Deep water with private dock, boat ramp and big views from a protected cove. Completely renovated and fully outfitted for comfort and relaxation. No details overlooked in this restoration and renovation which is now ready for your family's enjoyment. The covered porch will compete with the sunroom for your favorite spots. All 3 bedrooms have comfortable queen beds. The main suite has a private upscale bath and private balcony overlooking the lake. The wide open floor plan is perfect for hanging out with family and friends. Easy 10 minute drive to Chapin for several grocery store options and dining options. Deep water boat ramp on property and plenty of parking for tow vehicle and trailer.
Looking for reviews? This property is new to us, but visit our other Lake Murray vacation home VRBO #4044665 (Lake Murray Island Cottage) to read any of the 65 Five Star reviews of how we manage, supply and care for our properties.
Property manager
John Brooks
Languages
English
Add dates for prices
Amenities
Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
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Person booking the property must be the person staying at the property
Guests must enter in to a short term rental agreement with host containing the physical address of the guest along with identifying information.
Pets at owners discretion and by written approval with certain restrictions and pet fee
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
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
About the area
Chapin
Located in Chapin, this holiday home is on the waterfront. Lake Murray and Dreher Island State Park reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Irmo Community Park and Anchor Lanes. Frankie's Fun Park and Saluda Shoals Park are also worth visiting. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Chapin, SC
What's nearby
Lake Murray - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
Crooked Creek Park - 10 min drive - 8.1 km
Columbiana Centre - 26 min drive - 26.5 km
Dreher Island State Park - 30 min drive - 23.2 km
University of South Carolina - 36 min drive - 40.8 km
Getting around
Columbia Station - 36 min drive
Columbia, SC (CAE-Columbia Metropolitan) - 39 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's - 17 min drive
Sonic Drive-In - 13 min drive
Liberty Tap Room & Grill - 20 min drive
Catfish Johnny's - 16 min drive
La Fogata Mexican Restaurant - 13 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Lake Murray "Porch Cottage" in fantastic location pet-friendly?
Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total).
What time is check-in at Lake Murray "Porch Cottage" in fantastic location?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Lake Murray "Porch Cottage" in fantastic location?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is Lake Murray "Porch Cottage" in fantastic location located?
Situated on the waterfront, this holiday home is steps from Lake Murray and within 6 mi (10 km) of Lake Murray Golf Center and Melvin Park. Crooked Creek Park and Woodmen of the World are also within 9 miles (15 km).
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
It's nicer than the pictures. My wife and I stayed here over Thanksgiving 2024. My family lives nearby and we invited everyone over to give thanks. We had everything we needed, and the host even left us a large turkey baking pan. We are definitely planning to come back.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here, John was always very easy to get in touch with if we had any questions. The house was already stocked with a spice cabinet that was amazing to have on hand. The location on the water was perfect. We can’t wait to come back for another vacation.
This is our 4th summer on Lake Murray, and by far the best property we've rented. The accomodations were perfect for our family and two dogs for the week. The boat ramp handled our 26' boat with ease and the dock was used plenty. Great depth off the dock, nice and quiet finger of the lake, and friendly neighbors on both sides.
We will be booking this property again for next year!
We had a great time. The house was very clean and had a great layout. The side covered porch was awesome. The house had a fence around the back yard which was great for my little dog. Plenty of parking for 2 trucks, one car one of the trucks had a trailer and boat.
We would highly recommend anyone to book this vacation spot.
The owner was great with keeping us informed.
The house was perfect for our family of four plus a couple of our daughters’ friends. The house was incredibly clean and well-stocked. The porches and yard were wonderful areas to gather. We rented a pontoon, so the dock was a great feature that allowed us to explore the lake by boat and float in the cove on inflatables. While the owner doesn’t control it, we should also mention that the surrounding properties were quiet and friendly. Overall, we would love to find an opportunity to come back.
John, the host went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with our stay. The home is very clean and tastefully decorated. Many high quality items in the home. The massive porch was wonderful for relaxing and the dock was another plus. My family had a wonderful time for a little escape vacation!
We had an incredible stay at John's lake house! The decor was tasteful, creating a nice blend of comfort and beauty. Everything we needed was thoughtfully provided, from kitchen supplies to bathroom essentials. The host, John, was amazing—so welcoming and accommodating. And the views of the lake were simply breathtaking. It was an unforgettable experience, and we can't wait to go back!
My family enjoyed our visit at this beautiful property. The home was immaculate and John was a responsive host. John and his wife provided thoughtful touches for our stay. We spent the majority of our time on the large porch overlooking Lake Murray. Kitchen is well stocked and enjoyed using the grill. Thanks for a wonderful stay!
We loved this house so much and the porch was just great. The house was the best stocked house I have ever stayed in and so clean and welcoming. Just perfect for what we were there for. (USC graduation)
Wish we was able to rent a boat and enjoy the beautiful lake. Our friends that stopped by told us the house was just amazing.
