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Beautiful, clean "Topsail" Author Home, 1½ Blocks to Beach, Fenced Yard for Pets

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Exterior
Beach nearby
Marina
Dining
Property grounds

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 6121 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

View in a map
Surf City, NC
  • Place, Southside Park
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Place, Surf City Pier
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Place, Ohana Paddle Sports
    ‪6 min drive‬
  • Airport, Wilmington, NC (ILM-Wilmington Intl.)
    ‪56 min drive‬

Room options

Similar properties

Interior
As seen on HGTV's HOUSE HUNTERS in 2023!! Stunning Views - Steps to the Beach
  • Hot tub
  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Dryer
5.0 out of 5, Exceptional, 110 reviews
As seen on HGTV's HOUSE HUNTERS in 2023!! Stunning Views - Steps to the Beach

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

Beautiful, clean "Topsail" Author Home, 1½ Blocks to Beach, Fenced Yard for Pets

Beautiful, clean "Topsail" Author Home, 1½ Blocks to Beach, Fenced Yard for Pets

We hope you enjoy your stay in SURF CITY'S 5-STAR HOME! . . . and new for 2025:
LINENS AND TOWELS: Bed linens and towels are provided at no extra charge!


  • '5 STARS: We found perfection. ... a perfect place for a family with a dog.'

  • '5 STARS: Very nice and clean. The front porch is wonderful and the dog loved the fenced-in backyard.'

  • '5 STARS: Like home only better with the beach so close by and the sound of the waves as we slept!'

  • '5 STARS: Absolutely Wonderful!!!! ... I cannot say enough about the house and location.'

  • '5 STARS: This rental was everything it said it was.... It was perfect.'

  • '5 STARS: It doesn't get any better. ... Don't miss this great rental!! 6 Stars'

  • '5 STARS: Highly recommend. Perfect for anyone with a pet....Very clean, well kept, well appointed.'
  • '5 STARS: Fantastic Vacation Home!!!... You will not be disappointed!'

  • '5 STARS: Living area is huge.... The beds were VERY comfortable.'

  • '5 STARS: Great home in a great location. ... Recommend highly!'

  • '5 STARS: My Wife and I are planning to make this one of our annual vacation spots.'




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RENTAL NOTES:

  • CLEANING: Professional cleaning service provides extra cleaning and disinfecting before your arrival, as well as linens and towels.

  • CANCELLATION: 14 days' notice for full payment return (7 days for 50%), lowest requirement in the industry.


==================================



THE HOME:


TOPSAIL ISLAND is wonderfully slow-paced and family-friendly. This beautiful modern beach home, recently updated, is owned by the author and photographer of 'Topsail Island: Mayberry by the Sea.' It is in a residential neighborhood in northern Surf City, near North Topsail Beach. The home is one-and-one-half (1½) blocks from the beach and just one-half (½) block from one of Surf City's scenic canals, lined with boats and large homes and visible from the decks. It is 2 miles from the shopping/restaurant center of the island.



THE ONE-LEVEL HOME has a large, spacious living/dining room with vaulted ceiling. A big kitchen opens to it. There are three bedrooms sleeping a total of six, including large master suite with king bed, all with ceiling fans, and two full baths. (You provide towels and bed linens: your own or try either Me and Mom Cleaning or other companies that deliver/pick up.) Coastal-style furniture, seascape paintings/prints and other island art decorate the home. (No smoking, please.) Pergo Boathouse flooring is in the living areas.



THE BACKYARD IS FENCED, a Topsail rarity. This is perfect for anyone with young children or pets (up to two well-behaved dogs are allowed). Other amenities: keyless electronic door lock; large covered front deck with rockers and ocean breezes, perfect for waiting out any occasional showers; two long driveways, partially covered; outdoor shower; gas grill on back patio; ceiling fans inside throughout; high-speed wireless internet; 72-channel cable.



YOU'LL FALL IN LOVE with both Topsail and this home!


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Home, built in 2000, is continually updated:

  • NEW FOR 2025 (thus far): Refrigerator-freezer with icemaker, Luxury mattress toppers for king and queen beds, front storm door. New service: Bed linens and bath towels provided at no extra charge.

  • NEW FOR 2024: Rear storm door, paint in two bedrooms and bathroom, air fryer, replacement kitchen faucet.

  • NEW FOR 2023: Luxury queen bed for 2nd Bedroom, toilet for master bath, pillows for all bedrooms, larger TVs in all locations, replacement rocker for front porch, replacement back door.

