Welcome book

Welcome to our Home!

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1314 65th St, Windsor Heights, IA

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Contact:

Jeff & Ingrid Williams 515.978.1415 (text or call)
 waukeepropertymanagement@gmail.com

WELCOME We’re glad you’re here!

Welcome to your home away from home in the northwest Des Moines suburb of Windsor Heights. This welcome book is intended to help you get acquainted with the area and our home— favorite local restaurants, bakeries, breweries, events, and attractions that make Des Moines a very special place. Along with our area guide you'll also find everything you need to know about our home. You will find a bound copy of this guide in the home as well.

Your home We have sought to equip our home to a high standard and to anticipate your needs by providing all the things you might want for a comfortable stay. From Hair dryer to iron, bath towels and wash rags, soaps and shampoo, and even Keurig pods, we’ve include as standard. There is also a washer and dryer with laundry detergent available so you don’t have to worry about luggage restrictions.

Our philosophy You want to have a wonderful time away and we want that for you too. We believe that when you are here, this is your home for however long you are staying and that you will be relaxed, comfortable and happy.

Welcome to Des Moines!

ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE INFORMATION ARRIVAL INFORMATION WIFI / INTERNET DETAILS The house has free Wi-Fi. The details are: ID: 1314 65th Password: welcomehome1314!

The service is provided for your enjoyment but you are responsible for safe and appropriate use and complying with all laws. If there is any loss of service please contact us.

ACCESS CODES / INSTRUCTIONS You have a unique access code that you’ll tap in on the keypad of the front door. It only works for you and will be activated at check-in time and deactivated at check-out time.

We will send your code to you a couple of days in advance of your stay.

CHECK-IN TIME Check-in time is 4pm. We can sometimes arrange an early check-in so please contact us if you will arrive early and we'll do our best, without any promises! We suggest you refer to the section on what to do if you arrive early - there is plenty to keep you entertained!

DRIVING DIRECTIONS If you are arriving via car and have a GPS / SatNav system in the car, please use 1314 65th St., Windsor Heights, IA 50324. If you do not have a GPS device, you can find us by taking the 63rd St. exit north from I-235 in Des Moines. Once you get to University Ave, turn left and go to blocks. Turn right and you’ll find the home up about 200 yard on the left.

GETTING HERE WITHOUT A CAR We understand that some of our guests will be traveling without a car. Uber or Lyft drivers will be able to get your directly from the airport, bus, or train station, as will the standard taxi.

INVENTORY CHECK For your protection, our house cleaner has done a thorough inventory check of the home and will do so again upon your checkout.

PARKING Parking is provided on site for 2 cars in the driveway and/or 1 on the street. (Please park on the West side of the street only, facing south. 1 smaller car can fit in the garage if necessary. Access to raise the door manually is available from inside the home. To operate the door, turn the knob in the center to the right and hold it there while you push down slightly on the door and turn the handle counter clockwise. It may take a couple of tries.

IMPORTANT The speed limit on University Ave heading west is 25 mph and is photo enforced. If you drive faster than 34, you will get a ticket mailed to you in a few weeks. 

DEPARTURE INFORMATION CHECK-OUT PROCESS When you leave, please ensure the following simple tasks are done: - strip all beds that were used (including the sofa bed if used), and place the sheets downstairs in the laundry basket by the laundry machines.

- place all used towels and rags downstairs in the laundry basket by the laundry machines.

- remove all food from the refrigerator and cupboards - take all garbage out to the bins that are in the driveway. The brown bin is for trash; the green bin is for any recycling you’ve collected.

- wash any used dishes and place them back in the cupboards and drawers - make sure that you’ve signed out of any Netflix, Hulu, or Youtube accounts on any of the smart TVs if you signed in during your stay.

- turn the thermostat back to ECO mode - lock the house as you leave by tapping the lock icon in the lock’s screen We hope you had a wonderful stay and wish you safe travels back home. We'd love to see you again!

CHECK-OUT TIME Check-out time is strictly 11am. Should you require a later check-out we will do our best but you need to let us know beforehand. If we have guests arriving that day it will be almost impossible to offer a late check-out due to the cleaners needing to prepare for those guests.

CLEANING You will find the house clean on arrival but please let us know if you are not satisfied.

For stays of 1 week there is no cleaning service. After you depart our cleaners will perform that for the next guest. If you are here for longer than one week, we can arrange for a second cleaning if you prefer. It would be at the additional charge of $29. You’re certainly welcome to save the money though and use our laundry machines to refresh your towels and/or sheets on you’re own during your stay. On departure it would be

helpful if you could leave the house (particularly kitchen contents and bbq/grill) tidy as stated above when you leave. No need for you to perform a full clean though!

GETTING YOURSELF ORIENTED OVERVIEW OF THE AREA Des Moines is a wonderful city, with many different points of interest. To the west is Jordan Creek Mall, Iowa’s largest up-scale shopping experience with many great national restaurants. Downtown offers a clean, urban scene with some great local establishments along court avenue, the iCubs Principal Park, Wells Fargo Arena, Civic Center, and lots of really great night life. To the east is the East Village. The vibe is very eclectic and cool; a perfect place to see all styles and people coming together to make a great community.

Saylorville lake is to the north, and the smaller Grey’s Lake Park just south of downtown.

Bike trails connect all parts of the city, suburbs, and surrounding communities.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARRIVE EARLY Many guests will arrive in Des Moines before the designated check-in time. The good news is that there is plenty to do. As a practical note, we often suggest that guests visit the grocery store (Hy-Vee is just to the West on University Avenue, this friendly Midwest grocery chain is based here in Des Moines), or just visit some of the local shops in the East Village or at Jordan Creek Mall. There are also a few good restaurants for lunch so why not relax and enjoy some of the local food!




ABOUT THE ACCOMMODATION APPLIANCE INSTRUCTIONS / INFORMATION DOOR LOCKS Please ensure that all doors are locked whenever you leave the home. You’ll be entering and returning through the front door, which is accessible to you using the keypad code.

DO NOT LOCK THE DOORKNOB ITSELF as the keypad only works the deadbolt lock, and you’ll end up locking yourself out.

To operate the lock, place at least 3 fingers (or the back of your hand) on the blank screen of the lock for a couple of seconds and the scree will light up. Tap in your code and the door will unlock. If you mess up on the code, tap the lock icon in the lower right corner and start over. To lock the door, activate the screen with at least 3 fingers, and then tap the lock icon.

AIR CONDITIONING and HEATING We have central air and heat, run by a Nest Thermostat. Please feel free to set the temperature to your liking while you are at home. If you will be gone for several hours, we’d appreciate it if you’d turn the thermostat back to ECO mode. The home will efficiently get back to your desired temperature pretty quickly when you arrive back home.

To change the thermostat, push on the screen, and then dial the outer ring to select the heat/cool symbol. Push the screen again and dial the knob to select heat or cool. Press the screen to confirm your selection, and then you simply dial the knob to your desired temperature.

KITCHEN EQUIPMENT We have an electric stove, microwave, refrigerator, toaster, and Keurig coffee maker, as well as mixing bowls and utensils, pots, pans, serving dishes, and all you need if you prefer to eat in. Dinnerware, cups, and mugs are also available, so there is no need to

purchase paper goods unless you just hate doing dishes. There are chairs to seat 4 at the table in the kitchen.

LAUNDRY APPLIANCES We have a washer and separate dryer located in the basement. There is a supply of detergent for your use. To operate the machines, simply select the program you want, place the detergent in the tray, close the door, and hit start. If in any doubt there are instructions on the machines themselves.

ENJOYING YOUR TIME INSIDE SATELLITE TV SYSTEM Each bedroom as well as the living room are equipped with HD Smart TVs that are connected both to the internet (for streaming) as well as to DirecTV. To turn on the TV’s, or to adjust the volume or use any of the Smart TV features, use the smaller black remote.

The DirecTV remote should be used for accessing local TV Channels or Satellite Channels. Use the Guide button and the up and down buttons to find what you’d like to watch.

