Need Advice/Input please
 

I have an opportunity to purchase an old 5 bedroom home that is in the family. I live in an area where the housing market is not strong, so the purchase will be reasonable. I would not be living in it, I would create a business out of it as a Quilt retreat house/weekend rental. The house has a lot of potential as far as enough space goes. I have several months to do my research to see if there is a need in my area for retreat homes and houses for things such as overflow for out of town guests for weddings and funerals. Is there a need for a place where a small group of women can just go and sew for several days at a time? It is located in a small town on the interstate, but not really anything to draw people like a lake or wonderful scenery. What are some things I need to consider? My motive is not to make money, but to keep the house in the family. I would be happy to break even and put sweat equity into the home for resale way down the road. Your input is appreciated.

I am surely not an expert, but are there zoning laws to allow what you want? Or not an issue where you are? Good luck with it, if you decide it is an option.

I think a number of factors have got to be considered such as your expense verses income (bookings). I know there is one up in Big Bear which is a popular mountain resort in So CA. I would contact other people who have these bizs elsewhere across this country and find out what facts they learned when trying this business. Good Luck

This place is about what you are doing. They are very friendly people that own it. I would give them a call and set up a meeting. http://www.robertscarriagehouseretreat.com/

The Small Business Association (maybe bureau?) is a good place to learn and I believe they have a department dealing with women wanting to go into small business. It's worth a try. You don't mention your location and proximity to larger cities to draw customers from. Good Luck.

Hi
I don't know where your house is, but around here (Texas) quilters and scrapbookers are willing to drive several hours to get to a retreat. Marketing and maintenance would be my two concerns.

There are two places near me (near being a couple hours drive) in Texas that may be good examples for you. Hobby House Hill was created for scrapbookers and has added quilting to their schedule. They are heavily booked.
http://hobbyhousehill.com/

Sunset Retreat is a newer one that started a few years ago and focuses on quilters. They have a small quilt shop onsite (quilters always forget something!). When they were getting ready to open they came to our quilt guild with quilt kits (fabric and patterns). Everyone who made a twin-size quilt for them received a coupon free weekend. It was a win-win since they got quilts for their beds, quilters learned of their retreats, and we got a free weekend!
http://sunsetretreat.com/

Maybe one or both of these could give you some inside information.

Again, marketing and maintenance would be my main concerns. I'm quite sure quilters would travel to your location if it was set up right.

Good luck with it.

Are there restaurants near by or would you expect the attendees to do there own cooking? My fellow attended are not interested in cooking. Will you have housekeeping services?

I go along with what AudreyB says. I've been to several quilt retreats at a 4-H camp during off season, and one to a church camp before the summer camp started. None of the places I know of are near a big city or on a main route, which made them more attractive. Do you have a great room where all the participants can set up tables for their machines and pressing stations, and still have room for a small lounging area? Will the septic or sewer system be able to handle all that flushing? With 5 bedrooms, how many twin beds will you put in? At one place the meals are prepared for us by an experienced cook. At the other place, the cooking was done by several employees who have other duties on site, so the "cooks" were out of their element. I'd go to that one again, but be better prepared with food I bring along. If you buy this house to keep it in the family, will you eventually live in it, or are you just trying to preserve it for memories sake?

There is a group of us from Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma that get together twice yearly to quilt at a somewhat central location in Texas. We cook our own meals and have a wonderful time. When looking for places for a retreat, these are some of the things we look for. We all (8-10 people) like to be in the same room and have room for each of us to have a conference table and a small sewing machine table for our use. The location we use was built specifically for retreats. There are plenty of electrical outlets and the building was wired to handle the load of several irons, sewing machines, lights, etc. There needs to be enough restrooms to accommodate the occupancy. I would have a contractor look at the house to see what you would need to do to make the house retreat friendly. We all love our retreats and call them "the most wonderful time of the year". Good luck on your research.

What a lovely place!----from website.......

To the original poster.....I wish you good luck in your possible plan of opening a retreat house........