We enjoyed the red birds too.
Just lovely and I would recommend this house to anyone.
Loved our stay.
Bundy, Marinda, Tucker and Emma
Everything about this property was true to listing and photos. I’ll be the first to admit I set a low expectation that the property will show as described in photos/description. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised that everything was as described or shown. And everything was clean, orderly and of good quality. Honestly, we didn’t have to leave. The covered porch was perfect for morning coffee or evening gatherings. We will be back!
We have stayed at many lakefront properties and this place was better than advertised. Everything about our stay was “easy”! From using the very accommodating boat launch to all the accessories the house provided made for a great stay. The only thing we needed to bring was just food and drinks.
This property is absolutely perfect in every way. Perfectly clean, perfectly decorated, perfectly providing every thing a guest might need and more. I don't usually sleep well when I'm away from home, but this home made me feel so wonderful that sleep was no problem at all. The Brooks have left nothing undone. Even providing utensils/kitchen ware that I would want in my own home! No junkie-let's-put-that-at-the-lake-house stuff. Thank you for your labor of love and offering it to others!
The Rogers Family
I decided to cancel my hotel reservations in Columbia and take a chance on booking us in a rental a little bit out of town, thinking it would be so much more fun if we could all stay together. Best decision I made and it made our weekend so relaxing! Everyone was so impressed with the attention to detail that host put in to the property. We were so comfortable and had everything we needed to cook several meals. John, the host graciously offered early check in and late check out. I have never had that happen and thought it was so kind. He provided options for boat rentals and was so easy to communicate with. Beautiful and comfortable stay!
I would rate this a 10 if I could!!!! CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN! STOCKED! STOCKED! STOCKED! The owners have outdone themselves on their “Porch Cottage”. The attention to detail was outstanding. Our 2 dogs absolutely went nuts over the fenced yard as we do not have one here in FL. We had car problems, Mr. Brooks was concerned for us and offered us any assistance we may have needed. The local auto shop got it taken care of in 24 hrs and we were very grateful we could continue with our trip as planned. I would go back to the “Porch Cottage” over and over again…and I hope I do!
Wishing we were still there! What a great cottage on an awesome lake in sunny warm South Carolina. We stayed here at the end of April 2023 with our two dogs. The cottage is very clean, nicely decorated and has everything you need while on vacation. The covered porch was an awesome place to relax in the shade, or in the evenings and even if it rained you could still be outside. We travel with two giant breed Newfoundland dogs and the owner had no issue with us having them there. The property is great for dogs as the covered porch is fully fenced and the backyard is fully fenced you can even leave the gate from the porch open so the dogs could go from the porch to yard easily. There is also shade in the yard which was great for the dogs as well. We all loved swimming in the lake including the dogs we just made sure they were dry before they came into the cottage for the night. The area is great, shopping is close by in Chapin only 15 min drive as well as lots of restaurants. You can also venture to Columbia, Irmo, Lexington quickly for more restaurants and shopping malls. We drove to Isle of Palms Beach in Charleston in just 2 hours and had a great day at the beach.
The owner is very reachable and answers quickly if you have any questions or issues. He was very kind and offered for us to stay an extra day at no charge so we could enjoy the nicest weather day that week which happened to fall on the day we were scheduled to check out. We were shocked that he would offer that at no extra charge and very grateful. Thank you John! We will definitely book this cottage again for our next escape to the sunny south!
What a great stay our party of 6 had. 14-16 year old and adults had a great 5 day stay. House was very clean, and had everything we needed. Great kitchen, and all knives and dishes we needed. Beds were comfortable and AC worked well. We rented a pontoon and docked it at the house. We barbecued and he had all the grill accessories. We had a great trip and would definitely go back to the Porch Cottage house.
Joe N.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
About the host
Hosted by John Brooks
John and Becky Brooks live in Blyhewood SC and spend as much time at Lake Murray as possible. We personally manage and care for the property, and enjoy sharing this Lake Murray paradise with guests when we can't be there enjoying it.
Why they chose this property
We have owned another Lake Murray Cottage that we have shared with vacation guests since 2015. (Lake Murray Island Cottage VRBO #4044665) The experience has been so good that when we came across this gem we couldn't pass it up. After a year of blood, sweat, tears (and a small fortune) we completely gutted the place, and transformed it into what it is now.
What makes this property unique
Deep Water with big sunset views yet protected enough to safely swim and keep boats at the dock. The sunsets are amazing from the huge covered porch. Unique setting close to shopping and restarants, but located practically in the middle of Lake Murray. Easy boat access to all the lake has to offer. Bomb Island for Purple Martin and sunsets, Bear Creek for watersports, Timberlake for golf. Rusty Anchor, Catfish Johnny's, Liberty on the Lake for bars and restatants. Billy Dreher Island State Park. Or Hurricane Hole for the locals raft up parties on weekends in the summer. Easy 28 minute drive to downtown Columbia or Universty of South Carolina campus.