Quilt retreat question
 

My husband and I (un benknown to my husband, LOL) are looking at properties to rent out as craft/quilt retreats.

I found an old church that I believe would be a great use, but it only has road parking.....


For those who have gone to a retreat....how important of a decision would that be for you?

Thanks for any input :)
Chris

That would be an issue. We have a lot to unload and reload. Also being there for a few days, I would not want my car left in the street. Hope you find what you are looking for. It could be a great investment ( from a participant point of view).

Hi Chris, I go on retreat every year and would not be too happy to leave my car on the road for 3-4 days. Loading and unloading would be a big problem as most of us on retreat bring half our sewing room. LOL
Peace, Brenda

See! This is the kind of honest feedback I wanted.

Thank you so much!!

My next question would be how many steps! That’s a killer for some of us.

in an old building, my first question would be about inadequate power and miles of cords. I was at a 5 day retreat in Texas in October and we had a choice...air conditioning, or power for irons and machines... no one was happy. You may never need air conditioning where you are but quilters in a group use a Ton of electricity. Fun thinking project though!

I would not be in favor of leaving my car parked along the road for a few days.

I would want a covered area to pull up to with my vehicle for machine loading and unloading. Make sure the walkway is a smooth surface. It is hard to roll bags on cobble stone pavers.

no on-street parking, please. And plenty of dependable electrical wiring, smooth walks/parking to allow rolling carts, a kitchen area for refrig/microwave/food snacks. Is this someplace that people will actually sleep at? I go to a retreat at least once a year where we stay for 2 nights--we share rooms 2-4 per room and have a private bath per room. When we have overflow and have to use an additional cabin with 16 beds and a "gang" bathroom, we get people upset about getting stuck in those arrangement due to over sleeping area and large group shared bath. Good luck--retreats are so fun!

Check out Bonnie Hunter's site. She has redone a large old house for quilt retreats & has just started retreats this year. Somewhere on her site I think you'll be able to see all she had to refurbish. She did do a parking/drop off area with another spot for overflow parking.

Also check out summer camps in the area. Some of the most successful around here have been off season with one room open with bunks for those that want to stay over.

I would vote for no steps or an elevator. We used to go to a wonderful place on three floors....two staircases. Two of us had bad knees and haven't been able to go there for the past couple of years because of it. We were forced to find a "less" stairs place as they didn't want to break up the group. Believe it or not, we wound up in a beautiful place closer to home that was once a convent. Good luck with your search.

I would not go if it were on street parking only and Irons and sewing machines are a must have so power out ranks air depending on the time of the year and availability of fans.

Bonnie Hunter's retreat you have to do your own cooking and bringing all food and then cleaning up after each meal. I wouldn't pay for a retreat and have to do the cooking and cleaning. I can do that at home. Be sure there are restaurants close by and some that deliver. A covered drive at the entrance is important too.

think of snow in winter plows do not like over night parking, stairs are getting harder for me each year. and I have to have special diet now just been told I have that high sugar problem, cant eat any sugar or pasta or bread, rice, all things I love, bugger it.

You really do need a nice parking lot. As mentioned most people will need and expect a safe place to leave their cars. Additionally, everyone will be bringing some luggage and sewing supplies and will need a reasonable way to get it inside. You can't always count on good weather coming or going.