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The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires.

Lakefront cottage with kitchen and patio

Photo gallery for The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires.

Property grounds
Exterior
Interior
Smart TV, fireplace, DVD player, books
Interior

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Entire home

3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 12139 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Parking available
  • Fireplace
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

View map
Effingham, IL
  • Place, Cardinal Golf Course
    ‪14 min drive‬
  • Place, Lake Sara
    ‪22 min drive‬
  • Place, Effingham Performance Center
    ‪23 min drive‬

Room options

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About the area

Effingham

A family-friendly stay in Effingham awaits you at this cottage. You'll be 6.6 km (4.1 mi) from Cardinal Golf Course and 12.9 km (8 mi) from Lake Sara. .You can enjoy Smart televisions with a DVD player, and accommodation features a washing machine, free WiFi and 2 bathrooms. In-room dining is easy with a kitchen that comes equipped with a fridge, a microwave and a stovetop. A fireplace, a patio and a living room are also available.
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What's nearby

  • Cardinal Golf Course - 14 min drive - 8.6 km
  • Cross at the Crossroads - 21 min drive - 12.3 km
  • Lake Sara - 22 min drive - 13.7 km
  • Effingham Performance Center - 23 min drive - 14.4 km
  • Effingham County Courthouse - 24 min drive - 14.3 km

Getting around

  • Effingham Station - 23 min drive
  • Champaign, IL (CMI-University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Williard) - 80 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Golden Corral - ‬20 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬18 min drive
  • ‪Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen - ‬19 min drive
  • ‪Culver's - ‬21 min drive
  • ‪Niemerg's Steakhouse - ‬21 min drive

About this property

Entire place

You'll have the entire home to yourself and will only share it with other guests in your party.

The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires.

Located in the heart of central Illinois, the Redbud Cottage at Lake Sara is a great destination for families or friends, or a perfect stopover for a trip through the Great Midwest. With your own swimming beach, a floating dock to play on, a beautiful wood-burning fireplace, a dock for fishing, and a large deck for sitting in the sun, enjoy the peace and quiet of our little wooded cottage on the lake.

Our beach is SHARED by the Hartmann's grandchildren a few days each Summer. But our grandchildren are still young, will be supervised by adults, and won't use the beach while guests are using the beach or the dock (for example while fishing).

Every season is beautiful on Lake Sara, with Spring and Fall being particularly pretty and quiet. The Summer water is wonderful for swimming, and warm from May through September. Enjoy eating on our old family picnic table by the water. Watch the kids swim or play on the beach, or have fun taking a lovely float yourself in Lake Sara's clean, warm water.

Wake boarding, tubing, and water skiing are local favorites. There is good fishing for bass, crappie, catfish, and blue gill, especially in the Spring and Fall. Lake Sara sets aside special quiet hours for fishermen. Winter is a great time for crisp woodsy walks and warming fires.

Our 3 bedroom, 2 bath cottage sleeps ONLY 6 adults (per local regulations) and a "reasonable amount" of children. We have 3 "very comfortable" [Guest reviews] king size beds and a couple of wonderful wide sleeping couches in front of the fireplace. We have sleeping bags for children and a crib for babies. Our kitchen and downstairs were completely remodeled in early 2021. We have a Keurig Coffemaker, a French coffee press, a dishwasher, and all new dishes and pots and pans. Our washer and dryer and two-car garage make this a perfect spot for an extended stay. A canoe and 5 kayaks are available for the use of our guests.

Inside, enjoy the separation of a master suite upstairs, as well as the two-and-a-half story, book-filled living room with its massive stone fireplace. You can burn local wood that you'll find stacked at your door. One of our favorite sports is sitting with a book in front of the fire--wine and s'mores are optional.

Our lot is full of tall, beautiful oaks and maples, and is in a pretty neighborhood on the quiet western end of Lake Sara. Redbud trees line Lorton road and are being planted among our woods, bringing their vivid purple/pink flowers in Spring. Views from our huge deck are all water and trees--you can only see one other house. The Lake is surrounded by good Illinois farmland, so it's a wonderful spot for long flat bike rides and walks.

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Property amenities

Beach

  • Beach nearby
  • Beach loungers

Internet

  • Available in the cottage: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Car required
  • Onsite parking options include a garage

Kitchen

  • Blender
  • Coffee grinder
  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Electric kettle
  • Hob
  • Ice maker
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Spices
  • Toaster

Dining

  • Dining table

Bedrooms

  • 3 bedrooms
  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • 2 bathrooms
  • Bathtub or shower
  • Hair dryer
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Living spaces

  • Dining table
  • Fireplace
  • Living room

Entertainment

  • Books
  • DVD player
  • Games
  • Smart TV with cable/satellite channels
  • Stereo
  • Video library

Outdoor areas

  • Barbecue grill
  • Firepit
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Patio

Laundry

  • Laundry facilities
  • Washing machine

Comfort

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Suitability/Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • In-room accessibility
  • Smoke-free property
  • Note from host: Smoking allowed out in our yard and by the lake.

