A. Giggling Creek Cottage was the main home of a former tobacco and livestock farmer. It was purchased in February,2021. You’re located in Bassett, Virginia—specifically Henry County. Some folks call this area Oak Level as Bassett is a sprawling area. If you’ve heard of Bassett Furniture, this is the county where it was born and it still operates in as a major employer.

A. Please check out our Guidebook on our AirBNB site, so many fun things to do in the local area. Also, check our Instagram @gigglingcreek or reach out to hosts. Smith River, Philpott Dam, Fairystone Park, etc. are just a few attractions.

1. The Senville Minisplits (large white canisters higher up on wall) should be set to Heat on the fan (winter) and Auto setting in Summer for cooling. The window AC unit (AC only) is very powerful and can technically cool the entire place in Summer without any support. They are highly efficient and work when doors are not closed and fans are on. 2. For supplemental heat, we also have wall-based HeatStorms strategically placed in most rooms. If they are all set on full blast, they may reset breakers—so slow and steady with those ones. Note breaker panel is in laundry room near washer. 3. For those folks that like it very, very hot, we do have space heaters in the living room and in the orange office. Caution Note: Please, please do not ever leave these running when not in the same room as they are a fire hazard. Also, please unplug once no longer in use. 4. The Nest Thermostat is only for emergency heating and is connected to the oil heater tank. If there is an emergency situation, please notify hosts before use.

A. Even though there have been wildlife sightings, you can access the acreage beyond the red farm gate—just be aware of your surroundings. Please proceed with caution going up the hill, if driving--only recommended for 4x4 vehicles. 5 acres are across the street and include the steep hill to the left. A future tiny home site is being planned. You may be sharing the acreage with another tiny home house sometime in the future. The owner’s suite is above the gray garage and is empty 99% of the time even if the lights are on (timer). It is available for rent if you have a large party. It is primarily intended to be a temporary haven for domestic abuse victims (in partnership with a local nonprofit) in dire circumstances so you may (not likely) see some minor activity or a vehicle there. This should not impact your stay whatsoever.

A. It is to the left of the cottage (on-facing), and serves as our western boundary. Approximately 300 feet west of the cottage. It is a tributary of Smith River. Have you heard of Kudzu vines? Well, they have tried strangling the creek downstream and upstream and the creek doesn’t giggle as often. Nonetheless, we’ve engaged the Virginia Department of Foresty to support us in getting rid of these vines as they grow a foot per night and are extremely invasive ☹

A. Kind of like 45 football fields and some. Most of it is forested as we have an arrangement with the County to not develop all of it. We enjoy watching wildlife and do not permit hunting unless it is coyotes. We do have an arrangement with a local hunter to eradicate coyotes and we haven’t spotted any in years.

A. For your own safety and the integrity of the farm, outside cameras are used—no internal cameras. Not all of them actually work, but they do deter any nefarious activity so we don’t take them down. We store ATVs, farm equipment and other items and they are to give the police something to work with—not to monitor guests. Again, we do not monitor you, as our guests, but rather monitor wildlife, parking, dumpster service, and contractors who do work on the outside premises as it is periodically being developed. This is also a requirement of our insurance policy.

A. Sometimes we receive packages on the back patio, garage or on front patio. Please, please place packages in the laundry room and let us know via the app that something arrived. They usually are additional supplies from Amazon and our team will handle if they know it is there.

A. It does not—sorry. It is only for emergency oil heat and is locked. Please use the Senville Minisplits(remotes are usually on the wall or nearby) for your comfort or the window AC unit (which is extremely powerful) and enviro-friendly. The Senville Minisplit units are primary heating, cooling and ventilation, with Hea Storm wall heaters as backup. In the event of a serious cold front, the Nest thermostat oil heat is used to trigger the backup furnace.

A. Yes! Please turn off then on the router near the sofa. It may need a restart every once in a while. Give them both 5-10 minutes to reconnect.

A. I know this is an annoyance. Sometimes the devices get disconnected, and we do ask you to patiently connect it to the WIFI. We don’t have full time technical support that checks these things, but it is on our Quality Control Checklist so we can periodically make sure they are connected. Sorry about that.

A. Just to avoid dog hair from getting into our linens. We know some folks strongly prefer to have dogs in the bed with them, but they forget that others are allergic to dog hair and pollen. We do ask pet owners to use the dog bed. Sometimes the hair gets into the linens and we have no choice but to throw them away. Please do not use towels for dogs, these towels are out of stock now ☹

A. 😊 We are not, rest assured. No one really asks, but we do want to make sure you understand that we absolutely do not. Episodes of Giggling Creek are very boring and we would rather watch Peaky Blinders or F is for Family. As attorneys, we also value your privacy and ensure it. Exterior cameras are primarily to monitor wildlife and contractors and are a requirement of our insurance policy for short term rentals.

