Comfortable home with easy drive to beaches, San Francisco and California wine regions
House • Castro Valley CA United States
5 Guests
3 Bedrooms
3 Beds
2.5 Bathrooms
1 Car space
Primary home
Exchange types accepted
Simultaneous
Non-Simultaneous
Non-Reciprocal & Globe
Hospitality
Statistics
Listed June 2021
Views 3220
General overview
We look forward to sharing our comfortable 3 bedroom home in a San Francisco East Bay suburb. The greater SF area has many micro-climates, and ours is wonderful. Not too cold and not too warm. We have generally mild summers and winters.
Our tri-level backyard is a little paradise. Enjoy breakfast or an afternoon aperitif at our outdoor bar overlooking the lower yard. Or relax in the shade of the gazebo.
Castro Valley is home to Lake Chabot (boat rentals & hiking trails), a golf course, a Japanese garden, 3 wineries, and many parks.
There is much more to do within a short drive. San Francisco is 25 minutes. Beaches are 40 minutes away. The Livermore wine valley is 15 minutes away; Napa and Sonoma are just over an hour away. Muir Woods is an 1 hour away. Monterey is 2 hours away. Yosemite is 3 hours away, as is Tahoe.
The space
2 level 1800sf home with large landscaped yard, a/c and high speed internet.
If you have an infant who is not mobile, we would consider a swap; we can borrow a crib for you. Additionally, our home is not appropriate for children under 6.
Living room and large kitchen which opens to the backyard.
Gourmet kitchen stocked with everything you need.
Three bedroom
Master (queen bed) with en-suite bathroom (shower).
Guest bedroom: (double bed)
Study: currently has twin bed, but we plan to purchase twin over double bed.
Main bath has shower over bath.
Downstairs : bright and sunny mixed use room, 20’ x 20’, workout space (exercise bike, elliptical machine, weight machine) plus sitting area with couch and addition tv. Half bath downstairs,
Our friends call our backyard , “The Resort.” Upper yard is perfect for relaxing with a glass of wine and a snack. We often enjoy a good book or a game of cards outside.
The lower level has a large lawn area to enjoy a game of corn hole or badminton.
Guest access
2 floors. Not wheel chair accessible.
We are on a hill with terrace front yard. Path to front door has 10 steps. You may also enter through the garage which is on the lower lever. The stairwell from the downstairs room to the main level has two handrails. We put the second one in the help my father-in-law, but many others have found it helpful.
Notes
I will be updating the photos and description soon as we are starting to seriously make plans for 2023.
Our home is the perfect place to stay to visit SF area sights. We love doing overnight runs to places 2-4 hours away. You may, as well. We are interested in longer swaps: 3-4 weeks.
If you are interested in a stay of this length, and want to go camping, we can recommend some outstanding CA state campgrounds. You must book early. We have all the gear( tents, sleeping bags, stove, lanterns….
HOUSE RULES
- No smoking of any kind, inside or outside. No vaping.
- No pets allowed
- No events, parties, or large gatherings.
- No children under 6, sorry.
Features
Washer
Dishwasher
Clothes dryer
Oven
Microwave
Coffee machine
Fridge
Iron
Hair dryer
Heating
Air conditioning
TV
WiFi
High Speed Internet
Bathtub
First aid kit
Wheelchair accessible
Smoke alarms
Fire extinguisher
Bed sheets
Towels
Workspace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Toys
Gym
Sauna
BBQ
Pool
Hot tub
Balcony
Garden / yard
Deck / patio / courtyard / terrace
Covered porch / verandah
Kosher home
Meat-free kitchen
Gated community
EV Home Charger
Bikes
Camping gear
Kayak
Tennis court
Standup paddleboard
Travel Styles
Long term
Family
Sport and leisure
Foodie
Relaxing
Eco
Last minute
Golf
House rules
Suitable for infants under 2
Suitable for children ages 2-12
Pets not allowed
No smoking
Allergens
Cat free
Dog free
Smoke free
Dates of Availability
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Neighbourhood
Safe suburban neighborhood. Local park is 5-10 minute walk with children’s play structure and large grassy area. Large community park 3 minute drive. Lake Chabot with boat rentals is 5 minute drive. Many trails nearby.
We have incredible neighbors who would be happy to offer assistance or advice.
Getting to my home
There are 3 airports near us. Driving distances: Oakland- 11 miles, San Francisco 30, and San Jose -33 (but 2x driving time). However, local light rail, BART, goes to both Oakland and San Francisco airports and stops in our town. We live 2 miles from BART. My husband took it to San Francisco for 30 years before he retired. Ubers are plentiful. There’s also a one-guy local taxi who is very reliable.
Nearest airport
Oakland airport - 11 miles approx.
San Francisco - 29 miles approx.
San Jose- 33 miles.
Getting around
A car is useful to get around. There is a bus that runs .5 mile from our house to the downtown and to BART. There is also a commuter bus to San Francisco.
We have bikes if you don’t mind riding up hill.
Map of Approximate Location
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Feedback
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"Prefer September, October, November. We are hoping to combine with an Australia."
Dates flexible
"Prefer September, October, November. We are hoping to combine with a New Zealand exchange. We are open to extending our travels and exploring other parts of Australia, especially coastal area with scuba diving."
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Study with twin (US) bed and large desk. We are considering replacing the twin with a twin-over-double bunk bed. Please check back if you need the addition bed.
The San Francisco Bay Area has many celebrations and festivals. From Bay-to-Breakers to the garlic festival to the pumpkin festival to Pride Month, there is always something fun to do.