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

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Exterior
Beach nearby
Interior
Marina
Property grounds

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 61302 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Dryer
  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

View in a map
Surf City, NC
  • Place, Surf City Beach
    ‪7 min walk‬
  • Place, Surf City Pier
    ‪4 min drive‬
  • Place, Wrightsville Beach
    ‪56 min drive‬
  • Airport, Wilmington, NC (ILM-Wilmington Intl.)
    ‪56 min drive‬

Room options

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About the neighborhood

Surf City

When you stay at this vacation home in Surf City, you'll be near the beach, within a 5-minute drive of Surf City Beach and Back in Touch Massage, Yoga, & Lomilomi. .This vacation home is 1.7 mi (2.7 km) from Permuda Island and 2.1 mi (3.4 km) from Escape Spa.
View more Vacation Homes in Surf CityOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Surf City Beach - 7 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • Surf City Pier - 4 min drive - 2.7 miles
  • Camp Lejeune Main Gate and Visitor Center - 46 min drive - 40.1 miles
  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington - 54 min drive - 35.8 miles
  • Wrightsville Beach - 56 min drive - 37.4 miles

Getting around

  • Wilmington Intl. Airport (ILM) - 46 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Buddy's Crab House And Oyster Bar - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Shaka Taco - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Sear's Landing - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Daddy Mac's Beach Grille - ‬5 min drive
  • ‪Tortuga’s Nest - ‬9 min walk

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.'




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

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. Bed linens and towels provided at no extra charge. 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!


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




Home, built in 2000, is continually updated:

  • NEW FOR 2026 : Master bathroom remodel with walk-in shower.

  • NEW FOR 2025 : 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.



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






VRBO DETAILS:

Make yourself comfortable in this air-conditioned vacation home, featuring a kitchen with a refrigerator and an oven. There's a private balcony. Complimentary wireless internet access keeps you connected, and a DVD player is provided for your entertainment. Conveniences include a microwave and a coffee/tea maker.
This smoke-free vacation home features books, a video library, and a playground. Recreational activities include snorkeling nearby, surfing/body boarding nearby, and kayaking nearby.
Guests will find features like internet access and onsite parking.

Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach nearby

Internet

  • Available in the house: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Parking on site

Kitchen

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Ice maker
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop
  • 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
  • Smoking not allowed

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
  • Snorkeling 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
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

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 allowed
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs and cats only
2 total pets
Restrictions apply; for more information contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation
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

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

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

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 146 out of 161 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 14 out of 161 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 161 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 161 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 161 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Nancy T.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very clean. Exactly as advertised.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025

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