What do you look for in a bnb?

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Suzie Q

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What do you look for when staying in a bnb? I don't know if we'll be moving next year. Should I look for a property in the country? Victorian? One Victorian I'm considering has 3 bedrooms and one bath, upstairs. A second bathroom upstairs is certainly feasible, as is redoing the pantry on the main level into a bath, however small. 3 more bedrooms 3rd level, are still pretty primitive, by today's standards, no AC, original walls, etc. None of the baths would be attached, well maybe one. Wiring and plumbing have been redone.
I'm quite sure we'd be OK on code, as it is in the Administrative/Professional part of town. Would probably need to add sprinklers as none of the rooms are on ground level. Unsure about grease traps. I cook fairly greaseless, unless "rules are rules."
Thanks,
Carol
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way.
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
.
Carol,
You need to go to the small town and talk to them about the bnb before you do anything about the house. Will you be in Iowa or Nebraska? The small towns here usually are pretty good as you know, not like Lincoln or Omaha.
El is right. Whatever you do, get those bathrooms connected to the rooms. Even if you take a bedroom between 2 others and split it into 2 bathrooms for each bedroom. On 2nd floor, it depends on what is under that bathroom. You can run a new stack and if you have to have traps for shower, then you would need to drop the ceiling on the first floor room to cover the traps.
Sprinkling depends on the local fire department people. Some will make you do it and others won't.
Do you have a web site of the house you can send me? I would like to see it. Maybe can give a little help.
It will be expensive if you do more than 1 room with the bath that is already there. I know your hubby doesn't like to work on a house so you would have to hire it all done.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
.
What I've learned from doing five bathrooms... water up, no problem (generally). Water down, BIG deal. And you can only have so much on one stack. I sacrificed part of my laundry chute to add a stack, and we changed which rooms would be ours and which would be for guests because I didn't want to add a stack through the front hall. So "my" bathroom is two floors down. If I want to add a half bath in my closet it means adding a stack through either the front hall or the dining room... not happening.
I think the drains have to go one foot over for every 1/4 inch down. One of our bathrooms has a little step up to the toilet to allow for that rise.
In an old Victorian with the stack on one side of the house you're either adding a stack on the other side, or somehow running the drain across and down at the same time.
I did see something online that flushes "up" with some sort of power flusher... but it wasn't something I think I'd want to use in a B&B. It was designed for adding toilets in basements, but it could also be used to put a toilet on the second floor and have the flush go up to the attic to join the main stack.
Good luck!
=)
Kk.
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
.
Carol,
You need to go to the small town and talk to them about the bnb before you do anything about the house. Will you be in Iowa or Nebraska? The small towns here usually are pretty good as you know, not like Lincoln or Omaha.
El is right. Whatever you do, get those bathrooms connected to the rooms. Even if you take a bedroom between 2 others and split it into 2 bathrooms for each bedroom. On 2nd floor, it depends on what is under that bathroom. You can run a new stack and if you have to have traps for shower, then you would need to drop the ceiling on the first floor room to cover the traps.
Sprinkling depends on the local fire department people. Some will make you do it and others won't.
Do you have a web site of the house you can send me? I would like to see it. Maybe can give a little help.
It will be expensive if you do more than 1 room with the bath that is already there. I know your hubby doesn't like to work on a house so you would have to hire it all done.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
.
http://npdodge.com/idx_home.cfm?mls=20722617
Council Bluffs. I thought this small town, Crescent, would be a lot friendlier than they were. Again, I seem to have a hard time emailing you directly.
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
.
Our original upstairs bathroom was in the center of the house and the "new" bathroom was in the corner - same end but about 8 to 10 feet away. they put in a new "stack" and brought the sewer line over to tie into the original plumbing. It had to have a certain slope to it is all I remember about it. And yes it was $$$$
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
.
Carol,
You need to go to the small town and talk to them about the bnb before you do anything about the house. Will you be in Iowa or Nebraska? The small towns here usually are pretty good as you know, not like Lincoln or Omaha.
El is right. Whatever you do, get those bathrooms connected to the rooms. Even if you take a bedroom between 2 others and split it into 2 bathrooms for each bedroom. On 2nd floor, it depends on what is under that bathroom. You can run a new stack and if you have to have traps for shower, then you would need to drop the ceiling on the first floor room to cover the traps.
Sprinkling depends on the local fire department people. Some will make you do it and others won't.
Do you have a web site of the house you can send me? I would like to see it. Maybe can give a little help.
It will be expensive if you do more than 1 room with the bath that is already there. I know your hubby doesn't like to work on a house so you would have to hire it all done.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
.
http://npdodge.com/idx_home.cfm?mls=20722617
Council Bluffs. I thought this small town, Crescent, would be a lot friendlier than they were. Again, I seem to have a hard time emailing you directly.
.
Pretty looking house~
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
.
Carol,
You need to go to the small town and talk to them about the bnb before you do anything about the house. Will you be in Iowa or Nebraska? The small towns here usually are pretty good as you know, not like Lincoln or Omaha.
El is right. Whatever you do, get those bathrooms connected to the rooms. Even if you take a bedroom between 2 others and split it into 2 bathrooms for each bedroom. On 2nd floor, it depends on what is under that bathroom. You can run a new stack and if you have to have traps for shower, then you would need to drop the ceiling on the first floor room to cover the traps.
Sprinkling depends on the local fire department people. Some will make you do it and others won't.
Do you have a web site of the house you can send me? I would like to see it. Maybe can give a little help.
It will be expensive if you do more than 1 room with the bath that is already there. I know your hubby doesn't like to work on a house so you would have to hire it all done.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
.
http://npdodge.com/idx_home.cfm?mls=20722617
Council Bluffs. I thought this small town, Crescent, would be a lot friendlier than they were. Again, I seem to have a hard time emailing you directly.
.
It is a pretty house. but only 3 bedrooms and 1 bath...that is a deal breaker for me unless you can put in 2 more private bathrooms...YOU HAVE TO!!!! Also concerned about wood siding...lots of painting and upkeep with that especially in an old old house. Is there dry rot????
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
.
Carol,
You need to go to the small town and talk to them about the bnb before you do anything about the house. Will you be in Iowa or Nebraska? The small towns here usually are pretty good as you know, not like Lincoln or Omaha.
El is right. Whatever you do, get those bathrooms connected to the rooms. Even if you take a bedroom between 2 others and split it into 2 bathrooms for each bedroom. On 2nd floor, it depends on what is under that bathroom. You can run a new stack and if you have to have traps for shower, then you would need to drop the ceiling on the first floor room to cover the traps.
Sprinkling depends on the local fire department people. Some will make you do it and others won't.
Do you have a web site of the house you can send me? I would like to see it. Maybe can give a little help.
It will be expensive if you do more than 1 room with the bath that is already there. I know your hubby doesn't like to work on a house so you would have to hire it all done.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
.
http://npdodge.com/idx_home.cfm?mls=20722617
Council Bluffs. I thought this small town, Crescent, would be a lot friendlier than they were. Again, I seem to have a hard time emailing you directly.
.
It is a pretty house. but only 3 bedrooms and 1 bath...that is a deal breaker for me unless you can put in 2 more private bathrooms...YOU HAVE TO!!!! Also concerned about wood siding...lots of painting and upkeep with that especially in an old old house. Is there dry rot????
.
I don't know about dry rot. I noticed the paint is on the house thick. There is a point on the second story where the two tapered corners don't quite meet.
8th%20st%20corner.jpg

