hedge along the driveway ends, past the trees next to the deck right (right inside the trees) and down to the bush to the left of the stairs to our dock. Click on the map to zoom in.
Thank you for your considerations!
The Welcome Book has been updated to reflect the latest updates to the house.
The September edition mainly have some small changes, including updated contact information/phone numbers to reach both owners.
The Welcome Book can normally be found in the kitchen, and we are also happy to mail our guest an electronic version ahead of your stay.
When you arrive we try to have an at least partialy full propane tank connected to the grill. We also have a full tank available that can be swapped out if the first one runs out. In a normal situation you should always have at least one full tank available, usually more. There is a gauge on the tank that will show how much propane is left. If the happens to be empty, we normally have a spare tank available for you. Please contact us to find out where it is located.
If there has been what we call a quick turn-around (the previous guests left the same day you arrive) they may have left an empty tank in the grill and we haven’t been able to change it out. Again, please let us know.
If you use up all the propane (both tanks) during your stay, you can refill the tanks at Lowe’s for $20.
As we mentioned previously, we have sensors on the doors to detect if they are being opened, and the thermostat will then turn off the air conditioning in order to avoid wasting electricity. Unfortunately one of the sensors was damaged recently, and we have disabled the automatic turn-off of the air conditioning. So we ask our guests to make sure you close all doors as quickly as possible and don’t leave them (or any windows) open while it is warmer outside than inside.
We have also added an additional air vent in the upstairs TV room. This should cool down that room faster. If you keep the door to the bathroom open it will help cool that room as well.
We have an electric boat lift on our dock so you can bring your own boat while you stay at Sunny Mornings. A few weeks ago it broke, and we had to get the GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter, also known as GFCI) replaced. The lift is now working, but we realized that we should explain a little bit more about how it works.
Ground Fault Interrupter on dock
The electrical power to the lift as well as to the lights on the dock goes through a conduit along the side of the dock. On the land side of the dock, on the concrete wall of the old boat house, you find a GFI and two electrical outlets under a protective cover. If the orange light is on, the GFI has tripped and there is no power to the dock. Press the reset button and you should head an audiable click and the light should go off. Please do not use the switch to the left of it.
On the dock there is a handle that regulates the lift (marked up – off – down). There is also another handle switch that turns on and off the overhead lights. It is located high on one of the horizontal beams. The light at the end of the dock has a light sensor and comes on at dusk and turn off at dawn.
As mentioned in an earlier post, we have several systems in place to handle the cooling. In the past we have had renters who left the doors open with the air conditioning running full blast. Not only does that use (and waste) enormous amounts of electricity, it can also cause the air conditioning unit to work so hard that it will actually freeze up.
Open/Closed sensor similar to the ones installed at Sunny Mornings
To prevent this we have installed sensors on the doors that will detect if they are opened. After a pre-determined time period (currently 1 minute) the thermostat is automatically turning off the cooling until the doors are closed again. However if the doors are left open for an extended time the air conditioner have to work really hard trying to cool down the house again, and it can take some time, or even cause the system to freeze up.
It is important to note that setting the thermostat to a lower temperature will not cool down the house faster. The system will cool down the air at a fixed speed, the only thing the thermostat is doing is to stop the cooling process when the target temperature has been reached. If you set the temperature too low, the air conditioner will never reach the target temperature and the system will continue to attempt to cool. So please set the target temperature to a reasonable level. Take in consideration that this is an older house with less insulation as well as big windows facing the lake.
Most air conditioners are not designed/able to lower the temperature more than about 20 degrees. So don’t expect to be able to keep the temperature inside at 70 degrees when it is 100 degrees outside, especially if the doors are being opened and closed constantly.
If the detectors at the door are ripped off, damaged or removed, the computerized system will think the door is open, and the thermostat will keep the air conditioner turned off. If this happens, contact the us at once.
There are also several fans, including a powerful vortex fan in the living room. It will help circulate the air and help cool down the living room area.
So to keep the house as cool as possible:
- keep the doors open only short times to keep cold air inside
- try to reduce the times doors are opened as much as you can
- make sure the doors are fully closed and sensors not damaged
- use the fans to circulate the air to help cool air reach warm areas
- don’t over-extend the air conditioning to avoid it freezing up
By following these tips, you will have a nice and comfortable stay at Sunny Mornings!
Inflatable rowboat
The inflatable rowboat is perfect for paddling around the water when the water is calm and some light fishing. It has room for four people, an electric pump and fishing rod holders built in. It is located outside the house, adjaecent to the front screened in porch on the east side of the house. Look for the ‘swim at your own risk’ sign on the front of a brown wall. That wall is actually a camouflaged door to a shed that stores outdoor items. There’s a latch on the left side of that wall. Inside the shed is where the inflatable boat and pump is stored, along with its paddles.
Personal Flotation Devices (PFD)
Hanging in the front coat closet you will find personal flotation devices/life jackets. They are required for anyone going out on the water by the US Coast Guard. There are PFDs supplied for small children, youth and adults in that closet. Please return them to this spot so future guests can locate them.