A. No. Please don’t. Any indication of smoking or vaping will disappoint us as there is plenty of outdoor seating to smoke or vape. This includes all types of smoking and please no candles or open flames. Vaping emits nicotine that sticks to walls, sorry.

A. No, we have a very strong preference that you do not unplug any electronic items close the living room router (near the window) as that is the hub for internet and security. Guests typically don’t need those outlets as other outlets exist. It is a real pain to reset the items and will call for a breaker reset. Sometimes guests assume we have interior Arlo cameras and may want to unplug the cameras. Please note we do not and it is illegal to conduct surveillance on guests. Your trust and WELCOME GUESTS! Home Booking Directly Bad Humor/Rules GCC Jokes Turnover/Cleaning Instruc 12/11/24, 12:04 PM WELCOME GUESTS! https://sites.google.com/mavinstone.com/gcc/home 6/18 confidence in us is very important and we would never break that trust. The Cielo is WIFI controlled and used so we can turn down the HVAC Minisplits in the event of vacancies. Just trying to avoid large electric bills to heat/cool an empty house.

A. We leverage Virex and sanitize all surfaces, change sheets, clean bathrooms and dust. We also let the air purifier run and regularly get HVAC systems serviced. We are OCD and maintain the highest cleaning standards. Our extended family also vacation here so we hope you understand that our standards are very high. 😉 If we have not met your standards in any way, please let us know. We would never know unless you told us and we hope you tell us as soon as you notice, and not after-the-fact (hard to rectify then). Also feel free to use our Suggestion Box for minor items—the Chief of Staff reads every single one and reports back to management.

A. Cottage is from the 1930s, but completely renovated with new HVAC units, layout, walling, doors, flooring, bathroom, etc.. There are a few things we need to do still – uneven flooring, for example and will get that done very soon.

A. The areas above the garage are being renovated, and thus we do not permit parking in the garage as debris may fall on your vehicle. Please also be wary of parking under the walnut tree during summer due to walnuts. Designated parking is available and if you need more space, please reach out—McEyeson Way, the driveway to the right of the cottage is a perfect place to park additional vehicles.

A. Assuming it has not been moved by a prior guest, crib mattress should be behind the MBR door. Air mattress should be in the kid closet and the trundle pull-out (for the bunk bed) Queen sheets are in the kid closet.

A. If it is a partial power loss, check the breaker box in the laundry room. Flip all switches to ensure alignment, just for good measure. If they all seem aligned, you may need to do each one—it is tricky to the eye. Sometimes it is #13 breaker. Best to flip every breaker. Please be mindful of the switch covers which are intended to prevent toggling of the switch especially in the MBR—to the right of the fireplace. The switch should be down under the light switch. The breaker box was part of the renovation and was installed by a certified electrician. If it is total loss of power, please call Appalachian Power (APCO) at 1-800-956-4237. Alternatively, this link should work: https://www.appalachianpower.com/outages/report/

A. Do not run, calmly but briskly walk inside and notify Host of the time and exact location. Do not harass animals as they may simply be getting a drink from the creek. Deer and turkey enjoy the premises and hunting them is strictly forbidden. We are a commune with all wildlife but please do not interact with any wildlife directly. You may see opossums, cats (we actually feed the barn cats) to cut down on the field mice, and other animals.

A. No biggie—feel free to dispose of all insects or spiders or anything like that outside. As we are a rural location, and we do not have an airtight sealed cottage, stuff like this happens and we hope you’re not a nature-phobe and are cool about such things.

A. We try our best, but due to local limitations (no full time property manager and we manage the property from Washington DC) there are instances that we cannot clear the driveway and walkways. That being said, we hope you’re cool about it.

A. YIKES! Please contact us immediately via the app and call us. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Leaks of any kind (small or large) can damage the cottage due to the insidious nature of water. Please take this seriously and contact us immediately.

A. We have installed a cell phone booster on the roof which works remarkably well with Verizon services. AT &T does not seem to have good coverage in the entire county. Also, please note that you can enable WIFI calling on an iPhone it is Settings>Phone>WiFi Calling.

A. If injured, call 911, and/or feel free to go to Sovah Health-Martinsville at 320 Hospital Drive, Martinsville, VA 2411. Alternatively, Carillon Franklin Memorial Hospital in Rocky Mount is 15 minutes away

A. Well, we’ve tried everything. We had a Fern we named Fernidad but he started shedding everywhere and drove the cleaners nuts. Then we started exploring the bathroom exhaust fan but that would cause a hole in the roof—why invite other problems, right? So, then we’ve landed on a small bathroom dehumidifier. We do ask that it is left on 24/7, all seasons to get the humidity out of the air. Could you do us a favor and make sure it is on? If the house was regularly occupied, we could just leave the bathroom window open to leave out the humidity but that’s a security and safety issue. 😊

A. We pride ourselves in being obsessed with details. Please take pictures, send to us and let us know immediately so we can rectify. We will likely deploy the cleaning crew again but hope for an opportunity to fix the issue.

