This house and it's location was fabulous. This was our first time driving on sand so that was quite an adventure! My family and I had the best experience at Smooth Sailing. The house was very clean and well stocked with everything we needed, from kitchen equipment all the way to beach toys, kites, and outside seating. The house is beautifully decorated and was just the right size for us. Each room had such quint charm and a personalized touch. We saw the wild mustangs from the deck on several days. They actually came up very close to the house so we were able to get great pictures. We also saw dolphins almost everyday. Great shelling after an overnight rain storm. We could see the nearby Currituck Lighthouse from our deck. My daughter took surfing lessons from a local business that actually came to us and picked her up. We loved that we were vacationing at a beach that was less populated. We cooked big family meals everynight and made memories that will last a lifetime.The owner of Smooth Sailing is very easy to get in contact with and was a joy to rent from. Smooth Sailing is pet friendly which was great for us! We will definitely be back.

The home is a perfect home for a couple & children. It is clean, well stocked with kitchen supplies and just enough room to be comfortable. The location is great because it is only a short walk to the beach & in a less populated location.

Remote! Remote! Remote! This is the place you go to hang out and reconnect with nature not do tons of touristy activities. It was quiet during off season until the Saturday we left. Locals said it was unseasonably cold this week in early April 2012. Luckily the Walmart 30 minutes south on the mainland had hoodies and clearance winter gear for sale. The wind was bitter cold and rearranged the furniture on the porch daily. We took down the wind chimes for the week...too loud to sleep at night.

The house was just the right size for our family of 5 and the rental is 3rd house back from the beach. Arrived at sunset, which was a little scary. Take a GPS with you! You won't be able to find it easily if it's raining AND dark. Could have brought another 2 children with us, as the beds accommodated such. Wish the master bedroom queen mattress was a lot firmer but it worked. It was a full moon during our stay so the ocean was a little scary one night but really beautiful. Great views from the upper balcony! Kids loved playing in the sandy front yard and flying kites on the beach. The horses did come up to the house on the last day we were there, when it got warmer. This would be a great place for someone with a dog.

We did have some issues with the water pressure and flow. Called Angi, the owner, and she immediately had someone at the house the same day trying to address the issue, which she may have inherited from the prior owner. Definitely needed the bottled drinking water jug, which can be bought at Ace Hardware or Wings.

Since we cooked a huge breakfast at the house each morning and keep snacks in the car, and skipped lunches. So we didn't feel so guilty eating dinner out at VERY expensive local restaurants. Expect to pay $14-40/plate/per person for dinner alone at this remote town that earns it's yearly income 6 months/yr.

I was initially scared to drive on the unpaved road. But it became one of the highlights of our trip...driving on sand. Watch the videos Angi sends on driving on the beach!!! Keep a copy of the tide schedule with you for the week, so you don't get stuck at high tide on the beach and unable to drive to your house. YES, make sure you drive a 4WD. YES, you must lower the air pressure to 15 psi every time you get on the sand roads! We saw a Mini-Cooper attempt to drive on the unpaved road and it got stuck at the entrance due to low clearance. So did a minivan and a sedan. Also saw a jacked-up monster truck from FL get stuck too, since the driver thought he could drive on the beach with those big tires and not lower his air pressure. We sped right on past Mr. FL in our little RAV-4 with lowered air pressure laughing.

Another thing, those trips you pay to see horses on the beach are worthless if you have your own 4WD. Spend the money renting a Jeep for the week instead of giving the money to those Jeep adventure people and enjoy fun times driving up and down the dunes and sand roads. The horses only come out to the beach when it's hot. Otherwise, they hide on the sound side of the islands.

This was a very nice, affordable place to stay on the beach. We had a wonderful time. My family consists of my wife and I and three kids 8 and under. We loved driving on the beach with 4 wheel drive and seeing the wild horses everyday. The first morning while on the beach we saw dolphins playing in the waves, which was an unexpected surprise.
The house had pretty much everything we needed. There is only one thing that I wish was different- the main bedroom bed- it really needs updating. We are a family of campers, so this did not effect our enjoyment of the trip. Everything else was great, we had plenty of beach toys that came with the house to keep us busy while we were there. We only left the area of the house to go shopping one day, which led us to the lighthouse which the kids really enjoyed. The kitchen and dining room was perfect for us. The living room was comfortable and we enjoyed the satellite TV at night. The kids really liked the stereo system that had speakers on the deck.
final verdict- a wonderful, budget minded, get-away! Thank you!