Living quarters

[jmj]

From your experience, what makes the best living quarters? What did you install, wish you had?
For the moment, we will stay in one of the rental apartments the prior owners used, but it is not ideal, nor big enough for our family. There is a very large space that we can retrofit to meet our needs. Down the road, we can then convert this to a rental as well (ground floor so selling point to those with issues with stairs). There is another additional large area we could then establish as our final home. That one requires the building of walls, so it would be easier to work with in the established space.
So, with a blank slate, what have you learned is most important in good living quarters?

 

[Joey Camb]

sound proofing!

 

[Highlands John]

sound proofing!.

sound proofing!

Amen to that.
Had two lovely ladies in for four nights, but they did get up at 6am every morning. I need an afternoon nap!!

 

[Madeleine]

Yes to the sound proofing! We hear every little noise the guests make in the room below ours. So I assume they hear us, too.
Your own kitchen.
Enough space so everyone can get away from each other.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

A working kitchen. A good lounging space. Light. Storage.
We took two apartments because one was too small. We have one living room set up as office, lounge, dining. the other has the huge TV, surround sound, movies, library....stuff. We use it. We love movies, sports and TV. It was necessary for us. In order to get from one apartment to the other, it is necessary to walk through out bedroom. Not ideal, but not a deal breaker. We manage.
We built an entryway/mudroom inside one of the living rooms. We needed the storage.
We redid the kitchen because if this is going to be my home, I need a kitchen that wasn't built in 1970.
I mention light because I've seen owners' apartments stuck in the back with almost no windows. I could not be happy there.

 

[Madeleine]

A working kitchen. A good lounging space. Light. Storage.
We took two apartments because one was too small. We have one living room set up as office, lounge, dining. the other has the huge TV, surround sound, movies, library....stuff. We use it. We love movies, sports and TV. It was necessary for us. In order to get from one apartment to the other, it is necessary to walk through out bedroom. Not ideal, but not a deal breaker. We manage.
We built an entryway/mudroom inside one of the living rooms. We needed the storage.
We redid the kitchen because if this is going to be my home, I need a kitchen that wasn't built in 1970.
I mention light because I've seen owners' apartments stuck in the back with almost no windows. I could not be happy there..

Yes! Light and storage! I have a bank of windows facing south. Love it. Tons of storage on my side none on the inn side.

 

[jmj]

sound proofing!.

sound proofing!

Amen to that.
Had two lovely ladies in for four nights, but they did get up at 6am every morning. I need an afternoon nap!!
.

Thank you. I would have NEVER thought about soundproofing.
This building is different from anything we have here in COLO- its built out of congrete, and I assume, stucco, or some type of common wall finish there. I will need to ask how sound is controled or if the building already is condusive to that. I just don't know.
I am glad I asked the questions.

 

[jmj]

A working kitchen. A good lounging space. Light. Storage.
We took two apartments because one was too small. We have one living room set up as office, lounge, dining. the other has the huge TV, surround sound, movies, library....stuff. We use it. We love movies, sports and TV. It was necessary for us. In order to get from one apartment to the other, it is necessary to walk through out bedroom. Not ideal, but not a deal breaker. We manage.
We built an entryway/mudroom inside one of the living rooms. We needed the storage.
We redid the kitchen because if this is going to be my home, I need a kitchen that wasn't built in 1970.
I mention light because I've seen owners' apartments stuck in the back with almost no windows. I could not be happy there..

Yes! Light and storage! I have a bank of windows facing south. Love it. Tons of storage on my side none on the inn side.
.

Yes, storage! Even though I am shedding most of my stuff, storage should never be underestimated.
Ventilation is huge in this area so as not to over use the AC. K keep hearing the Maya were genius's at planning for the heat.
Light- I already knew that would be an issue. I love windows open (having been a school teacher for 10 years, many without windows!). I am sure there are some tricks out there to incorporating more light. The second quarters we might build would have no problem with light (if we make it that far).

 

[Arks]

I've found that solid brick and/or concrete walls absorb a lot of sound, so it may not be as big a problem for you as a typical USA wall which is only 2 pieces of thin wallboard mounted just 4 inches apart.

 

[jmj]

So:
soundproofing
storage
light
kitchen
Good start.
I think an office area is important- I am pretty organized with one, but without- just turns into a mound of mess.