A. Dogs should be crated if left alone in the cottage—you won’t believe the type of destruction a dog could do in an unfamiliar place. Please pick up any droppings around the premises and dispose in the dumpster (not in the house! 😊), otherwise feel free to enjoy the fields with your dogs. Great hiking opportunities beyond the red gate in the other drivewayas long as grass/hay is not ready to be cultivated.

A. No worries! Reach out to us directly so we can make arrangements to fix or replace before the next guest arrives. If you don’t tell us, tsk tsk.

A. No biggie—please note that instructions are in the manual. It may be out of battery and there should be batteries in the laundry room or in 224B. Send us a note if you can’t locate the batteries.

A. No worries! Reach out to us directly so we can send some directly from Amazon or we’ll have our Chief of Staff bring some. We may also show you where the supplies are in 224B (assuming it is safe to access).

A. No worries! Reach out to us directly so we can send some directly from Amazon or we’ll have the team bring some.

A. We’re so glad you asked. Ratings are our lifeblood as the competition is fierce in Rural America. We’re not in a larger city where we have lots more traffic and our very appreciate of the opportunity to host you. We hope you consider the below: Article: Suppose you just stayed at an Airbnb. It was clean, reasonably priced, the listing was accurate, and the host communicated well. But it didn’t blow you away. When you leave your review, how many stars do you give? 3? Maybe 4? You might think that 3-stars means a place is average, and 4 stars is a good rating. 5-star reviews are reserved only for the most luxurious, above-and-beyond experiences. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Airbnb holds hosts to a strict 5-star-or-bust expectation. They take any review that is less than 5-stars to indicate that there are major problems with a property or host. In fact, if a host’s account average drops below a 4.8-star rating, then they lose their Superhost status. On top of that, Airbnb could permanently remove a listing if the average drops below a 4.3-star rating! Because of this, receiving a 4-star review is very damaging to a host. Obviously if someone deserves a 4-stars or lower, review them accordingly. But it’s good to keep in mind what consequences a 4-star review can have for hosts. A 5-star Airbnb rating indicates a great stay—not necessarily a perfect stay. Here’s a general guide to help with your Airbnb reviewing: Source: https://www.thornpoint.net/blog/Airbnb-Review-Etiquette 

A. The local Food Lion (5835 Virginia Ave, Bassett, VA 24055) should have some, but we do try and keep it stocked with firewood and propane. If the previous guest used it all and didn’t notify us, we can reimburse you for propane. For firewood, please use firewood stacks around the property or use the commercial fast burning type. If you’re the brave type, we have emergency stacks in the chicken coop near the red gate. Please use one bundle of firewood to get you started--sorry, there was no other real secure & dry area for it. Please note— we do not keep matches or lighters on premises due to fire hazards (aka children).

A. Yes, you can! It was purchased specifically for your enjoyment. Where else can you can bed-based heating and cooling? 😊 No hotel I’ve ever been to 😉 It is one of the many gadgets that the owners love and you can even program it to heat or cool prior to getting into the bed. Just make sure the hose is not obstructedand the batteries may be low. You may also just need to turn it on. In some houses, setting it at Turbo Heat may cause the breakers to reset so please check breakers in laundry room if this or electrical device is not working.

A. Yes! Please clean grill and cover all appliances with their covers after use. We really want you to get the most out of your time at GCC. All for you and Enjoy!

A. Yes! Please have drivers license, Venmo and Hold Harmless signed. Helmets are provided and there are age restrictions. Assuming it works, and the conditions permit (ATV may be out for servicing), we can make arrangements. 

Please note that the cost is $150 for 3 hours and is payable via Venmo to @mavinstone.

A. Yes! But at your own risk, feel free to replace or if you can’t let us know before you check-out so we can replace. Please dispose of all opened items.

A. No worries – there is a $50 charge—you can send to us via Venmo/Paypal @mavinstone. Please note that there are tools on the right-hand side of the cottage by the fence. Pooper scoopers and such to helpwith their bio breaks. An improvement is to put a disposal area by the peach trees (soon!).

A. Sorry -please use your own account. We have had bad experiences.

A. We try our best, but due to local limitations (no full-time property manager and we live 5 hours away) there are instances that we cannot clear the driveway and walkways. We do have a local staff but they do not clear snow. That being said, we hope you’re cool about it and exercise extreme caution outdoors.

A. Yes, and are accepting of all religions and viewpoints.

A. Apologies in advance! It is hard to please everyone.

A. WIFI Name: Giggling Creek • Password: mavinstone

A. Yes, feel free to relax and enjoy. If it is asking for a PW, push the back button. You shouldn’t need a PW to play, just update.