I don't know if that corner is bad or neutral.
 
So where are you moving to??? Why are you leaving??? Tired of fighting city hall there???
To me it really doesn't matter the type of house. We stay in all sorts. However my tastes lean more to relaxed country farm house style. Or just a nice traditional home. We don't care for "fru fru victorian"..too much clutter and junk around.
Just want a nice clean comfortable room with a private bath, TV, and king size bed and hopefully not sharing walls with other rooms if possible. YOU MUST HAVE PRIVATE ATTACHED BATHS.
If you are going to do this again...do it right oh and make sure zoning is approved where ever you go
wink_smile.gif
But you've already learned that the hard way..
Ah, maybe 10 miles south. Grocery stores, etc. would be a lot closer. Closer to work as well, until I retire in about 4 years. Hubby will probably keep working there a few more after that.
When the "stack" and original plumbing are in one part of the house, how do you make bathrooms on the opposite side? Can it be done? Smoke and mirrors? BIG bills?
.
Carol,
You need to go to the small town and talk to them about the bnb before you do anything about the house. Will you be in Iowa or Nebraska? The small towns here usually are pretty good as you know, not like Lincoln or Omaha.
El is right. Whatever you do, get those bathrooms connected to the rooms. Even if you take a bedroom between 2 others and split it into 2 bathrooms for each bedroom. On 2nd floor, it depends on what is under that bathroom. You can run a new stack and if you have to have traps for shower, then you would need to drop the ceiling on the first floor room to cover the traps.
Sprinkling depends on the local fire department people. Some will make you do it and others won't.
Do you have a web site of the house you can send me? I would like to see it. Maybe can give a little help.
It will be expensive if you do more than 1 room with the bath that is already there. I know your hubby doesn't like to work on a house so you would have to hire it all done.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
.
http://npdodge.com/idx_home.cfm?mls=20722617
Council Bluffs. I thought this small town, Crescent, would be a lot friendlier than they were. Again, I seem to have a hard time emailing you directly.
.
It is a pretty house. but only 3 bedrooms and 1 bath...that is a deal breaker for me unless you can put in 2 more private bathrooms...YOU HAVE TO!!!! Also concerned about wood siding...lots of painting and upkeep with that especially in an old old house. Is there dry rot????
.
I don't know about dry rot. I noticed the paint is on the house thick. There is a point on the second story where the two tapered corners don't quite meet.
8th%20st%20corner.jpg

