Getting stressful around here

[TheBeachHouse]

The never ending bathroom reno continues.
The good news, the crew found some not quite to code plumbing and fixed it. The bad news is, of course, that puts us behind schedule and over budget.
As long as the summer brings guests, we will be fine with the extra cost. But it is getting old. I want to keep some of our earnings!
Yeah, I know, funny.

 

[Morticia]

Ah, you're singing our song.
We were just getting ahead a few years back when both the furnace and the hot water tank fell apart one weekend spewing hot water through the basement. $15k + the losses of having to close and send everyone away while it was fixed.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I keep wondering where the cameras are. Maybe I should stop watching so many home improvement shows on HGTV.

 

[Silverspoon]

I keep wondering where the cameras are. Maybe I should stop watching so many home improvement shows on HGTV..

Take heart...this is the worst time of year for guest anxiety. All the money is flowing out and not much or nothing is coming in. We just dropped invested a pile of $ on the ductless AC/heat in the cottage and now I am anxious that we will never make it back even though I know that reservations will come flowing in once the weather starts to get warm.
But that is the nature of the business in our market: spend it in the winter, make it in the summer. Welcome to coastal NE! You are a veteran by now Beachie, with a great reputation, a few good years under your belt and a solid track record of earning. Try to take advantage of this "down" time to appreciate the improvements you are making. Maybe you should go up in your prices to help cover your expenses. Even $5 a night makes a difference in your bottom line.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I keep wondering where the cameras are. Maybe I should stop watching so many home improvement shows on HGTV..

Take heart...this is the worst time of year for guest anxiety. All the money is flowing out and not much or nothing is coming in. We just dropped invested a pile of $ on the ductless AC/heat in the cottage and now I am anxious that we will never make it back even though I know that reservations will come flowing in once the weather starts to get warm.
But that is the nature of the business in our market: spend it in the winter, make it in the summer. Welcome to coastal NE! You are a veteran by now Beachie, with a great reputation, a few good years under your belt and a solid track record of earning. Try to take advantage of this "down" time to appreciate the improvements you are making. Maybe you should go up in your prices to help cover your expenses. Even $5 a night makes a difference in your bottom line.
.

Thanks!!! I know we are not alone in this! It helps to hear it.
We have gone up in rates. 5 of 6 rooms' rates went up. One went down by $9 to fit the new rate schedule.

 

[Morticia]

I keep wondering where the cameras are. Maybe I should stop watching so many home improvement shows on HGTV..

I keep wondering where the cameras are. Maybe I should stop watching so many home improvement shows on HGTV.

Those will kill you. What they don't show is that they come back after filming to fix everything that doesn't work!

 

[Lee2014]

Emergency replacing the water main pipe.... But Praise the Lord, we had the money and didn't have to borrow any!!! Always look on the positive since it makes life easier! Now to figure out how to get guests to come in the middle of winter!

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Emergency replacing the water main pipe.... But Praise the Lord, we had the money and didn't have to borrow any!!! Always look on the positive since it makes life easier! Now to figure out how to get guests to come in the middle of winter!.

Emergency replacing the water main pipe.... But Praise the Lord, we had the money and didn't have to borrow any!!! Always look on the positive since it makes life easier! Now to figure out how to get guests to come in the middle of winter!

Superbowl special!! Valentine special!!! St. Patrick's Day special!

 

[gillumhouse]

For once, disaster worked in my favor. Horrible snowstorm and a girl determined to get married in the snow. I just had a record January. May the rest of 2016 keep pace.
Beachie - I am the master of "good timing". When Himself was in art school, I started working 2 full-time jobs to make ends meet. The day I realized it was more than I could handle and turned in my pliers at the second job, middle son came home from school telling me he had lost a lens from his glasses in the snow AND the furnace fan started making LOUD noises. Tttttiming!

 

[MtnKeeper]

Been at this 10 years and still keep dumping money back into the business (which we built brand new). We don't think of it as keeping some of our money, we keep thinking in 3-5 years when we go to sell it it will be worth so much more. And during those 5 years we're paying off the mortgage so we'll get to keep even more. It's an investment, not an expense when it brings more $$$ in the door.

 

[Morticia]

Been at this 10 years and still keep dumping money back into the business (which we built brand new). We don't think of it as keeping some of our money, we keep thinking in 3-5 years when we go to sell it it will be worth so much more. And during those 5 years we're paying off the mortgage so we'll get to keep even more. It's an investment, not an expense when it brings more $$$ in the door..

Every project we do has the background premise of - it will sell faster if x is new/fixed/updated.
Not to mention guests love seeing the changes! "I love what you did to my room!" is a happy refrain.

 

[gillumhouse]

I do not ever expect to get out of this place what I have put in it when we I sell. I am getting my investment back each year with the revenues generated. Between that and being able to live rent-free where I spend my winters shivering (I refuse to pay the gas & electric companies when I can put on another sweater) and the rest of the year comfortable (this house is about 10 degrees cooler than outside in the summer) I am OK with that. I am just hoping to find someone who wants to run a B& B.
I am only hoping the IRS leaves me enough (after taking back depreciation, capital gains, and anything else they can think of to take my money) to either get an apartment or small house (or trailer).

 

[MtnKeeper]

Been at this 10 years and still keep dumping money back into the business (which we built brand new). We don't think of it as keeping some of our money, we keep thinking in 3-5 years when we go to sell it it will be worth so much more. And during those 5 years we're paying off the mortgage so we'll get to keep even more. It's an investment, not an expense when it brings more $$$ in the door..

Every project we do has the background premise of - it will sell faster if x is new/fixed/updated.
Not to mention guests love seeing the changes! "I love what you did to my room!" is a happy refrain.
.

