B&B Proposal Worries Neighbors

[JBloggs]

[FONT= 'Times New Roman']B&B Proposal Worries Neighbors[/FONT]
Southern Pines Pilot
By John Krahnert III - Sunday, May 23, 2010 BY JOHN KRAHNERT III Some residents are wary of the possibility of bed-and-breakfast inns appearing in a ...
Note from JB - nothing against start ups, but it seems in this economy people are considering converting their homes to a B&B because they have no job. Guests just yesterday spoke to us about this. They are staying at 10 different B&B's and will go home (and not add any extra baths) but will open a B&B in their current home, because the kids are all grown.
So now we will see all these zoning/council meeting google alerts where people want to open a B&B in their home and have NOT done their homework. I don't think we should rally round just because they might open a B&B.
On the other hand, the http://www.bbonline.com/innkeeper/innsale.html for sale listings are growing, not necessarily because an Inn is a dog and makes no money, but it is natural attrition for innkeepers many who have retired once from the workforce are now wanting to retire from innkeeping. The banks are not loaning like they used to, so some people consider converting their own homes into B&B's. So we have a ton of worthy established B&B's for sale, money making, happy businesses with happy guests who need buyers and perhaps we do not need a bunch of start ups?
Your thoughts?

 

[EmptyNest]

I agree with you. Opening up a B & B in your home for the wrong reasons will not fly. People think this is such an easy thing to do...HEY....my kids are gone...let's just rent out the rooms....sorry more to it than that. And first and foremost...CHECK YOUR ZONING FIRST!

 

[Morticia]

A couple of things, not necessarily related to the article...Not every neighborhood is suited to a B&B. It is NOT like having your family over! The guests expect certain things that may not be available in your neighborhood. One of them being peace and quiet. If you're in a neighborhood full of kids who run and play at all hours that may not be conducive to a happy guest stay. If there is nothing to do in the area and nothing to do at the B&B there will also be unhappy guests.
OTOH, some people just don't GET the whole idea of a B&B, still. It's a brothel, it will bring 'strangers' to our neighborhood, it will creat traffic issues, noise issues, etc.
In some cases, again, the neighborhood fit may be totally wrong.
Like you said, this is not the sort of thing you can just 'do' in your house because you have 3 spare bedrooms. If your guests think they've got the space for it after visiting 10 other B&B's, well, I guess they know best. At least they DID visit other B&B's and didn't just put an ad online saying they were open for business.
How anyone could do this in their house is beyond me. The way guests poke around, I couldn't have all of my stuff where they could get at it and I am not the cleanest person in the world in my own space. It's like selling your house everyday...it has to be perfect and I just can't do that. So a 'homestay' style B&B would not work for me.
My guess is that some of the startups will close quickly but others may just be what the area needed. Hopefully no one spends a pile of money to find out they are in the first group. There were few B&B's here at the start and several have closed, but there are about 10 that are chugging along still, some for over 30 years.

 

[gillumhouse]

Many years ago now, I was a start-up. And yes, what I have is what my town needed. I started them in the tourism and marketing world - no one thought we would last a year, who was going to come here? I think there has been a change of attitude with the people here also - I think they like saying there is a B & B here.
Just as not every building is suitable for a B & B, I have been in many houses that just would not work even with all private baths, not everyone is suited to BE an innkeeper. Just as the "traffic flow" of a house is important, the attitude and aptitude of the innkeeper is VITAL! IMO of course.

 

[Copperhead]

While some areas are just not suitable for a B&B or any other business, I do not think that this is the case with this place. I am wondering what the Catholic Church used the home for as stated in the article? They could possibly use that info in their defense. The next door neighbors sound like they were going to extremes in their comments.
At least these people are going through the proper channels in trying to open. I believe there are many, many places that are renting rooms on the sly hoping they are not caught. My BIGGEST peeve these days have been in the very lax or no regulations for vacation rental houses which are popping up everywhere - not just cabins at the beach, lake or in the mountains. Owners who are having trouble selling are finding out that they can cover all their costs with a few nightly rentals and these places do not have anyone to oversee the goings on like with a B&B. Some are going for $99 a night in our area with no or only a 2 night min. and no taxes.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

On the other hand, the http://www.bbonline.com/innkeeper/innsale.html for sale listings are growing, not necessarily because an Inn is a dog and makes no money, but it is natural attrition for innkeepers many who have retired once from the workforce are now wanting to retire from innkeeping. The banks are not loaning like they used to, so some people consider converting their own homes into B&B's. So we have a ton of worthy established B&B's for sale, money making, happy businesses with happy guests who need buyers and perhaps we do not need a bunch of start ups?
Your thoughts?

Nothing against start-ups in general, either, but at this moment in time there are just so many bargains out there, there's sure to be a better deal for most situations without reinventing the wheel.
And since so many aging (or whatever) owners are trying to sell and are stuck with the financing problems, adding more startups now just adds rooms that are simply not needed. Excess room inventory hurts all of us.
But JB, your guests may not be as bad as they sound. Lots of folks decide to travel around and check out B&Bs before they open one. And who knows, their house might be set up perfectly for a B&B. Chances aren't good but it's possible.
And as many B&B owners are stuck in their inns, unable to sell, there are also just home owners equally stuck. They're trying to find a way to make it work.
So much as I think that folks would be wiser to just buy an existing B&B, none of us can say what's perfect for another person. They have their own reasons and they'll learn their own lessons.