I don't know if that corner is bad or neutral.
.
Just a guess, but I would say that rain is getting in there. A good house inspector can tell you how bad it might be and possibly how long it has been like that. Another good question would be why is it like that? Why is it separating? It wasn't built that way.
 
To answer the original question...
When I book a B&B, I want an en suite bathroom and at least a queen bed (we like to live large when we're on vacation...we have a double bed and our bathroom is on another floor.)
That's a must.
A good breakfast is important. I like to see period decorating if possible, or at least something that makes the room/house not 'standard'. So, kitsch is ok, if not over the top.
In walking distance to some sort of downtown with restaurants (not a strip mall kind of thing, a real downtown). Then we also like to be close by to museums and hiking/walking trails. We like to park the car and forget it when on vacation. Which doesn't happen the whole vacation, but at least some of it we like to spend not yelling at each other, 'Turn here!' 'Where?' Here...there...nevermind we missed it.'
 
What I like in a B&B. To not feel like I am in someone's spare bedroom. So common space just for the guests, places to relax and not feel imposing or imposed upon.
For that, I require my own in-room bathroom. I have done the shared route, only because it was the only B&B near this spot on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland Australia. Otherwise, no way. It is now a private residence again, I noticed.
I have never stayed at a B&B to just stay there. I have ONLY stayed at them because there was something else nearby that was the attraction. So for that, I won't go crazy expecting anything over the top, but a nice clean place to stay. I do like a tv, nothing fancy, any sort, small will even do, mainly to watch weather channel and to see local news. I have fun watching local programming.
Personal touch (this is not the same as in someone's spare room in case someone thinks I am contradictory. I like pesonal collections and such. Artwork, books, all that interests me and make a place unique. If everything is purchased JUST for the guests then it is more hotel-like, and not homey enough.
Wi-Fi
Hearty breakfasts that include meat and decent coffee. Coffee available BEFORE we sit down to eat.
That is all. Decorate how you like, run it how you like. Afternoon refreshments, doesn't worry me. Just a nice private room with a little space to stretch out.
 
What I like in a B&B. To not feel like I am in someone's spare bedroom. So common space just for the guests, places to relax and not feel imposing or imposed upon.
For that, I require my own in-room bathroom. I have done the shared route, only because it was the only B&B near this spot on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland Australia. Otherwise, no way. It is now a private residence again, I noticed.
I have never stayed at a B&B to just stay there. I have ONLY stayed at them because there was something else nearby that was the attraction. So for that, I won't go crazy expecting anything over the top, but a nice clean place to stay. I do like a tv, nothing fancy, any sort, small will even do, mainly to watch weather channel and to see local news. I have fun watching local programming.
Personal touch (this is not the same as in someone's spare room in case someone thinks I am contradictory. I like pesonal collections and such. Artwork, books, all that interests me and make a place unique. If everything is purchased JUST for the guests then it is more hotel-like, and not homey enough.
Wi-Fi
Hearty breakfasts that include meat and decent coffee. Coffee available BEFORE we sit down to eat.
That is all. Decorate how you like, run it how you like. Afternoon refreshments, doesn't worry me. Just a nice private room with a little space to stretch out..
Greetings Remnjava!
Good luck with your house if you should go ahead and pursue it. The house looks like it has great potential!
I like private baths, TV in the room, and a coffee pot. Bed size doesn't really matter as long as the room is clean and comfortable. Wireless internet is also a great bonus. And of course the breakfast, creativity is always nice at breakfast to have something different.
 
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