Funny, we mentioned to guests over New Year's who have a standing 3-4 night reservation with us for every NYE that we were doing some updates. She jokingly told me to send her the samples as she'd have to approve any changes because she loves it exactly as it is.

 

[Morticia]

Been at this 10 years and still keep dumping money back into the business (which we built brand new). We don't think of it as keeping some of our money, we keep thinking in 3-5 years when we go to sell it it will be worth so much more. And during those 5 years we're paying off the mortgage so we'll get to keep even more. It's an investment, not an expense when it brings more $$$ in the door..

Every project we do has the background premise of - it will sell faster if x is new/fixed/updated.
Not to mention guests love seeing the changes! "I love what you did to my room!" is a happy refrain.
.

Funny, we mentioned to guests over New Year's who have a standing 3-4 night reservation with us for every NYE that we were doing some updates. She jokingly told me to send her the samples as she'd have to approve any changes because she loves it exactly as it is.
.

We used to have some very long term guests (think 20+ years) who always took the same room every time. I waited until after a fair number of them died before I started changing the rooms. I did the common spaces, but didn't touch 'their' rooms.
Yes, I know how odd that sounds. And, yes, we miss them.

 

[Anon Inn]

I do not ever expect to get out of this place what I have put in it when we I sell. I am getting my investment back each year with the revenues generated. Between that and being able to live rent-free where I spend my winters shivering (I refuse to pay the gas & electric companies when I can put on another sweater) and the rest of the year comfortable (this house is about 10 degrees cooler than outside in the summer) I am OK with that. I am just hoping to find someone who wants to run a B& B.
I am only hoping the IRS leaves me enough (after taking back depreciation, capital gains, and anything else they can think of to take my money) to either get an apartment or small house (or trailer)..

The past few days I've been reading articles about RV and van dwellers and work campers who travel from park to park, stay for up to a couple months and get free hook ups in exchange for clean up and some office duty at the park. The parks seem to want only couples though.
The reason I did the reading was partly to determine if such a couple would be interested in staying during the off season to do some help in exchange for free hookup and electric. Might be worth putting in a hookup. Our neighbors are in a trailer while they rehab their house. It would not be difficult to do. We do get inquiries in season from RV people so an added benefit would be to be able to say yes to that (for short stays only)

 

[TheBeachHouse]

It's over it's over it's over it's over.
doing a very happy dance!!!! If I never see another dropcloth, it will be too soon!
The extra floor tiles (cuz we didn't buy enough the first time) arrived and have been installed.
The leak above the new kitchenette has been found, diagnosed and fixed.
The newly installed electric plug that didn't work has been identified and fixed.
The newly installed heater that also didn't work, works now.
The artwork has been hung!!!!
The new bathroom is finished and I am walking on air. Construction season is OVER!

 

[Lee2014]

It's over it's over it's over it's over.
doing a very happy dance!!!! If I never see another dropcloth, it will be too soon!
The extra floor tiles (cuz we didn't buy enough the first time) arrived and have been installed.
The leak above the new kitchenette has been found, diagnosed and fixed.
The newly installed electric plug that didn't work has been identified and fixed.
The newly installed heater that also didn't work, works now.
The artwork has been hung!!!!
The new bathroom is finished and I am walking on air. Construction season is OVER!.

Yeah!!!!!!!

Time to celebrate!!!!!! Now I have to get back to my construction zone.......

 

[Morticia]

It's over it's over it's over it's over.
doing a very happy dance!!!! If I never see another dropcloth, it will be too soon!
The extra floor tiles (cuz we didn't buy enough the first time) arrived and have been installed.
The leak above the new kitchenette has been found, diagnosed and fixed.
The newly installed electric plug that didn't work has been identified and fixed.
The newly installed heater that also didn't work, works now.
The artwork has been hung!!!!
The new bathroom is finished and I am walking on air. Construction season is OVER!.

Yay!

 

[TheBeachHouse]

It's over it's over it's over it's over.
doing a very happy dance!!!! If I never see another dropcloth, it will be too soon!
The extra floor tiles (cuz we didn't buy enough the first time) arrived and have been installed.
The leak above the new kitchenette has been found, diagnosed and fixed.
The newly installed electric plug that didn't work has been identified and fixed.
The newly installed heater that also didn't work, works now.
The artwork has been hung!!!!
The new bathroom is finished and I am walking on air. Construction season is OVER!.

Yeah!!!!!!!

Time to celebrate!!!!!! Now I have to get back to my construction zone.......
.

I feel your pain. Wine helps!
AND it's a darned good thing because we have a full house for Valentine's weekend! The people renting the room with the new bathroom have rented this room before and always ask for the same room (it has the best view.) I can't wait to see their reaction.

 

[Lee2014]

Emergency replacing the water main pipe.... But Praise the Lord, we had the money and didn't have to borrow any!!! Always look on the positive since it makes life easier! Now to figure out how to get guests to come in the middle of winter!.

Emergency replacing the water main pipe.... But Praise the Lord, we had the money and didn't have to borrow any!!! Always look on the positive since it makes life easier! Now to figure out how to get guests to come in the middle of winter!

Superbowl special!! Valentine special!!! St. Patrick's Day special!
.

Emergency replacing the water main pipe.... But Praise the Lord, we had the money and didn't have to borrow any!!! Always look on the positive since it makes life easier! Now to figure out how to get guests to come in the middle of winter!

Superbowl special!! Valentine special!!! St. Patrick's Day special!

The superbowl was half over before I realized they were having it. We got a full house for Valentine's weekend. So that just leave St Patrick's Day. Got any ideas for me?!?