Services and conveniences

  • Iron/ironing board

Location highlights

  • In a rural location
  • Near a hospital
  • Near an outlet shopping centre
  • Near the marina
  • On a lake
  • On the waterfront

Things to do

  • Bicycles
  • Boat
  • Golf
  • Kayak
  • Water sports equipment
  • Basketball nearby
  • Birdwatching nearby
  • Cycling nearby
  • Fishing nearby
  • Golfing nearby
  • Hiking/biking trails nearby
  • Kayaking nearby
  • Motor boating nearby
  • Swimming nearby
  • Water skiing nearby
  • Water tubing nearby
  • Wildlife walks nearby
  • Winery tours nearby

Safety features

  • Carbon monoxide detector (host has indicated there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property)
  • Smoke detector (host has indicated there is a smoke detector on the property)
  • Fire extinguisher

General

  • Bicycles
  • Garden
  • Unit size: 1,500 square feet

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 4:00 PM
Minimum check-in age - 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Check-out instructions

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
Turn off the lights
Please leave the kitchen as clean as you found it, as far as possible. Our housekeeper has plenty of work to do without doing dishes. Also, please make sure all trash is bagged & in tall garage can.
Please leave all linens on the beds, and all towels hanging in the bathrooms. Our housekeeper will deal with them – – and it is not always clear if she will arrive quickly after your departure!
Please moderate heat or air conditioning on departing. And leave house door unlocked, and depart using the large garage door. Travel safely!
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.

Rules

Please leave Kitchen as Clean as you found it! We'll have the rest of the cottage & laundry cleaned for you.
Please, No Outside Noise (on decks or by the water) after 10 p.m. and before 8 a.m. We live in a quiet neighborhood with mostly retired neighbors!
Please use your heads when using Cottage Linens and Blankets. Our Housekeeper has to Wash Every Item you pull out! Please use just what you need.

Pets

  • No pets allowed
  • Note from host: Sorry. We are always a No Pets property.

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Note from host: On lake--Lifejackets needed! We have many sizes.

Events

No events allowed
Renters having loud parties will be ejected.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Smoking allowed out in our yard and by the lake.

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
Note from host: Renters having loud parties will be ejected.
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
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
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a private host, not a professional engaged in trade or business. On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited. Note from host: Renters having loud parties will be ejected. For guests' safety, the property includes a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector in all accommodation.

Property is also known as

Redbud Cottage--beach Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront Wood Fires
Redbud Cottage--beach Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront Wood Fires
The Redbud Cottage beach Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront Wood Fires
The Redbud Cottage beach Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront Wood Fires
The Redbud Cottage beach Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront Wood Fires
The Redbud Cottage Beach Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront Wood Fires.

Frequently asked questions

Are there any beaches close to The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires.?

The closest beach to The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires. is Lake Shelbyville Beach (32.6 km).

Does The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires. have a pool?

No, this cottage doesn't have a pool.

Is The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires. family-friendly?

You bet! With amenities such as a playground and laundry facilities, as well as highchairs and children's dinnerware, it's no surprise that The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires. is a winner with our family travellers.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires.?

No, The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires. does not offer an airport shuttle service.

What time are check-in & check-out at The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires.?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM. Check-out time is 11:00 AM.

Are pets allowed at The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires.?

No, pets are not allowed.

Reviews

The Redbud Cottage--Beach & Quiet. Lake Sara Waterfront & Wood Fires. Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Amenities

10/10

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 405 out of 458 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 48 out of 458 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 458 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 458 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 458 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Carrie L.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great home base for our fishing trip. Dock is a short easy walk from the house. Beds are comfortable. Kitchen was well stocked with dishes.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

8/10 Good

Gretchen M.

Liked: Cleanliness
Very lovely location. Beautiful lake experience.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ahmet S.

Liked: Cleanliness
It was a great lake house, clean, calm and peaceful.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mary G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anthony G.

Liked: Cleanliness
Incredible owners. They were very special people
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth M.

Liked: Cleanliness
David was a great host. The space catered to a large array of ages and was just what we needed. Right on Lake Sara with beautiful views and the ability to use their kayaks for exploring. Had a wonderful time and will book again.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Hannah S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Absolutely loved the house it was so convenient to everything and the lake was wonderful.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jaroslaw S.

Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Aimee C.

Liked: Cleanliness
Great place! Charming cabin. Thank you
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Heather L.

Liked: Cleanliness
We had a really nice time at this property. There was pretty much everything you could think of. The lake was amazing and was perfect for boating and swimming. No scum or algae or weeds. The owner was VERY responsive to any questions I had.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

James S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Grandchildren vacation

Nice quiet location with many activities provided. Swimming items, fire pit, bicycles kayaks, canoe, life vests , sandy beach for swimming.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness

Redbud Cottage

We always enjoy staying here. We've been coming every year for about five years. This is a great property on the lake with everything you need!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Dawn G., Normal, Illinois

Liked: Cleanliness

My Happy Place

Great property with awesome access to water
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Stephanie I.

