Rentals of 30+ days only! Contemporary 2-bedroom/2-bath house with a den that doubles as a 3rd bedroom. Modern kitchen, open living/dining area with dramatic cathedral ceilings and big windows looking out on the forest. Screened porch, open deck, and access to two nearby private lakes. Sleeps 8, pet and kid-friendly. 2 hrs from NYC & Boston, or fly into Hartford, CT, or Albany, NY. Close to Rte. 20 & Rte. 8, ten-minute drive to Lee. Near Jacob's Pillow, Tanglewood, and Shakespeare & Company.
The space
Well-equipped house perfect for families, retirees or working folks looking for a place to stay while on temporary assignment or escape from city. Broadband wifi, big-screen TV, easy access to Rte. 20 - never get snowed in! Master bedroom upstairs has a king bed and walk-in closet. Second bedroom has a bunk bed with two twin mattresses, and a daybed with trundle underneath. The trundle can be pulled out to make two single beds, or raised and combined with the daybed to make another king bed. Full bathroom upstairs with shower, tub, and single sink serves both bedrooms. Good water pressure, and you'll get two or three (if short) consecutive showers before the hot water tank has to heat up again.
Downstairs, the den has a queen sleeper sofa, and can be made into a private suite with a full bath with shower, tub, and single sink. Laundry room with linens, towels and full-size washer and dryer is next to the den. There's another queen sleeper sofa in the living room.
The kitchen is recently remodeled, with marble countertops and new stainless appliances. Fully stocked with dishes, pots & pans, baking supplies and staple foods, spices and condiments. Microwave, electric smooth-top stove, dishwasher, hot water kettle, and toaster. Dining table seats 6-8, or up to 10 with extra leaf.
The great room is a living/dining room with soaring cathedral ceilings, floor-to-ceiling picture windows looking onto the forest in back, and a reading nook with plenty of bright light. Comfy sofas and coffee table are great for reading, relaxing, surfing the net, watching TV, or playing board games. Lamps and a working fireplace complete the atmosphere.
The back deck gets midday sun and partial shade in the afternoon. Enjoy a bug-free outdoor space in the large screened porch, which has a small dining table and a wicker couch, loveseat and rocking chair with comfy striped cushions.
A mudroom at the front entry has a coatrack, bench and boot scraper/brush.
Guest access
You will have access to the whole house, as well as to two private lakes a short distance away. The garage is used for storage and not available for parking, but there's room for half a dozen cars in the large driveway.
Other things to note
The house is in a private community with a homeowners association. Rental agreement is for a minimum of 30 days. You'll need to sign a rental form and agree to the community rules which are mostly common courtesy items like don't leave trash at the beach, observe speed limits, leash your dog, don't make lots of noise, etc.
House is on a paved secondary road, set back a ways. You can hear traffic a little bit, but you'll only notice it a couple of times a day when trucks go up the hill.
No air-conditioning but house is well-insulated, shaded by tall trees, and has ceiling fans in every room. Fairly high elevation, so it's usually ten degrees cooler than in town. June and July are generally in the 70s with occasional heat waves or cooler spells. August can be hotter but rarely gets above 90. Strong furnace and insulated windows keep the house cozy and warm in the winter.
The closest 24-hour emergency medical treatment is at Berkshire General Hospital in Pittsfield, 40 minutes away. The all-volunteer Becket Fire Department station is about a mile away; response time is five to ten minutes.
Note there is NO GARBAGE PICKUP. You can put trash in the garbage cans in the garage but when they are full, you will need to take them to the dump or make arrangements with the co-host to do so. Please separate recycling to cut down on garbage.
House has broadband internet with strong wifi signal throughout. Cell signal strength varies from OK to spotty, but wi-fi calling works well.
There's a smart TV with Roku, and an ancient TV/VCR unit that still works with a handful of kids' movies and 80s-90s classics - but there is no cable or broadcast TV signal.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Please note Airbnb's default for reservations over 28 days is to charge you right away and offer a full refund only within 48 hours of booking, even if your stay is many months away. Please send an INQUIRY, not a request, as this allows us time to communicate and set terms. A 30% deposit of the first month's fee is required to hold the dates, with full payment or refund 30 days prior to arrival. Later refunds may be possible depending on circumstances.