IMHO as a previous business owner, you need to be on the premises yourself or have a manager there. Its not as easy as it seems to find a good, honest manager. If you want a successful business you need to be willing to devote a lot of your own time and effort there. Another thing to consider beside your initial purchase price is maintenance and upkeep expenses as well as payroll. And as others mentioned, restaurants, etc. If someone is not there directing the events there would be no more public appeal than taking your sewing machine to a local hotel. You need to have event planning and activities as well as access to shopping and food. Believe me, to be successful you do not just buy a business, you marry it. It takes a lot of hands on, hard work and time to succeed. Also you should not plan to see any profit the first year. My advice is unless you plan to be completely involved, I would pass on it. But if you want to invest the time, money and work, it might be just what you want. Not trying to encourage or discourage you. Just what I have learned from past business experiences.

Also look into insurance requirements. You don't want something unfortunate to happen that could get you/the property sued. I would imagine you would need a good insurance plan to cover ( commercial usage) of the property. Nice landscaping, trees, outside areas are big draws, people like to get outside & wander the grounds when taking breaks. Regular maintenance and someone on site is important too. Would you be doing/providing these or hiring someone? Are there neighbors ? How c
Close? Start making lists- there are so many things to look into research.

I have been to church camps and had disappointing experience then found Ritter Ranch and no more church camp bunk beds! I think the couple that owns Ritter Ranch has really hit a gold mine here. Its husband and wife team and you bring machines and projects and they provide the rest....ironing station, rulers, project board on walls, etc. my only complaint is that the food was gourmet but not enough. If they would have added a big bowl of salad each night at dinner that would have been perfect. As you can see from their site....they are booked solid. Before you leave they ask when you want to book for the next year! They clean house after everyone leaves then have some downtime until next group comes. This is house they raised their family in. I think this is perfect retreat area. There is quilt store in town nearby and also Walmart and Joanne Fabrics. They do have small gift shop onsite.
Here is site for more info.
http://www.ritterranchretreat.com

Having rented out a home, in the past, I'd be a bit hesitant to use it as a rental. A retreat is an entirely different story, though. If you can do minor upkeep yourself, go for it! :)

It is a draw to be located fairly close to a quilt shop. It would be ideal to have one in your community, but if not, then on the route that your clientele would take to get to and from the retreat.

I'd want to check the electrical load on the house -- especially since you say it's old. Can it support multiple sewing machines (or would you only cater to hand quilters?)? Also, is the plumbing sufficient? I ask that having had a residential rental and realizing that some people flush feminine products and/or large amounts of toilet tissue and that can clog old plumbing -- or sometimes even new plumbing when you're on well & septic with low-flow toilets. A top-notch home inspector could probably help you figure those things out ... or direct you to someone who could.

Also, do you have plenty of space for parking for your guests if they don't carpool? And you may need to look into the laws in the area about accessibility. Often older buildings are exempt until they have to pull permits to update something (electrical, plumbing, windows).

I agree with the person who suggested checking with the local SBA. The Chamber of Commerce & State Tourism Board may also be useful resources. And definitely, definitely talk with your insurance agent. People do all sorts of crazy things in general & when you add in sharp needles, rotating blades and very often, elderly clientele, it is too high of a risk to carry on your own; regular homeowner's insurance typically will not cover damages resulting from running your business (on top of fire, flood or whatever else could happen).

And finally, you want to consider where you will live. Would you live in the retreat house? In a home nearby? If you're going to live on-site, how will you create a space for yourself/your family? Who can help you take care of guests if you are sick or injured? What resource people do you have in your network that could help with the legal, financial, marketing & managerial aspects of the business?

Here are two more to check out and ask questions of. First is run by Burkholders in Denver, PA and second is in Vergennes, Vermont.

Cocalicoquiltersinn.com
stronghouse.com

sorry. Second one should be stronghouseinn.com .

Many people have raised good points and asked good questions here. I would seriously ask myself if I wanted to start a business that could ostensibly take all your weekends plus a few weekdays every week for a year for starters. Without making a dime, because most small businesses lose money the first year. Do you have any business experience? What is your personality when it comes to risk? This is a litigious society, and getting sued for an accident during a rental or retreat is a possibility. How strong is your passion to succeed at this at a job, or is still a bit in the "hobby" category of your lifestyle? Because you will be working a lot more than "hobbying" in the quilting department, to the point you might not be quilting much at all the first year. This is not to discourage you; it sounds like you really have a hospitality gift by wanting to offer to out of town wedding guests and quilters. Just trying to ask some questions that we asked ourselves before recently buying our own residential property. You'll need to research contractors, hire them, wait for them to show up (or not show up), be specific with your contracts, be willing to talk straight to ones who aren't fulfilling their end of the deal. You'll also need bookkeeping skills or a good accountant and good organizational skills. If you have the dream and are willing to research it and work to make it come true, providing the research gives you the legal green light, then I say go for it. It could be very rewarding and you won't know until you try.

