Arrival:
Prior to arrival you will be given a keycode for the front door lock. This code will be valid for the length of your stay. Press the screen firmly – thumb works best - and the keypad will light up. Enter the code on the keypad. Lock should disengage. To re-lock, make sure the door is firmly closed, repeat the same process, and press the symbol that looks like a lock. Watch for confirmation or check to make sure it’s locked. Once inside you lock the door by turning the knob.
Adjust the thermostat as needed.
The current Wifi network name is: “503 Velasquez”
The current Wifi password is: 9786188005
Hopefully, by now you realize that staying in a home with a pool is different than staying at a hotel or a resort. Along with the convenience and relative privacy come a few of the chores that homeowners get used to. There is no one coming to do them for you. The pool is the best example. Yes, we have a pool service. They come once a week. Their primary objective is to maintain the water chemistry and they will also clean out any debris. Any pool owner knows that those tasks can demand more attention than once a week, especially if it rains much. Please let us know if there are any problems with the water and we will give you instructions on what to do. Otherwise, the net is your friend! Read more pool-related instructions below.
During your stay:
There will be no daily cleaning as in a hotel. If you are staying for an extended period and want to arrange for a cleaning during your stay, we can put you in touch with our housekeeper.
If you have properly arranged to bring your pet(s). Please note that they must be crated anytime they are left in any room of the house alone. Bedrooms and bathrooms are not dog crates. They are strange places that call for escape by any means – including scratching doors and floors.
Pool and Lanai:
The ceiling fan and light on the screened part of the lanai are controlled by a small white remote. Make sure the switch is left on above the kitchen counter and you can do everything else with the remote.
There is an Echo Device in the kitchen to control the lights in the pool and on the pool deck. The pool light is on a timer to come on shortly before sundown and off at 11. If you want it on or off at any other time, say “Alexa, turn on/off the pool light”. To control the lights on the pool deck say “Alexa, turn on the lanai lights” or “Alexa, turn the lanai lights BLUE” or some combination thereof. Alexa can also control the brightness of the outside lights, but not the pool light for safety reasons.
The pool guy will usually be here on Monday. He won’t come in the house. He’ll usually be here less than an hour. The mowers will come weekly as their schedule dictates.
If you are here for an extended stay, the pool may need water added due to normal evaporation. The pool guy will not be here long enough to add water. If the level ever gets completely below the skimmer entrance it will not circulate properly. Ideally, the level should be half way up the tile surrounding the pool. To add water, use the hose on the side of the house. Run water SLOWLY until it reaches the height you want.
Use net on pole before swimming or anytime to remove floating debris. Use brush on pool bottom to direct sunken items to floor drain.
Pump/filter is set to run 8 hours per day during daylight hours. The pool pump and heater controls are off limits and controlled remotely.
If you want to spray the pool deck, use the hose near the kitchen slider. There should be a nozzle. Please don’t spray the screened lanai.
No smoking in the house includes no smoking on or near the lanai. Ash is not fun to clean out of the pool.
Kitchen:
You are welcome to use any of the appliances.
Please hand wash pots and pans and any wood handled utensils. Nearly everything else can go in the dishwasher. Check the labels for microwave and dishwasher compatibility. Soap pods are under the sink. Kitchen towels are on a shelf. 1-2 Scrub sponges are provided
Other:
The detached garage and the closets in the main hallway (the ones with keypads) have been reserved as private areas. The rest of the house including the main garage is available for your use during your stay. We may leave a garage door opener for you, but we are VERY leery that it will be too easy for someone to accidentally take it with them when they leave. So, if you don’t see one, either we couldn’t get past that bad feeling – or the last guest took it with them.
We like nice towels. But we seem to lose a lot of them. So, for accountability we are providing the equivalent of 2 towel sets (bath towel, hand towel, wash cloth) for each person for up to six people. Then one set for each additional guest beyond that. Also, we have provided additional ‘makeup’ wash cloths. Please use them as intended and don’t stain the white ones. Wash them as needed, but please don’t wash any of our white towels with items of any other color. And please make sure they’re all still here when you leave or we won’t have enough for the next guest.
There will be one pool towel per registered guest in a bin on the lanai.
We may from time to time have beach towels available for your use, but you may want to bring/buy your own. Available beach towels will be stored in a linen closet. Please don’t take our white bath towels to the public beaches.
You are welcome to use the laundry facilities and any cleaning supplies. Please do not wash any of our white towels with items of any other color. There is also a drying rack for things you can’t put in the dryer.
We’ve tried to provide enough supplies (toilet paper, shampoo, dish sponges, etc) for a short stay. It is customary for longer term stays to be responsible for their own supplies. There is a Walmart very nearby to the north on 41.
Television. There are smart TVs in the living room and some of the bedrooms. YouTube TV is available for TV service. If you have your own TV service, Netflix, etc., you will be able to log in on any smart TV.
Trash pickup is on Thursday. There are bins outdoors in and behind the garage. Please roll the bins out the night before. The blue bin is for recyclables. Do not use the BLUE bin for trash.
Our home is on a septic system. Please only flush toilet paper.
There are beach items in the garage. Beach chairs only at this time.
There are two Stand Up Paddleboards (SUP) available for your use in the garage. They take some experience, and some balance, to use standing up. If you don’t have either of these, try sitting on them and using more as a kayak. No judgment. Do not use them without checking their air pressure with either a provided hand pump or the portable electric (car battery) pump. The recommended pressure is 15 PSI.
There are two king size air mattresses, if needed. They are stored in the small master closet.
There is a porta crib in the garage and a booster seat in the pantry.
Enjoy your stay!
Departure:
We pass along what is truly a very small amount for 'resetting' a house of this size. That is because we rely on you to tidy up after yourselves. Please try to leave the house the way you found it.
Please leave unmade but do not strip the beds that you used. (Our housekeeper has found this the best routine).
Wash and dry as many towels as you can, but don’t worry about folding them.
Set the thermostat to 75 cool and 67 heat. Do not turn it off.
Please dispose of any perishable items that you can't freeze.
Please place your remaining trash in one or more of the lidded containers and leave behind the garage. Someone will take them out on trash day.
Do not leave dirty dishes. Do not overfill the dishwasher. Start it as you leave if necessary and hand wash anything that doesn’t fit.
Please make sure there is nothing left outdoors except the pool loungers (beach furniture, toys)
Turn off all lights and ceiling fans.
Make sure all windows and exterior doors are closed and locked.
- All sliding glass doors
- The screen doors on the lanai.
- The door behind the garage
- Do not lock the door leading from the house to the garage
Lock the front door by closing it completely, pressing the keypad firmly with your thumb, and pressing the lock button. Wait for a checkmark. If flashing, try again with slightly different door pressure. Please test it to make sure it locked.
This manual and a local guidebook will also be available in a printed book when you arrive.