Running a B and B

Always thought it looks like really hard work. Up at 6.00 EVERY morning, cooking, changing beds, making small talk with annoying yanks, lots of health and safety nonsense to navigate, having to arrange holidays for off season (must be a bugger if you've got kids in school), never really being able to get properly leathered as you've gotta be up at 6 frying mushrooms, annoying yanks....

good luck, by the way.

up at 6 anyway with the dog - i can still get leathered as she will be doing most of it!

Sounds like a piece of p155

Agree it is really really hard work, almost a way of life where your home and your time is not your own as opposed to a little something on the side you can dip in and out of.

Also, H&S and all the rules and regulations required to achieve the gradings to enable you to advertise with Tourist Information and in various brochures is a whole load of extra hassle and expense.

40% discount for chit chatters imo

you have to change the bed sheets every day, it wouldn't be nice to see what you might find there

if there's en-suite rooms, then someone will have to do the job is cleaning sh!t on the side of the toilets

grim

but i suppose the wife would do that

we are both late 20s so have the sp*nk for it

you could employ a Pole to do that anyway

if you had 2 rooms to rent out - say charged £60-70 a night - how many nights you reckon you would be full???

So say...

365*2 (2 rooms) = 730 nights

If you filled it 100 nights - there's £7k - she could also do other bits - reckon we could manage on that

Bit worried about the hidden/additional charges H&S etc

hmmmmm...

figures a bit optimistic?

breakfast will cost you about a fiver for two people

they'd need to be very good rooms for £60-£70 a night

decent tv, internet connection etc

it's a b&b, i'd expect breakfast to be served free

but i gather you're joking?

Firstly, dealing with the general public is a challenge.Unless you both enjoy meeting people and solving their problems, even when it inconveniences you, i'd shelve the idea.Secondly, i'd contact the trade organisation representing b&b owners for advice.Thirdly, i'd try to get a job in a b&b to experience, first hand, the lifestyle before drawing up a business plan and committing any funds.

22" flatscreen £200
BT Broadband Option 3 £35 a month with line rental - wireless hub would allow wireless connectivity

lmao pf !

i meant costs incurred by me punter

good advice cooper

would there be a bar or access to alcohol?

fckin great idea - i want to do it even more now

genius - wp

thats where you could make your dough

only 2 rooms though? people might feel claustophobic

7 rooms would have a more business feel, as if you're sleeping in someone's business rather than someone's house

especially with you 2 being in your late twenties, it's not the same as staying in a b&b run by 2 trusty grandfolk

yes, and you can leave an honesty bar while you sleep, so the dough is rolling in through the night in case you get alcoholic punters, like me

you'd prolly make an extra at least £50 for 2 nights from me

no way could we afford anything more than 4 beds - and we would still need to find 100k between now and then - looking on rightmove £300k looks going rate for 4 beds

if yer buying a 4 bedroomed house, and renting out 2, what would you be doing with the extra bedroom? kids?

ok punter i book you in for the first two weeks in Jan 2015 - special chit chatter rate of 50 sheckles a night with an honesty bar

could put a fruity in there and a pool table, fck me id never leave

yep

nah dont do the fruit machine nor pool

would just happily sit at the bar and mutter to myself

a couple of laptops wired up to betfair...

lol - nice one

£60 - £70 a night?

I stay in B&Bs when working away. I paid £25 a night just before christmas. Next week, I'm in a 4 star hotel for £25 a night. And I will get that rate until March.

If you think you can charge £60 a night for a B&B you need to do a bit more research.

peak/lakes - ones i stayed in at least £60 - even in feb

Next week, I'm in a 4 star hotel for £25 a night

Kabul?

You'd have to ask yourself why are they charging £60 a night. You would at least have to match their standards or word would spread. Not an easy investment, don't go into it blind.

like i say, im 3-5 years away, interesting views cheers

Lots of valid points already raised.

My parents ran a small B&B for about 5 years when I was in my teens.

It IS a lot of work - you have to get up and do breakfast at a fixed time whatever state or mood you are in.

Also if you are renting out two rooms in a 4 bed house are you going to feel your space is seriously infringed? You would need a (completely) separate room to serve breakfast in compared to your lounge.

What are you motives here - do you want it to be your main source of income? If so your investment and risk is going to need to be higher.

Location is crucial.

Any other questions give me a shout - I wasn't privy to the figures - we just about covered imo, but once the loans had been paid off we binned it. Must have made a decent amount on the house though.

It is a hard life - especially if you have a bar - with some guests expecting service and company into the early hours - just in time to prepare brekkie for the early risers.

looked at a hotel for £65 in the lakes

*
* Car parking available onsite
* TV
* Tea/Coffee making facilities in each room
* Hairdryer in each room
* Childrens Facilities - Outdoor
* Pets Allowed
* CD Player
* Radio


not very much in terms of hotel facility

so you having a bar and internet access would be good

not main source of income - i would continue to work and cover mortgage/bills - would be missis work.

see what you mean about space, would need to be big downstairs - mmmm

we have dog so would cater for dogs, just thinking 4 beds aint enough.

set times for bar?

Maybe could get one of my mates in, get bigger place £500k

Nip over to the Channel 5 site and watch the entire Hotel Inspector series.

Then forget the idea. Clearly your heart is not in it, and unlike Asparagus Man, you cannot rely on the house's value rocketing to cover your losses on the B&B side.

Meanwhile, you can nip over to a site like http://www.lakedistrict-bedandbreakfasts.com (and google will find others) to see what the field looks like in terms of facilities and prices.

no, bar for 24 hours, you don't need to stay awake for the punters

i stayed in a b & b in blackpool, bar was permanently open, i got the bevvy(bottled lager) myself and put money in a jar

but the guy never stayed up and chatted, but he did tell us that he was going to bed and that would be about 10pm

didn't really want to talk to him anyway, i mean i don't particularly want to talk to any b & b owners or expect any of them to stay up

wouldnt say heart aint in it - more wifes project than mine - just thought it would be interesting way of life - not afraid to work hard

honesty box is a cracking idea

the bar doesn't need to be complex either, no pipes or barrels

just bottled lager, and spirits

couple of beer fridges, assortment of spirits - think key would be that we dont rely on income from b and b and that we get the right place in the right location - love coniston water, but too much dollar

going out for a bit now - cheers punter and everyone