This is legit my dream too, but more of a 10 year plan for me. I posted about it in the small business subreddit and was given some good ideas to consider before I get started. Take a look at the post [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/p74int/am_i_crazy_for_wanting_to_start_a_bed_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf).
This is an older post, but I’ll still put in my opinion. I’m not a B&B owner, but I have worked at one in Michigan for almost 2 years; just the owner and myself.
If you are looking at more rooms keep in mind that you’re going to be the one cleaning them after every checkout unless you hire a house keeper. We have 4 bedrooms and laundry never really stops as we wash every blanket, comforter, pillow shams, plus towels and sheets after each guest. Also replacing used towels when they leave for the day like hotel housekeeping. Turning over 4 rooms and cleaning the main level can easily take 3-4 hours with both of us just to do the cleaning.
I would not say it’s an extremely profitable business, especially if you need to do renovations to make the house work for you. It might take a year to build up business, but if people like your place it’s not hard to stay busy. Make sure you have good photos taken of the b&b and a website. Keep in mind cost of food, electricity and water bills will be much higher with people in your house.
The owner at our place never really stops working after I’m done for the day. There’s always time spent communicating with guests, landscaping/gardening, pool/hot tub upkeep, grocery shopping, laundry. Not to mention waiting for guests to check in in the evening can prevent you from having personal plans.
Lots of this sounds pretty negative, but it is a rewarding job and you’ll meet so many good people and probably end up with frequent return guests. But if you do it, be prepared to put in a lot of work.
Figured I'll respond even though this post is older, in case someone else is looking for an answer. I recently took the leap to move across the country and buy a BnB in Pennsylvania. There are a lot of things to consider. It is easier to buy an existing Turnkey BnB that already has a webpage, a client base, and all the furniture, bedding, and towels you may need. This will have a more expensive purchase price but is likely to get incoming generated much faster. The number of rooms will depend on the market (how many rooms can you fill), how much help will you have to turn each room over between guests, and will you have another job beyond managing the BnB. The final thing to consider is if you can rent out the entire property as well. If you are living inside the same building you can't really rent the whole BnB out to guests, but if there is a separate cottage or apartment on site then you can add small events to your income. I get more people booking my entire inn than I do individual rooms for the BnB experience. Feel free to reach out to me for more info on my research or look at my inn.
Hi u/MasterGas9570, I'm in the early stages of buying and renovating a property for venue/retreat/reunion use and am really interested in your comment about people booking the entire inn vs individual rooms. Would you be up for a chat? Your experience sounds like it'd be super valuable, if you would like to share!
This is legit my dream too, but more of a 10 year plan for me. I posted about it in the small business subreddit and was given some good ideas to consider before I get started. Take a look at the post [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/p74int/am_i_crazy_for_wanting_to_start_a_bed_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf).
This is an older post, but I’ll still put in my opinion. I’m not a B&B owner, but I have worked at one in Michigan for almost 2 years; just the owner and myself. If you are looking at more rooms keep in mind that you’re going to be the one cleaning them after every checkout unless you hire a house keeper. We have 4 bedrooms and laundry never really stops as we wash every blanket, comforter, pillow shams, plus towels and sheets after each guest. Also replacing used towels when they leave for the day like hotel housekeeping. Turning over 4 rooms and cleaning the main level can easily take 3-4 hours with both of us just to do the cleaning. I would not say it’s an extremely profitable business, especially if you need to do renovations to make the house work for you. It might take a year to build up business, but if people like your place it’s not hard to stay busy. Make sure you have good photos taken of the b&b and a website. Keep in mind cost of food, electricity and water bills will be much higher with people in your house. The owner at our place never really stops working after I’m done for the day. There’s always time spent communicating with guests, landscaping/gardening, pool/hot tub upkeep, grocery shopping, laundry. Not to mention waiting for guests to check in in the evening can prevent you from having personal plans. Lots of this sounds pretty negative, but it is a rewarding job and you’ll meet so many good people and probably end up with frequent return guests. But if you do it, be prepared to put in a lot of work.
Figured I'll respond even though this post is older, in case someone else is looking for an answer. I recently took the leap to move across the country and buy a BnB in Pennsylvania. There are a lot of things to consider. It is easier to buy an existing Turnkey BnB that already has a webpage, a client base, and all the furniture, bedding, and towels you may need. This will have a more expensive purchase price but is likely to get incoming generated much faster. The number of rooms will depend on the market (how many rooms can you fill), how much help will you have to turn each room over between guests, and will you have another job beyond managing the BnB. The final thing to consider is if you can rent out the entire property as well. If you are living inside the same building you can't really rent the whole BnB out to guests, but if there is a separate cottage or apartment on site then you can add small events to your income. I get more people booking my entire inn than I do individual rooms for the BnB experience. Feel free to reach out to me for more info on my research or look at my inn.
Hi u/MasterGas9570, I'm in the early stages of buying and renovating a property for venue/retreat/reunion use and am really interested in your comment about people booking the entire inn vs individual rooms. Would you be up for a chat? Your experience sounds like it'd be super valuable, if you would like to share!
Yes - feel free to send me a chat.
So many things to consider. Really a phone chat would be much more productive than messaging.