Amy's house is real because it is lived in. You don't merely enter a house, you enter a family history. We enjoyed sharing that history, even for only a few days. Besides the location is ideal, next to the Berkeley hills, without having to climb up and down all the time, but close enough to go up to Tilden Park and Strawberry Canyon and admire the view or the nature sites. Solano Avenue is full of restaurants and interesting stores. We were even able to meet Amy and George our last evening. A very pleasant experience.
The house did not seem thoroughly cleaned before we arrived.The housekeeper actually came the day after we arrived. The towels smelled dirty and there were many places in the kitchen and bathroom that seemed to have mold. Perhaps that's why we were told to keep the humidifiers in the front room and bedroom on all the time. They were a source of constant droning noise.
The on-line listing showed photos of a less cluttered space than what we actually experienced. It seemed as if almost every inch of walls space was covered with family photos. It was quite overwhelming. Sheets covered various pieces of furniture throughout the house to delineate what we shouldn't touch. Access to the yard was initially unavailable since the owners stayed downstairs the first two nights we were there.
We are a retired professional couple. This is a family home where our two adult sons grew up. The neighborhood is safe, friendly and very convenient to excellent shopping, restaurants, transportation, etc.
Cleaning: During COVID: we make sure extra precautions are taken. Housecleaner comes weekly for 1/2 day.