Liked: Cleanliness

Our go to every summer

This was our 5th time staying at the Redbud cottage and we never leave disappointed.. maybe tired but not unhappy lolWe always appreciate the space.. we have 5 kids and having a nice kitchen and big table that’s so accommodating to our size family is wonderful. We LOVE how big and open the windows are.. at night it adds to our spooky movies and we love waking up to the sun in the morning. All around beautiful setting. Every year we go we enjoy seeing the little additions they’ve made. This year it was tvs in the rooms which was never an issue for us as we spend most our time outside but was nice of them to add.All around our family of 7 ranging from age 7 to 17 really enjoy this get away with plenty to do for everyone. There’s even been times my dad joins Looking forward to our 6th visit
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Debbie G., Newton il

Liked: Cleanliness

Excellent sister get away

We had our sister get away(4 of us) . We had stayed there 10 years ago and really enjoyed it. One of our sisters sadly passed away in 2020, but we had lots of memories to talk about. We mostly played games on the deck or inside. The weather was perfect. The only negative is that there needs to be a shower pad in the upstairs bathroom. Very slick while taking a shower. The house was very nicely stocked with paper products and kitchen items .I would highly recommend the house. The owner was very nice and responsive to messages. We had a wonderful time! DG, CG, RC, KC.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ihor H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Best lake and location

3 night was perfect, and best fishing
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Pete H.

Liked: Cleanliness
House was nice great location. We definitely stay there again
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Andrew S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Cozy and Relaxing Stay for our fishing trip

The 4 of us life long friends picked this property for our annual fishing trip stay. Cozy house with all the amenities that we needed, the beds were comfortable. We didn’t spend much time in the house other than to eat and slept, except for the one evening that it rained. We spent most of the morning, afternoon and evening on the dock and at Newton Lake just fishing. We caught large mouth, crappie and bluegill right off the dock. I did venture through the woods to find a better fishing spot, which I wouldn’t recommend due to all the ticks I had to pull off of me. I did meet one of the owners, David, he was very friendly and helpful, we had a pleasant conversation.We did go into town for groceries, it was only a 15 minute drive to get to the Walmart. There are also several chain restaurants, gas stations and other businesses there. We also went to the downtown area of Effingham, specifically to the sports card shop but there are also a few antique shops, a few bar/restaurants, a museum, bike shop, barber shop, clothing store and other small local businesses.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christi S.

Liked: Cleanliness

Fantastic Mother's Day

Everything about this property was great! The charming house was stocked with everything we needed. We caught a lot of fish off the dock and the kayaks. The deck and dock were lovely to sit and watch the lake.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

barb c.

Liked: Cleanliness

Family Get Away

Wonderful location on the lake. It was a perfect spot to spend our family get away. The cottage was very comfortable. When we arrived it was a downpour, we appreciated being able to park in the garage. I would definitively stay here again!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Tim F.

Liked: Cleanliness

Fishing

Lovely quiet spot. Perfect for us. Owners next door were very gracious people
Stayed 7 nights in May 2025

6/10 Okay

Dolly P.

Disliked: Cleanliness

Redbud House

We pulled up to the house that was said to only have 1 house that you could see to find a whole neighborhood. At least 4 houses where in rock throwing distance. Upon entering the house, we realized it wasn’t as big as what it showed in the pictures. There was a massive table, sitting in the dining area, which took up the whole space. It was hard to sit at and play cards because it was really hard to reach to the center of the table. The kitchen cabinets have not been washed down in quite some time. The furniture in the living room was wore out really sunk in. There was throw pillows on the living room. Furniture couldn’t understand why they were smashed flat until we tried to sit at the kitchen table, and then we realized everybody was using them cushions to sit on because the chairs were so hard. Was really disappointed in this house. Attempted to watch a movie on the TV only to find out you had to have a passcode to get into anything on the TV except for the Connors. I didn’t rent a place to be in constant contact with the owners which by the way we’re staying in the house right beside the house. The mattresses on the bed were really high and for an older person. It’s just hard to get into none of the three beds were comfortable. The picture shows curtains on the windows. There was no curtains on the windows and you felt like you were being watched the whole time you were there. Not a very good experience.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Laura H.

Liked: Cleanliness

Relaxing!

Perfect cozy retreat for me and my husband, though it would have been fine to have our two pre-teen/teen kids with us. Sunrise on the lake and starry skies. The house was exceptionally clean. A nice cabin feel but with all the modern amenities you could want.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Angela J.

Liked: Cleanliness

Dads 79th birthday

Property was maintained and enough room for 5 adults to move around, utilized the fireplace which was great since it was a rainy weekend beds are great and comfy does need to add more towels towels and wash clothes rrarainy
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kara U.

Liked: Cleanliness

Beautiful little retreat

This house was very nice and had great amenities. The owners left wood for you to use both inside and down by the lake in a wheelbarrow. The bedrooms were very nice and the king beds made everyone's stay comfortable. The only problem was the bed upstairs was very, very high but other then that the property was very nice, great for fishing and the little beach area was very nice. Would definitely recommend and would stay here again.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025