Too much to consider.
Zoning, will it be on city/county water & sewer lines or well & septic tank.
Will it have enough bed space and handicapped accessible bathrooms & showers.
Is there at least 1 very large room for retreat attendees and another for just plain relaxing or doing handwork.
Will kitchen be big enough for more than 1 cook, with a very good sized refrig, and maybe even a freezer.
Is dining are going to be big enough.
Who will do the daily maintenance, cooking, etc.
Are the outdoor views enticing, with maybe even a porch.
Will you make it 'scent free' as many have respiratory problems or get migraines for various scents.
Will there be walking trails and places to go that are nearby - exp a quilt store.
How safe is the neighborhood?

Most of the rest is already mentioned. I know in our are the group that attends is required to have insurance on their own or pay for it through the retreat center.

I just returned from a week at this retreat along the Mississippi River. It's in a town of about 250 people.
http://www.aplacetosew.com/

Nothing fancy,nice work space, lighting etc., 2 to 3 share a bedroom and bath. Like it's name - a place to sew.

Two quilting sisters did this to their parents home when they passed and it has been a huge success. Alot of work keeping cleaned, etc. but even local quilters go their for retreats as well as scrap bookers. I would encourage you to pursue this and then set up a website to attract quilters.

Red Rooster Retreat is where I usually go. it is on a lake, but not necessary. The food is wonderful!!! And the sewing area is where everyone can be together. Each person is provided with a 6 foot table, chair, light and extension plug in (two people share 4 plugs). Ironing boards and cutting boards also provided. All beds are twin.

Is it near an airport? Is it fairly close to a major freeway? Climate is another thing to consider since people have to drive or fly in. Snow and ice are not good. I have been to several retreats in the winter months and love getting away to sew and meet new people.

Here is another http://www.quiltersheaven.com/ Too churchy for me, but it obviously appeals to some.

Yes check your zoning laws first. You need to think about cost of upkeep and if you can use it as a weekend retreat/rental Are you prepared for damages and maintenance?

Maybe a B&B would help with costs between quilt groups to help pay for maintenence?

What you might start with, is talking to and with LQS in your area. Do they offer special classes with known quilting teachers (ie:Alex Anderson, etc.....)?. The same might be said for meeting with caters in your area (ie:are overflow accommodations needed for special events in the area or extra room needed for catered events)?. These are just a few places you might start with. Good luck.

My group love sewing weekends "Stitch Camp" and this type of place would be great to us, some of the group do go to similar type places but they are too far for me. You would need one large room for everyone to have space for their machines & supplies and enough electrical outlets, and electrical system that wouldn't overload.

[QUOTE=Just Jan;7268106]IMHO And as others mentioned, restaurants, etc. If someone is not there directing the events there would be no more public appeal than taking your sewing machine to a local hotel. "

Actually our group has gone to local hotel, it is also fun because we don't want to be managed or project planned by someone else, we each bring our own projects, we just want to have a weekend away to sew & be with friends. But a homey house is better, and we bring enough food for an army so preparing our own meals or getting take-out no problem. 10 to 20 of us meet at least 10 times a year at various facilities, some places we have to go home at night and go back the next day, we also stay at a religious retreat house, stay in dorm rooms, have community bathrooms but bring our own food or go out. Some go to a retreat house similar to what she describes but it only can sleep 8 and a distance away. But where ever we go we have fun! The hotel is fun & comfortable but pricey.

This has been a dream of mine! I always wanted to run a "quilters' b & b"! I read a book about a divorced woman who opened one in an old home she inherited from a grumpy old aunt who raised her. For the life of me I can't remember the book or author. But it was a wonderful novel that had a sweet romantic good ending! I hope that's how your endeavor turns out!

In your research, also see your accountant/tax preparer - up front - to discuss the financial and tax impacts of your plan.

I don't remember you mentioning what shape plumbing, electrical, furnace or the yard are in. Has there been an inspection?