Luxury Lake Front Modern Farmhouse with GIANT Boat Dock!
One acre water front property tucked away in Emerald Cove on Lake Sara in Effingham, Illinois. This luxury modern farmhouse was built in 2021 and has all the amenities for the perfect staycation with your family and friends in any season! This 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home that sleeps 7 is a quiet retreat with activities year round. Of course, summer season is when it shines, as the giant 30 x 40 boat dock with top deck is open for business.
During the warmer months, follow the winding pathway and stairs down to the boat dock where you will find the large 30 x 40 top deck and underneath a full kitchen with fridge, microwave, coffeepot and cups, a natural gas grill, crockpots, serving dishes, and serving utensils for your use. There is also a half bathroom with outdoor shower, 40" TV, multiple tables, and various seating areas with 3 ceiling fans to keep you cool in the summer heat! In addition, we have lake floats, a lily pad, 2 kayaks and easy access for people of all ages in/out of the water with wet steps! If you have a boat or rent one, there is plenty of space to tie up to the dock! The dock is on a great location towards the end of Emerald Cove with very minimal boat traffic where you can relax on the water, fish, catch some sun, and make great memories with your loved ones! Lake Sara is a great lake to swim, waterski, tube, wake board, paddle board, and kayak.
Inside the home, you will find two living areas, the main living room and the screened in porch. In addition, the garage is stocked with fun games, such as electronic darts, ping pong, sports equipment, corn hole, and bluetooth compatible speaker system. You never need to worry about running out of ice, since there is an ice machine for your use year round in the garage!
This property does have stairs. On the second floor, you will find the primary bedroom with a California king bed and en suite bathroom, walk in closet, and views of the back yard and boat dock. Additional bedrooms on the second floor include a tranquil queen bedroom and a bunk room with a twin bed over full, and a twin trundle. At the end of the hallway is a full shared bathroom with toilet and tub/shower combo separate from the vanity area by a pocket door.
This house has an open main floor with plenty of seating areas for everyone. A large dining table sits 8 comfortably, the kitchen island seats 4, and the living room seats 8 with a 65" TV! All TV's have streaming capability for you to sign in on your accounts. There is no cable TV. A full sized washer and dryer is available for your use on the main floor as well.
My absolute favorite space in the house is the screened in porch, with table seating 6 comfortably and an outdoor couch and chairs with seating for 6 as well! A built in speaker system connects to the porch and back patio via Bluetooth. A 42" smart TV is mounted from the ceiling with string lights and overhead fans to keep you cool in the summer. The screened in porch overlooks the beautiful back yard, with large fire pit that has seating for 10, and cozy string lighting! The back patio is accessed by the porch or garage, where you will find a natural gas grill for your use during your stay, just please remember to shut off the gas when done!
We invite anyone who wants to come enjoy Lake Sara to stay here and make great memories with your loved ones as we have!
With that all said, a couple notes:
-Lake Sara is governed by the Effingham Water Authority (EWA) and we are granted a Short Term Rental (STR) license by EWA on a yearly basis. Once booked, you will receive a document to review and sign that you have agreed to the STR rules.
-Please be very respectful of the neighbors with noise levels. We would hate to disturb them and cause any issues.
-If anything is damaged during your stay, PLEASE let us know so we can replace or fix it right away for the next guest. It’s no fun being the guest that finds the broken or damaged item and dampens the staycation.
-The boat lift is not for rental use. If you have your own boat or rent one from one of the two marinas, there is plenty of boat parking along the dock.
Thank you for understanding.
Add dates for prices
Have a question?
AI iconBetaBeta
Get instant answers with AI powered search of property information and reviews.
The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Load and start the dishwasher
Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish
Empty all trash from the house and boat dock to outside bins by garage. Turn off gas grill, ice machine, lights, and TV's. Return garage door opener to basket in foyer.
Leave used beds unmade and leave dirty towels hanging on hooks. Return TV remote to appropriate rooms - 1 living room, 1 screened porch, 1 boat dock.
Please leave the garage and all outdoor spaces as you found them. The cleaning fee covers the house only. Any additional cleaning required will incur extra fees.
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
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 indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock
We should mention
This property does not have any lifts
About the area
Effingham
Located in Effingham, this holiday home is in a rural area and on the waterfront. Veteran's Monument and Dr. Charles M. Wright Mansion are local landmarks, and some of the area's attractions include Bliss Park and Effingham County Fairgrounds. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.
Effingham Performance Center - 8 min drive - 8.3 km
Mid America Motorworks, My Garage Museum - 13 min drive - 14.7 km
Lake Shelbyville - 43 min drive - 52.8 km
Getting around
Effingham Station - 16 min drive
Champaign, IL (CMI-University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Williard) - 76 min drive
Restaurants
McDonald's - 9 min drive
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen - 9 min drive
Starbucks - 9 min drive
Sbarro - 9 min drive
Culver's - 14 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is Luxury Lake Front Modern Farmhouse with GIANT Boat Dock! pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much does it cost to stay at Luxury Lake Front Modern Farmhouse with GIANT Boat Dock!?
As of 26 March 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Luxury Lake Front Modern Farmhouse with GIANT Boat Dock! on 11 May 2026 start from NZ$599, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at Luxury Lake Front Modern Farmhouse with GIANT Boat Dock!?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at Luxury Lake Front Modern Farmhouse with GIANT Boat Dock!?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at Luxury Lake Front Modern Farmhouse with GIANT Boat Dock!?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is Luxury Lake Front Modern Farmhouse with GIANT Boat Dock! located?