BREAKAGES We understand that sometimes accidents happen! Should you break anything please let us know immediately - if it's minor we usually won't charge. If it's a larger issue (e.g. the TV screen!) we would like to agree the cost with you before you leave to avoid any issues later. Thank you!

ENJOYING YOUR TIME OUTSIDE COVERED PATIO There is a seating area off the kitchen on the covered patio. There are enough seats for 4 or 5 comfortably, and there are 2 chairs at a table as well. This are overlooks the private and peaceful back yard of the home.

GRILL / BBQ A propane grill is available for your use. We do our best to ensure that there is enough propane for our guests, but if it seems that you are running low on propane, just let us know. 

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION BED LINEN / TOWELS Both beds in the bedrooms are Queen Size and have fresh sheets, ready for your stay.

There are blankets on each bed as well, under the decorative duvets.

Towels and rags are available in the bathroom under the sink and hanging on the shower rod. There is also a clean bath mat for your use as well.

SOFA BED IN LIVING ROOM This is a pull-out queen-size bed with a memory foam mattress, and is very comfortable.

There are sheets in the linen closet as well as an extra blanket and two pillows. Two people can lift the coffee table off to the side by the front window and that will provide enough room to pull out the bed. To access the bed, remove the seat cushions from the couch and pull up on the handle. Once the bed unit is pulled out, grasp the second handle that is near the back cushions and pull forward to unfold the bed.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL Please ensure that you are running water when using the garbage disposal. If you have large amounts of food to dispose of, put it in the garbage can and just use the sink disposal for lighter rinsing of dishes prior to fully washing them.

WINDOW LOCKS All windows lock securely.

TRASH PICKUP Fridays are Trash days. Every other Friday is Recycling day. If you are staying at our home over a Thursday night, please take the brown trash bin (and recycling if you see our neighbors’ green bin out) to the curb in the evening so it’s ready for the next day’s pickup.

SAFETY INFORMATION & RENTAL RULES RULES & REGULATIONS PETS Pets are not allowed at our rental home, for the sake of our future guests who may have allergies.

QUIET TIMES Whereas we don’t have a specific set time for quiet hours, please be mindful of our wonderful neighbors, especially when sitting on the covered patio.

SMOKING POLICY Smoking is not allowed in the home or on the covered patio or front steps. Also, keep in mind that Iowa has no-smoking laws for most public buildings as well including restaurant patios.

SAFETY INFORMATION EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS For emergency services please immediately call 911. Do not delay if you feel an emergency situation has arisen.

LOCATION OF SMOKE ALARMS Both bedrooms, the main hallway and the basement have smoke detectors for your safety.

LOCATION OF FIRE EXTINGUISHER A fire extinguisher is located at the top of the basement stairs just outside the kitchen. 


USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS TELEPHONE NUMBERS YOU MAY NEED EMERGENCY SERVICES 911 MANAGEMENT / MAINTENANCE / CLEANING 515-978-1415 – Text or call Jeff If after hours (10pm to 6am) you may need to call the number a few times to de-activate the standard “Do Not Disturb” feature on our phone.

PRACTICAL AREA INFORMATION LOCAL TRANSPORT BUS STOPS AND TIMETABLES The closest bus stops (either direction) are located just at the end of the street. You can access all of the bus route information at RideDart.com UBER and LYFT Both of these ride-share services operate in Des Moines at all hours.

LOCAL INTEREST DOWNTOWN FARMER’S MARKET Operating May 5th -Oct 2nd from 7am to Noon, on Court Avenue down town. This is one of the country’s best outdoor markets featuring local fresh produce, food, entertainment, and all manner of goods. Go to https://www.dsmpartnership.com/ desmoinesfarmersmarket/ for more information.

LOCAL EVENTS If you want to see why Des Moines is continually ranked as one of the best cities in the country, go to https://www.catchdesmoines.com/events/ and check out all of the local events that are coming up, from world-class track events, broadway shows, outdoor festivals, and more.

CAFÉ’S, RESTAURANTS, and BARS Check out the AirBNB Guidebook in your app or online. We listed a ton of great options for you to check out during your stay!