  • NEW FOR 2022: Chest of drawers for 2nd Bedroom, pillows for all bedrooms, 2-seat Adirondack bench for front porch, replacement rocker for front porch.

  • NEW FOR 2021: Luxury king bed for master, 2 twin beds, back-deck breakfast table and benches, gas grill, cordless door blinds, 12-cup coffeemaker (companion to existing Keurig single-cup maker), pots/pans, all smoke alarms, hot water heater.



Keywords: Beach House, Island Home, Fenced Yard, Pets, Dogs, Wi-Fi, Camp Lejeune






VRBO DETAILS:

During your stay at this vacation home, you're just a quick walk from Surf City Beach. Enjoy features like laundry facilities. Free WiFi and a kitchen are available in the vacation home.
  • Air-conditioned home with kitchen, washing machine, and 2 bathrooms
  • Free WiFi
  • Amenities include laundry facilities
  • Onsite recreation includes a playground
  • 8 minutes by foot from Surf City Beach and a 4-minute drive from Back in Touch Massage, Yoga, & Lomilomi
This vacation home offers its guests barbecue grills and laundry facilities. The front desk is open around the clock.

Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach nearby

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Hob
  • Ice maker
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 3 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Shampoo
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Books
  • DVD player
  • TV with cable/satellite channels
  • Video library

Outdoor areas

  • Balcony
  • Barbecue grill
  • Fenced yard
  • Outdoor furniture

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • Pet friendly
  • Welcoming cats and dogs only
  • 2 pets total

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Single level property
  • Smoke-free property

Location highlights

  • In a village

Things to do

  • Cycling nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Jet skiing nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Rafting nearby
  • Sailing nearby
  • Snorkelling nearby
  • Surfing/bodyboarding nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Water skiing nearby
  • Windsurfing nearby

Safety features

  • No carbon monoxide detector or gas appliances (host has indicated there are no carbon monoxide detectors or gas appliances on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)

General

  • Recycling
  • Unit size: 1,302 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 25

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Rules

Pet fees: Up to 2 well-behaved pets allowed w/ fee
FLEXIBLE CANCELLATION POLICY. Beginning 2020 with
SUPER-CLEAN: Now EXTRA cleaning and DISINFECTING b

Pets

  • Pets are welcome
  • Only dogs and cats are allowed
  • Maximum 2 pets
  • Restrictions apply
  • For more information, you can reach out to the property at the number on the booking confirmation
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Note from host: Up to 2 well-behaved pets ($33 EACH PER NIGHT).

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Events

No events allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated there are no carbon monoxide detectors or gas appliances on the property
Host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation
You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions. You will also receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account which will enable you to manage your booking.

We should mention

  • To make arrangements for your pet, contact the property directly using the information on your booking confirmation.

Beautiful, clean "Topsail" Author Home, 1½ Blocks to Beach, Fenced Yard for Pets Reviews

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 146 out of 160 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 13 out of 160 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 160 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 160 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 160 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Melanie B.

Liked: Cleanliness
It was nice to have a fenced back yard for our dog. The location was great, but it was unfortunate that it rained the whole time we were there. We will definitely try to come back, though!Ray was a very kind and gracious host!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Bobbi D.

Liked: Cleanliness
This is a great find! Super close to the beach. The home was clean and comfortable.Ray was amazing with responding to communication. I was surprising my sister for her birthday and he was so helpful in making it happen. We had a great time here.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Charles T.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very pet friendly, fenced in backyard is ideal. Ideal to stay in Topsail because of location. Very clean, beautiful home. Could not have had better accommodations. Highly recommend and I’m going to buy the book on Amazon about the history. Hope to return soon!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Chandler W.

Liked: Cleanliness
We really enjoyed our stay at the “Mayberry by the Sea.” The beach was easily accessible and the fenced in back yard was great for the dog.Hopefully we will return again next summer.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

LISA C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Enjoyed the stay! Great beach house in a lovely area and the backyard is perfect for vacationing with a dog.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

ryan C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Awesome stay!! Ray McAllister was a huge help and answered every question that I had !!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Susan J.

Liked: Cleanliness

Wonderful beach house!

The home was lovely, well appointed, and close to beach access #2. The front porch was great, and the neighborhood was friendly and easy to access. Ray was a fantastic host, very responsive and helpful! The kitchen was well stocked for cooking. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and highly recommend this home!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Susan E.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great house!

Very well-equipped and comfortable home. We really enjoyed our stay and the proximity to the beach. The fenced-in backyard was perfect for our dogs. The homeowner was very responsive when we texted him. We would recommend this home and would stay again.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Cecilia C.