This family-friendly Effingham holiday home is located on the waterfront, within 1 mi (2 km) of Lake Sara and Cardinal Golf Course. TREC Calico Trail and Effingham Performance Center are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Reviews
10
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Our stay was wonderful. The property is beautifully decorated and very clean! Highly recommend for anyone looking for a nice home to stay in while visiting Lake Sara in Effingham, IL.
Great facilities , clean and like-new. Owner was quick to respond with any questions , This home makes a great long weekend for families or friends , highly recommended !
Beautiful home and property. The house is fully stocked with everything you can think of! The dock is huge and was a great spot to spend hanging out with our family. Would stay again!
great rental. It was our 2nd time at Emerald Acres and enjoyed #2 as much as our first trip. Super clean. Super comfortable. Well appointed. Great host. Great location
We had a wonderful stay. The kids had plenty to do and it's in a great location. House was very clean and the hosts were very accommodating. Would return!
This was our second year staying at this property & we loved it just as much as the first time. There are so many things to do in the house & down on the dock to have fun as a family. We will be back for a third time I’m sure!
House was excellent, well furnished, clean, well thought out by owners. The shuffle board was a big hit for our family that ranged from 9 to 84 years old. Great location as well!
I love this property. Particularly the number of bathrooms and the outdoor spaces. Everyday I would hang out in the water to warch the Marten family and watch the schools of minnows.
There are also a boatload of amenities.
We absolutely loved the house, and all the outside patio areas, down by the lake! We just enjoyed being able to unwind and relax, you could either be inside or outside with lots of things to do! The house was fabulously clean, definitely one of the cleanest homes on VRBO.
We couldn’t have a better host or home and this is on our list to come again!
Thanks!
Our family had a great time here! The kitchen was fully stocked with everything we needed. The sun room was so nice to sit in. The dock was perfect for us all to hang out in the water. It was so nice to have a bathroom there. There were so many extras here that you don’t normally see when you rent. It was just a perfect place!
First time staying at Emerald Acre and we loved it! This was a great place for our family get away. Everything about this place is amazing. From the decor, amenities, boat house, and out the outdoor area. Anything we needed was right at our fingertips and so many activities to enjoy with swimming, bags, darts, ping pong, and night time around the firepit. We rented a boat one of the days and it was super easy getting in and out off the dock. We are already thinking about our next trip here and I would highly recommend this to anyone!
Rented this beautiful home off Lake Sara for the weekend. We have rented several VRBO’s over the last 7 years and this one was really top rated. If there was the ability to rate it a 6 out of 5 I would. Clean, bright, all the amenities you could possibly need for the weekend. Kitchen supplies, outdoor games, fantastic bedding, perfect bathrooms, nice patio w fire pit, huge dock off the lake. Can’t wait to come back again.
This was our 2nd stay at Emerald Acre and it was every bit as pleasant & perfect as the first stay.
The house is extremely well-maintained and sparkling clean. Communication with the hosts is easy- with quick, helpful responses.
There is not a detail that is over-looked. The house is top-notch, cozy & comfortable, with so much to do any time of the year!
It’s our absolutely favorite place to stay and we highly recommend it!
Very nice place to stay on Lake Sara. Well stocked with anything you would ever need. Fantastic location for fishing and swimming. Very spacious with things to do for all ages. Our group ranged from 7 to 74. I would definitely stay there again. Channel cat fishing was great right off the dock. Lost one rod and reel and broke 2 other poles. Most cats were 5 to 8.5 #. Shrimp was the bait of choice.
Amazing house with every amenity you can think of! The house is spotless, host was very responsive if any questions we had. There were tons of games in side and out for adults and kids. The dock was awesome and so convenient. We even had lunch out there one day. With a kitchen, grill and bathroom on the dock there is no need to run back and forth from the house. There are lots of life jackets and floats.
The kitchen is well stocked with almost anything you can imagine. The extra ice maker came in handy. We can't wait to go back. The kids had such a blast. There is also a public beach with a large playground less than a 5 minute drive from the house.
The home was incredible. High end resort quality bedding and bathrooms. Everything was well labeled and home was well furnished and well stocked. My only complaint was that you cannot see the lake from the house so it didn't really feel like a lake house to me To get to the water was a short pathway then about 40 steps. If you have people in your party with mobility issues it might be an issue for them. Once you reached the water the view was more like a small stream. You could not see the main body of the lake from the dock. But the home was beautiful and we still enjoyed our stay immensely. Just be prepared for a limited view of water from from the dock and no water view from the house
Bridget B.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2023
About the host
Hosted by Patty Buehler
Hi! My name is Patty and this is my family lake home. I really enjoy being able to share the lake life with my family and friends and am now excited to share it with others as a short term rental. Lake Sara is a wonderful community and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Why they chose this property
I wanted a lake home that had enough room for all of my extended family and friends to enjoy. So I made sure to have enough bedrooms and different spaces around the home and property for everyone to relax, sleep, and unplug from the everyday. I love the location; waterfront on a quiet cove, and the friendliest neighbors. With that said, please be respectful of the neighbors when renting the home and be mindful of the noise level in the late hours of the day.
What makes this property unique
Emerald Cove is a quiet cove with very minimal boat traffic. There is just one neighbor past us, which makes it a very safe cove for swimming, kayaking, and fishing is great too because of this!
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests