Bed & Breakfast

After some weeks of not being able to find a boarder for our spare bedroom (after the previous one moved out), we're now toying with the idea of converting it to a B&B. It's part of our house but is the only bedroom on the 2nd floor so it's separate from the rest of the family's "quarters", as it were. It's a master-sized bedroom, with a desk (workstation) built in, newish queen-sized bed with new bedding, etc. B&B is one of our dreams that we never thought we'd be able to do until we had enough land to have a 1 or 2 bedroom cottage on as well, but we're starting to reconsider.

Does anyone on here know anything about B&B's and whether there are any "rules"? Would we need any sort of hygiene certificate if we were to serve breakfast? Would you be interested in staying in a B&B which was in the same building as a family's home? Anything else?

I was gonna say that too Linzy, what about a homestay student? They pay quite well, you do have to feed them but sounds like you are happy to do that anyway.

Yep, I meant international student, bugger that you are too far away! A friend of mine has them and she gets $200+ a week, and they're pretty much adults so not too stressful.

And yep, shock horror 33 weeks tomorrow! Make it stop!

They are always looking for families for the various exchange student programs, and they're usually high school students who have come from a family situation.

They was in an advert in the Feilding Herald - I think its AFS that run them.

As for a B&B, we've stayed in heaps and more often than not they have been nothing more than a converted room in someones house, they usually all have ensuites though so not sure if you have this.

We stayed in loads of B&Bs in England and they are all basically rooms in peoples houses (they had ensuites) so I wouldnt see the room being in the same building as your living quarters being a problem.

I guess what you need to think about is that you won't be able to plan to go out as often, as you'll need to always be available if someone wants to stay.

I know I wouldn't want to commit to that while having young kiddies, but maybe it's different for you?

Kat, I guess it's because we're already used to having a boarder here. Also we often don't go out without much planning anyway, especially between dinner and 10am on any given weekend day! So long as we are organised about it, I don't think we'll have a prob. We don't need someone in there every weekend for income (although it would be nice) so we can always schedule it "booked" when we need a weekend to ourselves.

Sounds like it would work out then, and you should go for it!