The Birdhouse – quiet luxury, walk everywhere

The Birdhouse is on a quiet wooded ravine steps from restaurants, shopping and a lovely 0.7 mile walk to the beach. This home hosts 4 guests only, including infants. Enjoy a screened-in porch with views to the woods, an outdoor eating area with grill, lovely terrace with firepit and laundry room. Bedrooms are cozy and comfortable. The bathroom features a luxurious rain shower with hand shower for junior guests. To allow our cleaning crew time to prepare, we're unable to offer early check-ins. The space The Birdhouse is a cozy getaway that's both private and within walking distance of the shops, restaurants and beach in New Buffalo. Located a 90-minute drive from Chicago, the Birdhouse is also accessible via Amtrak from the New Buffalo Amtrak stop, an easy 4-block walk away. The Birdhouse is ideal for a private, quiet getaway where you can enjoy wooded views from every window yet walk everywhere. We've carefully designed our 700 square-foot cottage to make every space beautiful, private and efficient. The bedrooms are small, yet comfortable. The occupancy is for four people, including infants. The dining area is comfortable and stylish, and the sofa, loveseat and lounge chair are perfect for reading or watching a movie. The Birdhouse has a Samsung Smart TV. It gets over-the-air reception of several networks and allows you to sign in to your Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and select other accounts. Our high-speed Xfinity internet has been very reliable and averages download speeds of 25Mbs+ with strong wifi coverage throughout the entire home, deck and yard. There is a small set of stairs down to the home from the pebble driveway and there are outside stairs to the laundry room, however, the rest of the home is on one level. The kitchen is equipped with space-saving, high-end appliances: refrigerator, electric range, toaster, blender, microwave and dishwasher. You'll find pots, pans and a Cuisinart coffee maker with a timer and insulated coffee pot for keeping that second cup of coffee warm. You’ll also find plenty of cookware, dinnerware and cutlery. Outside you'll enjoy using our Weber gas grill and the grilling tools provided. The cost of the propane is included in the cost of the rental but we ask that guests clean the grill after use with the provided brushes and grill cleaning spray. Parents of little ones will appreciate the availability of a high chair, a pack and play and a toddler bed guardrail available upon request. The house is situated on the side of a gentle ravine with a small, shallow stream. Under the deck, there's even an outdoor shower for a refreshing post-beach rinse. Although we have taken every opportunity to create a safe space, parents should be mindful that our cottage is located in a wooded area filled with flora and fauna, so children should be supervised at all times and respectful of the wild turkeys, deer, rabbit, raccoons, hawks, woodpeckers and other woodland friends who live nearby. We are unable to host pets, regardless of size, breed or level of training. Please use Airbnb's filter to choose a pet-friendly rental that will work for your needs. Guest access Guests will have full access to the house except for the basement mechanical/storage room. Other things to note Please upload your government-issued ID to Airbnb to verify your identity before requesting to book. For security and insurance purposes, you must have an Airbnb profile picture that includes your face. Per Airbnb policy, we do not allow Third-Party Bookings. The person booking the reservation must be the person staying at the home and the person in contact with the host. We are proud to be licensed as a short-term rental by the City of New Buffalo and undergo regular inspections for full compliance with city ordinances. We are also obligated to comply with all regulations for short-term rentals in New Buffalo with occupancy and parking limitations. Our certificate is posted in the Birdhouse. To comply with city ordinances, we are required to submit a Short-Term Rental Reservation Summary to the city. We must receive that information within 48 hrs of your checkin. If we do not receive the information we request within 48 hrs, we will be forced to cancel your reservation without a refund. Occupancy is strictly limited to 4 guests, including infants and 2 cars with no exceptions. The Birdhouse offers keyless entry. We will message you a code the day before your arrival that is valid only for the duration of your reservation. Our housekeeping team has a tight cleaning schedule so we apologize that we are unable to offer early check-ins or late check-outs. The bedrooms are very small. There is a small space for a single, compact pack-and-play in the smaller bedroom but no space for a larger one or one in the master bedroom. A small pack and play is available on request. We offer a toddler bed guardrail as an option for toddlers. Just let us know and we'll install it prior to your arrival. We ask that you not book the Birdhouse for more than 4 guests, including infants as we will be forced to cancel. We ask that guests not remove or rearrange furniture in the house. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation. Our cleaning fee, which is exactly what we are charged by our outstanding local crew, covers laundering linens, cleaning and disinfecting the entire home, cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, keeping outdoor spaces tidy and safe. At checkout we ask that guests leave the beds as is and throw any used towels in the shower area. Otherwise, we ask that guests leave the home in the condition in which they found it. Guests are asked to load and start all the dishwasher, remove any food or drink they brought with them and lock the house when you leave. Guests may use the marked garbage and recycling cans at the end of the front yard next to the neighbor's garage if you wish but it's not necessary to take out the trash. All hard surfaces are cleaned and disinfected between guests. All linens are washed after each stay. We provide a bottle of hand sanitizer next to the front door. A neighbor cuts the grass in the small grassy area in the front of the house when needed. Although we try to schedule this between guests, it's not always possible. Airbnb requires that hosts ask guests for written permission for anyone to be on the property during your stay. Guests will be asked to confirm in the messaging portal that they will allow the grass to be cut during their stays.