To wonder about affluent people running B&Bs

[cateycloggs]

Watching Escape To The Country, I have noticed several of the (to me ) affluent couples looking to relocate saying they wish to run a B&B. Do well off people who have had or are continuing to have successful professional or business careers really want to do that? Do they want to get up early, make and serve breakfasts to strangers, wash up, strip their beds, collect their dirty towels, clean the floors, organise the laundry, vaccuum, dust and polish bedrooms and clean toilets, baths and showers used by strangers? Then have the hassle of planning, budgeting, ordering, shopping for or collecting the necessary food and drink for their guests. All in part of their own (expensive) homes. Or are they thinking of having assistants which would be more understandable to me. And they would then be providing local employment.

As an introverted person who started working life as a chambermaid in big hotels, it sounds hellish. Why would you do (run a B&B) that unless you were hard up with very limited opportunities for work in your area?

Genuinely curious as to whether its just a personality difference or one of those work ethic differences.

I think it's the sort of thing that might have appealed to my mum as she loves meeting people and hearing their life stories.

But some people are just so fussy and demanding, just because they can, and I wouldn't have the patience at all.

I think if you just offer breakfast and can outsource cleaning, it's not so bad. But if you offer evening meals it becomes a lot more work.

People who do it aren't necessarily rich. We used to stay in a B&B In Scotland where they'd an extension built to a small cottage to offer B&B. They weren't rich when they started out, though they are very comfortably off now.

@kittycorner

A friend of mine did her dissertation on this. Not specifically B&B's but why more affluent people, even when they can 'afford' not to, continue to work, work longer hours, work in new jobs post retirement etc., try to become landlords or even have more menial jobs when they will never need the money.

The answer was that people are terrified of losing their privilege. So they continue, even well past any level of need. Your post reminded me of this.

or maybe and more simply because they have been raised with a strong work ethic and understand that without goal, purpose and activities you are rather miserable?

That's why many of the kids from affluent families end up in top universities and top careers, while the more modern "rich kids of internet" crowd is lost, bored and not doing so well in life despite near-unlimited funds.

Money is great, essential even, but you need more than money.

I let out two rooms of my 5 bedroom house. My husband works away a lot ( well he did before Covid), I have one child away at uni and one is a weekly boarder at boarding school. I gave up work because with the size of our house and garden I was paying a cleaner and gardener nearly as much as I earned . I felt I should still do something. I dont charge as high a rate as I could because I get nicer guests ( generally people who pay a lot expect a lot ) Tbh it’s an absolute joy. I meet and have breakfast with all sorts of people from all over the world. It makes me really happy. We only allow upto 2 nights so it isn’t too intrusive. I do all the washing and cleaning myself. It takes longer because I’m fussy about bedlinen and iron all the bedding. It gives me purpose. I have a lovely home which others appreciate and I can share with them.
It works for me but I have always been curious about why others would want a large B and B. It does make your retirement income go further if you have a holiday cottage or Bnb and you used to be able to purchase your premises using a SIPP - I don’t know if you still can. So if you have a large pension and are still fit and able, it’s an option. Alsoif you rent out rooms in your own home the “ rent a room” tax break is available - so effectively you only pay tax over £7.5k regardless of other income.

Fascinating thread! I think there are B&Bs and then there are B&Bs, IYSWIM - it's a broad church. Interesting point from the pp whose friend did a dissertation on this, re privilege. Also I think it's worth remembering that unless you have full access to someone's accounts/family history/charitable giving/credit history/pension and investment statements, you really can't be sure of their income and committed outgoings, or of what these might become. So there's always a chance that the affluent-seeming couple stepping away from the rat race might have gambling debts/inadequate pensions/extended family dependents etc etc.

I loathe changing beds so it wouldn't be a career for me but I can see how it could be an appealing way of living somewhere special in a nice property and being you own boss. Some of the really popular places charge over 100 quid a night so it could be a lucrative business if you get the location right. Some places are year round mon-sun destinations - thinking York, Chester, Bath or foodie/walking places like Whitby or Whitstable.

Ladywithlapdog I really think running a pub abroad sounds like so much fun but would be ridiculously stressful and tiring in reality. I had a whole heap of problems I didn’t anticipate. My income being dictated by weird things like the unpredictability of the weather, being threatened by shop lifters, staff being v tricky to manage, working 7 days a week until late, never ever switching off. There were some massive highs - seeing my shop full of people, happy with a DJ playing and lots of money rolling in on a good day/evening. Having people tell me how much they loved the shop or that the outfit they bought for an interview helped them get a job. But the bad definitely outweighed the good. I never stopped thinking or worrying about money, for three years. I had a baby and had to work a week after having my caesarean. I was taking her to buying appointments and trade fairs from the moment she was born and carrying bags of clothes on her buggy across London. It was so tough!

My parents ran a b&b for 15 years. My dad worked full time earning more than enough to support them both, but my mum didn't want to sit at home twiddling her thumbs until retirement so when they wanted to relocate they bought the b&b. You're right, it is mad hard work and you don't get time off if you want it to be a success, but she loved it. She loved the hard work and the guests and the sense of pride at running a 5* place.

I’m an introvert so wouldn’t want to myself but I can see how it would appeal. We stayed at a gorgeous B&B, the owners had a house next door which looked amazing. They had put a lot of care and attention into the decor and put special touches to the rooms which I haven’t seen before. The guy was a chef and cooked a banging breakfast. They both really enjoyed chatting to the guests. I think if you love it and love where you are then great, but it has to be a passion or you could end up morphing into Basil Fawlty!

I used to think the same as you, OP, but now I live by the seaside, I'm seriously considering it, if the right propery came up.

As a younger woman, I couldn't think of anything worse than having to get up early and do lots of breakfasts and so on. But now I'm up at 5am every day anyway, have learned to throw together a great cooked breakfast with no thought whatsoever, and have been a cleaner in the past, so it all seems like it wouldn't be that big a deal.

I'd only do a couple of rooms though. Any more would be too much work for me.

I hate cleaning and ironing yet I now do these for a living when I previously had quite a posh corporate job!

I look at the tasks differently though. I almost feel I am creating a stage set for a lovely holiday rather than cleaning.

As I said before, I am able to live in a beautiful area and in a much bigger house than before. The compromise is I have people in a cottage next to my house. So I have to be quiet if they are out in their garden for example.

I know people in our village see me as wealthy, but I'm not. I have a huge mortgage but its covered by the income from the holiday makers.

I am so glad to have given up my other job, there was a lot of bullying and sexism. I do miss the people though.

I've always been facinated by people who work when they don't need to. I am inherently lazy so I just don't get it at all!

Interesting thread! I wonder how much the advent of air bnb has affected the old-style B&Bs? Or maybe they just attract different crowds. With young kids B&B is too much of a nightmare because of constantly trying to limit our noise and mess but I always liked it pre-kids especially when away working on my own and I can see B&Bing as a cheery way to go off on Uk breaks on my own when they’re older.

As the person who started this thread, may I just say thanks to those who have found it interesting and explained the different motivations and satisfactions. My heart did sink at first thinking I was just presenting as carping class warrior. The reason I have read and started making some contributions on this board when I am older, not a parent or grandparent, of a very different background to many other users is that there are so many people who can give information and background to a wide range of topics.