A. Feel free to reach out to [email protected] or call HQ at 1-855-733-0628

A. The driveway is used by the dumpster service who may come very early in the morning. We also may have our maintenance crew come onsite for an urgent item and may need to park. In addition, the red gate driveway is used for hay baling machines as it is still an active farm when weather permits. The best parking is to park perpendicular to the garage right next to the walnut tree. If the driveway is blocked, they charge an additional fee for an extra visitand will NOT attempt to go around your vehicle. Please help!

A. Not much, just a black steel garage with a trailer, an old tobacco barn, and an incline to a hill which is a future build site for a wedding venue. In the interim, our neighbors down the street use the acreage to harvest hay. Please note that the tall grass may seem overgrown, but it is naturally intended to be high to cultivate the grass for hay baling. It may look a littleunkept in the fields, sometimes--but this is natural.

A. Everything you can see across the street including the hill which has a line of apple trees, and the creek, as well as approximately 40 acres behind the cottage. There are natural springs and wildlife 300 feet past the red gate. There is a forest there which has anabundance of wildlife which tend to venture on the premises but do not harm guests.

A. Umm, yes, but you assume the risk. We disclaim all liability and ask that no machinery be placed in operation around the immediate premises of the cottage to prevent landscaping damage.

A. Yes! Our children are the officers of the company and help make decisions. That is why there are arcades in the children’s room.

A. As we are remote, what you’re experiencing is the Ring alarm near the stove. If it bothers you, feel free to unplug the sensors but ensure you plug it back in before check-out. This is only to ensure security and is a requirement of our insurance. Sometimes the birds send false alarms and set off the driveway alert—apologies!

A. Please consolidate trash, empty fridge of opened items, leave on all fans (bedrooms and living room), porch lights, plug back in all unplugged items and turn off all HVAC systems. Don’t worry about taking the trash out to the dumpster. There is a Republic Disposal Services $75 charge (ugh) if the dumpster lid is left slightly open, so we will have the cleaners dispose of trash. Send us a message saying goodbye and leave us a suggestion in the Suggestion Box. We need to really hear how we can improve and don’t mind feedback. The cleaning crew would LOVE YOU if you could start a load of laundry for the MBR sheets, but it is only optional! Who wants to do laundry on vacation? 😉

A.Perhaps. We will try and be flexible but please note there are two major factors outside our control. One is that we usually have same-day bookings which leaves a tiny window for turnover. Another factor is that since our cleaners travel from a longer distance, in may not be feasible at last minute. Please let us know well in advance so they aren’t sitting idly by waiting for check-out. Please expect our cleaners to be on premises at 10:01am—what can we say they are punctual 😊

A. In the laundry room, open the breaker box and reset the breaker (flipping back and forth and ensuring the wall switch is back to the original position) that is out of straight alignment—usually #13. Please reset the main breaker (off/on) one time after done to reset all internet devices. Reset each breaker one by one even if it is not obvious that it needs to be reset. If still doesn’t work, ensure the light switch is back in the original position and contact host(s).

A. 1) In the spring, lookout for Yellow Jacket nests (we do apply insecticides and deterrent but nature outsmarts us sometimes) in the backyard. 

2) Please don’t mind any lady bugs or stink bugs, they are a set of bugs that want to be guests sometimeslooking for warmer spaces. Feel free to dispose or send us a note. 

3) There are weight restrictions on the top bunk bed, please use your best judgment as you assume the risk—ideal only for children or adults under 150 lbs. 

4) There is a trundle which pulls out to yield a Queen size mattress in the Children’s Room. Bedding is in the children’s closet. Best to use this for adults. 

5) We have provided several chargers because we feel irritated if a place does not have chargers when we vacation, they should charge every modern cell phone 😊 

6) Be gentle with the home, it is approaching it’s 100-year anniversary and it shakes, wobbles and creaks—much like us as we get older. Please restrict your children from running inside if possible—but hey, we understand. 

7) The grass across the street and to the west of the property (and up past the red farm gate) may be highduring Summer. It is intended to grow as high as possible so the hay baler can cultivate it for livestock down the street. Please do not be alarmed—it is only for hay. 

8) Please leave laundry room door closed as it may affect the indoor temperature/comfort. There is no insulation in that part of the house so it is used only for storage and laundry. Orange office is partially insulated but if not used, it can be closed as well. 

9) Food: The Railway Café in Bassett VA is really good. Starbucks & Chick Fil A is in Martinsville. 

10) The Nintendo Simulator (so many games from childhood) is there and feel free to access and play it. Please be sure to plug in and reconnect wires neatly prior to departure—our cleaning crew may struggle re-configuring the set up.