 

[user 26]

bathroom (or 2 depending on how many people), kitchen, laundry and storage TOTALLY separate from any guest areas.
i don't want to rehash the number of incidents of folks forcing their way into private/innkeeper areas, taking things, using my bathroom, etc.
my late husband's bike and mine went riding off from my personal storage in the back of the barn and i never recovered them. it took a while before i realized they were gone. so many folks brought their bikes when they stayed, and stored them in there ... i never had took time to go for a ride myself and just didn't realize someone left with extra bikes! could've been someone local, but i don't think so. when i noticed the tarp they were under looked odd, i lifted it and saw ... nothing. sat right down on the floor of the barn and cried. then i broke something.
i guess you've got a completely separate building? and area? so this shouldn't happen.

 

[jmj]

bathroom (or 2 depending on how many people), kitchen, laundry and storage TOTALLY separate from any guest areas.
i don't want to rehash the number of incidents of folks forcing their way into private/innkeeper areas, taking things, using my bathroom, etc.
my late husband's bike and mine went riding off from my personal storage in the back of the barn and i never recovered them. it took a while before i realized they were gone. so many folks brought their bikes when they stayed, and stored them in there ... i never had took time to go for a ride myself and just didn't realize someone left with extra bikes! could've been someone local, but i don't think so. when i noticed the tarp they were under looked odd, i lifted it and saw ... nothing. sat right down on the floor of the barn and cried. then i broke something.
i guess you've got a completely separate building? and area? so this shouldn't happen..

The layout is different than what we have here, more like a compound, I like to say. Add security to the list!
There is a courtyard just dying to become a pool area, but how will the guest access it? Through the "garage" area? Create a new separate, access point. So...thanks for reminding me, keep everything out of site that you can't part with- hey, isn't that what teachers say .

 

[Generic]

Soundproofing. Storage. Soundproofing. Storage. Soundproofing. Storage.
[h2]
Locks![/h2]

 

[Hillbilly]

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests..

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests.

Haha. Wish I'd thought of that before I put a bazillion dollars into my dream kitchen. I will never leave that kitchen!!
Good advice to have as much private space as possible. Doors separating your space from the Inn space. We even have a private courtyard. I know I need my space. Locks. Doors. Big signs that say "Private."

 

[MPest101]

Soundproofing. Storage. Soundproofing. Storage. Soundproofing. Storage.
[h2]
Locks![/h2].

I have been reading and seeing alot of your comments John and I love this one (I know its older), but I'm a recent member.

 

[Arks]

Soundproofing. Storage. Soundproofing. Storage. Soundproofing. Storage.
[h2]
Locks![/h2].

I have been reading and seeing alot of your comments John and I love this one (I know its older), but I'm a recent member.
.

I have been reading and seeing alot of your comments John and I love this one (I know its older), but I'm a recent member.

:welcome: Pest. Jon is a card. We do well to keep him a notch below ballistic. Enjoy!

 

[MtnKeeper]

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests..

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests.

Haha. Wish I'd thought of that before I put a bazillion dollars into my dream kitchen. I will never leave that kitchen!!
Good advice to have as much private space as possible. Doors separating your space from the Inn space. We even have a private courtyard. I know I need my space. Locks. Doors. Big signs that say "Private."
.

Loved this thread - and even though I just finished my dream kitchen after 10 years, we've decided to turn our bedroom into our ultimate guest room with elevated soaking tub surrounded by stone with windows that look out at the mountains. That room will bring in over $50K a year and we are going to build ourselves a little cottage next to the building so we can escape this place. Our kids rooms can ultimately become innkeepers quarters if we wanted to outsource that too and have our cottage next door that we'll come back to after travelling. Since we have over 20 acres, it's no problem and in less than 2 years I'll have my cottage paid off and be making an extra $50K -- something to think about if you have the space and can do it. I can finally have a living room with a mantel and stone fireplace and an actual coffee table to put my beautiful things on. It's been driving me crazy for years that I go into a beautiful store and see something that I would have instantly bought for my last home and realize I have no personal living space to put that in. Yes, I have a bedroom but everything else is guest space. My own home again, I wish we could start building today.

 

[JBloggs]

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests..

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests.

Haha. Wish I'd thought of that before I put a bazillion dollars into my dream kitchen. I will never leave that kitchen!!
Good advice to have as much private space as possible. Doors separating your space from the Inn space. We even have a private courtyard. I know I need my space. Locks. Doors. Big signs that say "Private."
.

