Running a Bed & Breakfast

It takes a particular sort of person to open their home to strangers, but those who do will tell you they get a lot more than money for their trouble.

For some, it’s their main source of income, for others letting one or two rooms in the summer pays for their own holidays. It’s a business you can turn your hand to when the children have left home and their bedrooms lie empty. It’s something to do together in retirement, a way of making a house pay for its upkeep.

The list of events that propel couples (most are run by couples) to start up a B&B include bereavement, redundancy and insolvency, but the beauty of the business is that it can be large or small, which is why no one really knows exactly how many there are in Britain.

Location is critical, but not necessarily obvious. You do not have to be near a famous beauty spot or on a well-worn tourist trail, though both will help fill rooms in high season, because it’s not just holidaymakers and tourists who need accommodation. Universities, boarding schools, local businesses and industries all attract huge numbers of visitors.

The dividing line between hotel and B&B is blurring and some larger guesthouses use the B&B label because it evokes a more homely atmosphere. A B&B can rent one room in high season or 10 rooms year-round. Certainly, guests’ expectations have risen, and the en-suite bathroom or shower is taking over from the loo down the hall.

Then there’s breakfast: tinned grapefruit, white toast and stewed tea just won’t do. B&Bs are known for breakfasts, and the full English extravaganza of bacon, eggs and sausage is the norm. Good-quality, locally produced ingredients and home-made jams will make word-of-mouth recommendations a certainty.

Most successful B&B owners genuinely like people. Running a B&B certainly ends boredom or loneliness, as it brings an endless procession of people to the door.

Theft is almost unheard of, largely because people who want to stay in a home aren’t going to trash it. B&B guests are well-behaved. Amorous couples and party animals go to hotels, where they can be more anonymous.

Some B&Bs rely on inclusion in guidebooks and others advertise, but for many it’s a matter of word of mouth. Websites are becoming more popular, and with the internet, someone in Sydney can find you as easily as someone in Surrey.

Like everything else to do with B&Bs, there is no strict rule, which is their charm for customers and owners alike.