Converting a home in a B&B

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own bed & breakfast? If your answer is yes, believe us, you are not the only one. There is a way to do this while adding value to your home.

Whether you do it because you are financially insecure or you think about devoting yourself to this kind of thing when you retire, or, simply, when your independent children have excess vacant rooms, most homes can be converted to B&B. Sales information often indicates whether a home is suitable for a B&B remodelling. If you are planning to sell a house in the next few years, investing hard work and adding a ‘commercial’ dimension to your property could speed up the process of finding a buyer, especially if you provide a set of figures that show annual turnover and profits.

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Still, you have to be completely realistic. The B&B business requires a lot of financial investment, time and effort. In addition, there are certain laws and regulations that condition your work in a commercial facility - e.g. food hygiene, fire regulations, reorganizing your property to create a separate entry and breakfast area for guests and many others.

First of all, keep in mind that any significant works on a Listed property (internal or external) will require a Listed Building Consent.

What you can do is contact your local government's planning department for advice on starting a new business and remodelling or expanding your premises. You will also need planning permission for 'change of use'. Then, check your property's deeds for any restrictive covenants.

As far as insurance is concerned, most household policies will not cover your use of the premises for business purposes, your legal liability to your employees or paying guests, and any theft or damage to your property by guests (see VisitEngland's so-called 'Pink Book' for more information).

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Depending on your expectations in terms of B&B Revenue, the Government Room Rental Scheme offers an incentive as it allows you to earn up to £ 7,500 a year without the rental tax on furnished accommodation in your home. However, if you do your best for marketing and promoting, that amount will be higher. In this case, you will need to fill out a tax return.

Here are the key factors to consider when deciding to build a B&B facility in your home:

• Make sure you have an en-suite or private bathroom as it will be attractive to your guests and perhaps decisive when choosing where to stay. Consider how you can reconfigure an existing bedroom (by adding stud walls, for example).

• Assure the sound insulation is good.

• The guest rooms must be lockable.

• Being very demanding in today's guests, you will need to find a good plumber to help you build a high-quality apartment. You will need to think about powerful showers, a bathroom fan, non-slip tiles, efficient towels…

• By law, you are responsible for fire protection for people who use your premises. When you decide to convert your home to a B&B, you are asked to carry out a fire risk assessment, improve fire safety measures if necessary, and retain revised risk and fire protection measures.

• Kitchen and food hygiene - another important and possibly deciding factor for guests. The price of your room should be in line with the prices of fresh, homemade groceries from which you prepare delicious food.

• Any food preparation performed on your premises includes compliance with food hygiene laws. You must register your food business with your local authority at least 28 days before trading or before starting a food business.

For a positive impression you want to leave, undoubtedly beautiful decor and comfortable furniture are essential. Here's our recommendation for getting the best possible impression and rating your guests will give you:

• Invest in the best bed and mattress you can afford. Flimsy furniture will not withstand time.

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• You will need cabinets and bedside tables, lots of them. If you find it expensive to buy new quality pieces of furniture for all rooms, you can always find high-quality pieces at online auctions and sales that will complete your room and fit in with the rest of your home design.

• Be practical and place lots of felt, mirrors (as large), hairdryer, coffee maker, mini-fridge, fan or low air conditioner, luggage rack… Save space. If you are buying a TV, keep it hooked to the wall.

• Make sure your guests can access high-speed Wi-Fi at all times. Also, cable TV is highly desirable.

• Keep your apartments fully neutral. Guests will appreciate details such as beautiful prints on towels, linens, curtains or blinds.

• As for carpets, they are really luxurious and warm accessories for the apartment, but they are also very impractical because of the dust that builds up in them and the potential spillage.

As with any other business, effective marketing is more than essential to your business and the revenue that B&B will bring to your home. Once you've saved the property, customized it to meet all the legal requirements and requirements of the guests, you'll need to research the prices of other caterers in your area so that you can tailor your property to the service you provide in the area. Next, the road sign, which will draw attention to the fact that there is a B&B facility, is important, as is the distribution of brochures and visit cards to potential guests of the property.

However, in today's digital age, the most important thing, you will assume - is online advertising. Social networking sites are the absolute most effective way of advertising, and they also allow your past guests to leave positive (or negative) comments that will appeal to other guests. You can also make reservations online, which will make it much easier for you and your guests and give you the impression that you are a modern hospitality facility that thinks of your guests. Make sure you update your site or page (on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook) and that fresh photos are always available.

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For immediate access to the largest possible audience, consider listing your property on sites like Booking.com or Airbnb, but keep in mind that these companies will charge a percentage of the commission or service charge.

TripAdvisor offers you the opportunity to list your business for free (as well as other premium marketing tools that are also available for a fee), and when you consider that more than 60 million consumers explore the purchase of travel online each month, this is a marketing opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

Whatever mode of advertising you choose, if a customer leaves a negative comment, do not be discouraged; it is an incentive to improve your business and create a better experience for your future clientele.

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