Loved this thread - and even though I just finished my dream kitchen after 10 years, we've decided to turn our bedroom into our ultimate guest room with elevated soaking tub surrounded by stone with windows that look out at the mountains. That room will bring in over $50K a year and we are going to build ourselves a little cottage next to the building so we can escape this place. Our kids rooms can ultimately become innkeepers quarters if we wanted to outsource that too and have our cottage next door that we'll come back to after travelling. Since we have over 20 acres, it's no problem and in less than 2 years I'll have my cottage paid off and be making an extra $50K -- something to think about if you have the space and can do it. I can finally have a living room with a mantel and stone fireplace and an actual coffee table to put my beautiful things on. It's been driving me crazy for years that I go into a beautiful store and see something that I would have instantly bought for my last home and realize I have no personal living space to put that in. Yes, I have a bedroom but everything else is guest space. My own home again, I wish we could start building today.
.

Loved this thread - and even though I just finished my dream kitchen after 10 years, we've decided to turn our bedroom into our ultimate guest room with elevated soaking tub surrounded by stone with windows that look out at the mountains. That room will bring in over $50K a year and we are going to build ourselves a little cottage next to the building so we can escape this place. Our kids rooms can ultimately become innkeepers quarters if we wanted to outsource that too and have our cottage next door that we'll come back to after travelling. Since we have over 20 acres, it's no problem and in less than 2 years I'll have my cottage paid off and be making an extra $50K -- something to think about if you have the space and can do it. I can finally have a living room with a mantel and stone fireplace and an actual coffee table to put my beautiful things on. It's been driving me crazy for years that I go into a beautiful store and see something that I would have instantly bought for my last home and realize I have no personal living space to put that in. Yes, I have a bedroom but everything else is guest space. My own home again, I wish we could start building today.

Most areas won't allow a "second structure" on the property, unless you subdivide. We ran into this when we wanted to build our garage ahead of the house. They vehemently denied us having two - even though one was for storage.
If you can make an addtl 50K on that I would buy a second smaller home so I had a place to escape to. I saw this as I actually looked at a place in town here across the park, unfortunately there was a "haunted house" right next door. Funny how I never even noticed it until I looked at this little cottage for sale.
Most of our belongings are still in boxes in our basement, our children have grown up. It makes does bother me. People think they can exist in too small of owners quarters. What you have - cut it in half for business stuff.
DREAMS
I LOVE DREAMS I AM WITH YOU MTN!
I WANT TO DREAM and HAVE THEM COME TRUE...

 

[Madeleine]

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests..

Rent our buy the house across the street! The money you make off of renting the innkeepers quarters will be more than enough to rent or buy an additional house. This is what we did and it was the best move we ever made. If you want to still be a happy Innkeeper in 5 years than you need to get out of the Bed and Breakfast if you can. You will never feel like you have your own space living in the same building as your guests.

Haha. Wish I'd thought of that before I put a bazillion dollars into my dream kitchen. I will never leave that kitchen!!
Good advice to have as much private space as possible. Doors separating your space from the Inn space. We even have a private courtyard. I know I need my space. Locks. Doors. Big signs that say "Private."
.

Loved this thread - and even though I just finished my dream kitchen after 10 years, we've decided to turn our bedroom into our ultimate guest room with elevated soaking tub surrounded by stone with windows that look out at the mountains. That room will bring in over $50K a year and we are going to build ourselves a little cottage next to the building so we can escape this place. Our kids rooms can ultimately become innkeepers quarters if we wanted to outsource that too and have our cottage next door that we'll come back to after travelling. Since we have over 20 acres, it's no problem and in less than 2 years I'll have my cottage paid off and be making an extra $50K -- something to think about if you have the space and can do it. I can finally have a living room with a mantel and stone fireplace and an actual coffee table to put my beautiful things on. It's been driving me crazy for years that I go into a beautiful store and see something that I would have instantly bought for my last home and realize I have no personal living space to put that in. Yes, I have a bedroom but everything else is guest space. My own home again, I wish we could start building today.
.

This was one issue we had when we looked at B&B's in your state. No private space. Most of the properties we were shown the owners were living in the cellar. Unfinished. With the furnace. Others shipped their kids out in peak season and rented their rooms. Complete with clothing and posters. One place we looked at the innkeeper was living in a room with 4 washers & dryers and all of the sheets and towels.
How could anyone possibly smile in the morning and greet guests with hospitality living like that? Yikes!
So glad you got your dream kitchen and are able to see a bright future for your cottage. Sounds wonderful.