Liked: Cleanliness

Grammy camp

Every year at the end of the school year we take our grand kids for a week. We call it Grammy camp. This year they picked Topsail. We had a great week at the beach.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Andrew W.

Liked: Cleanliness
We were very pleased with our stay. It was clean, check in was easy, the walk to the beach was short, the owner was friendly, easy to reach and responded quickly, and the house had several extra things our kiddos enjoyed (books, games, toys). The fenced in yard was nice for our little dog and the outdoor shower was nice after a day at the beach. We will definitely be booking this house again for our next trip.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Holly B.

Liked: Cleanliness
We had a wonderful time at Mayberry By the Sea. We spent 10 days taking in this beautiful beach! The house had everything we needed, beautiful landscaping, beds were comfortable and communication with Ray was super easy. The house is overall very clean and well taken care of. I think a deep cleaning of the walls/baseboards would take it over the top! This house was SO comfortable for the 5 of us and our 2 dogs, they loved the back yard! We will absolutely be booking this house again next summer.
Stayed 10 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Laura T.

Liked: Cleanliness

Great pet friendly Place!

Home was clean and it was pet friendly. Needs a lot of updating, but that did not bother us. Would stay again! Make sure you bring your own linens as they are not provided! I personally forgot, but that was my fault.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

John P.

Liked: Cleanliness

Topsail is best in September

This property had everything we needed. The space was very comfortable for five adults, three of them worked a couple days remote. The outdoor shower was perfect to rinse off the sand. We had room in the kitchen to cook together and we spent a lot of time on the two open air porches. The sliding gate on the front porch gave our older lab a chance to be outside by herself, along with the fenced in backyard. A beautiful added touch were the roses and Cana Lillies that surround the front stairs. Thank you Ray for sharing this home with us.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Terry A.

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Katherine M.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect home layout

We loved our stay here - one level living was so nice and unique compared to most rentals in the area. Kitchen had almost everything we needed and we made most of our meals. We couldn't find a grill brush so we picked one up and left it under the kitchen sink. Hopefully the next guests enjoy as much as we did! My only hesitation in giving a glowing review is that we'll have trouble booking again! Truly enjoyed.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Alyssa B.

Liked: Cleanliness

Wonderful stay

House is beautiful. Property owner very responsive and wonderful! Book this house. !!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Rebecca L.

Liked: Cleanliness

Mayberry by the sea

House was perfect for what we needed. Close to the beach, clean, in great neighborhood
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Yvonne S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Awesome location - great house

Loved the location. Quiet neighborhood. Back deck has views of the canal. House is well appointed, clean and beds really comfy.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Laurie M.

Liked: Cleanliness

June 2024

The property was very nice and the fenced in yard was great for the dogs. Very close access to the beach and great location.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Christine O.

Liked: Cleanliness

Perfect home

Our 3rd time staying here and looking forward going back next year!!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Thomas L.

Liked: Cleanliness

Cousins at Mayberry by the Sea

Way a perfect week for me and 2 cousins. Ray was the perfect host. We’ll be back.
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Elihau G., Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Liked: Cleanliness

A pleasant and airy beach cottage.

This house is spacious, full of light and convenient to the beach. It has a large living room, and kitchen. Dining area with a large table. Comfortable beds. Front porch with chairs and back porch with a table and chairs. The enclosed back yard is ideal for your dog and the enclosed outdoor shower with hot water is great for the (mandatory) rinse off when returning from the beach. We had a very enjoyable stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Steve S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Totally Enjoyed Vacation

This home we stayed at was great, the only complaint I have is with Mother Nature, Mon - Wed the waves were to strong for boogie boarding!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Valerie C.

Liked: Cleanliness

Nice and relaxing

Although our stay was short, it was very relaxing. The place is absolutely beautiful and dog friendly. There are very detailed instructions about how things work in the house, such as hot/cold knob to the shower, you just have to read :). Overall a great place and we highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Courtney E.

Liked: Cleanliness

Mayberry by the Sea

Each year we take two beach trips. One with our parents/in-laws and one with the our family of four. This was our first trip taking a pet and our first trip to Surf City. The house was the perfect place to relax and spend time with our family. The walk to the beach was easy. The backyard was perfect for our furry friend to play fetch and we loved the sunset views of the water. We came home and didn’t sleep because our bed isn’t as comfortable as those in the house. I will say, it is the coldest beach house we have ever stayed in. We ended up having to turn the air up. My husband says we are coming back next year for two weeks and may potentially buy property in the area.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2023