Greetings and salutations!
My DH and I are going to be building our holiday rental from the sub-ground up, and as such, we can have a place that has no exisiting flaws we have to work around.
Could people walk us through what we need and what is great and if our ideas are good? We really are *brand new* at this and could use help.
We are in the US, so I know we have a different market--- and perhaps that will make any help more difficult.
Our rental will be in the Adirondack State Park of New York State, a park of over 6 million acres, 2.3 million of which are preserved permantly as wild/pristine. We are opting for a mountain top over a lake side (we don't get a choice of parcel, but do get a choice of build site) because that will give way more privacy. I discussed this on another board and they were 50/50 split on where to build. Views are harder to come by there than lake frint, so we're going that way, especially since that's where DH wants to build.
We're also looking into a building with round elements--- a greatroom and a solar that are open and round, with plenty of windows to capture that view, and rectangular/square extensions. What is some feedback about this idea?
What we'd prefer would be 2 1/2 baths, three bedrooms (which I guess have to hold king beds?!?), a greatroom (kitchen, eating area, main room), a rec room with a second floor loft/solar, and a mud/utility room.
We'd be marketing probably to families in summer, hunters in fall and snowmobilers in winter. Spring is our 'off' season. We'd also be marketing to outdoorsy, active people who like hiking, mountain biking, canoeing and cross country skiing.
So, that's me in a nutshell. Hello!
Any and all help is appreciated (even "I would *never* rent a round house!).
Able to build from scratch---
Jess,
Welcome to the forum!
Personally I would build on the lake front, because in my experience you just can't go wrong having direct-waterfront property. Mountain cabins can also be very charming, though, so that's not necessarily a bad option.
As to the rounded idea, that's a tough one to answer. I think it could go either way and it very much depends on the architect, the land you have to build on, and what exactly you plan to make round. A couple of rooms that have a wall of curved windows is one thing; a house with a mostly circular footprint is another. I'd just be prepared to spend a bit of extra on the architect for different drafts, and be sure to look at all the different exterior views of the floorplans he/she creates. For a vacation rental, it's vital that the house be attractive from the outside. If it scares anyone away because it looks too "modern" (and I'm not talking about the good kind of modern), it will be more difficult to make a profit.
I'd say your bedroom/bathroom ratio is just fine, but don't skimp on the bathrooms even though you'll have to worry about three of them. Nothing kills the quality of a vacation rental like finding a teeny, uncomfortable bathroom; whereas a bathroom with those extra luxurious touches (like a beautiful bathtub or high-quality tiles in the shower) can make the whole vacation seem better.
I don't think all the bathrooms have to have king beds; using two twin beds is more versatile and is sometimes more appropriate. But that's something you can worry about later!
Naturally you're going to have a fireplace? A big, cozy one, with a nearby place to store wood?
Since you're building from the ground up, think about things you don't have in your current home that you wish you did. For example, is there anywhere you'd love to have built-in shelving? Would you like a fireplace in the master suite, next to a cozy reading nook? The sky or the budget, whichever comes first (and I can guess!) is the limit!
Welcome to the forum!
Personally I would build on the lake front, because in my experience you just can't go wrong having direct-waterfront property. Mountain cabins can also be very charming, though, so that's not necessarily a bad option.
As to the rounded idea, that's a tough one to answer. I think it could go either way and it very much depends on the architect, the land you have to build on, and what exactly you plan to make round. A couple of rooms that have a wall of curved windows is one thing; a house with a mostly circular footprint is another. I'd just be prepared to spend a bit of extra on the architect for different drafts, and be sure to look at all the different exterior views of the floorplans he/she creates. For a vacation rental, it's vital that the house be attractive from the outside. If it scares anyone away because it looks too "modern" (and I'm not talking about the good kind of modern), it will be more difficult to make a profit.
I'd say your bedroom/bathroom ratio is just fine, but don't skimp on the bathrooms even though you'll have to worry about three of them. Nothing kills the quality of a vacation rental like finding a teeny, uncomfortable bathroom; whereas a bathroom with those extra luxurious touches (like a beautiful bathtub or high-quality tiles in the shower) can make the whole vacation seem better.
I don't think all the bathrooms have to have king beds; using two twin beds is more versatile and is sometimes more appropriate. But that's something you can worry about later!
Naturally you're going to have a fireplace? A big, cozy one, with a nearby place to store wood?
Since you're building from the ground up, think about things you don't have in your current home that you wish you did. For example, is there anywhere you'd love to have built-in shelving? Would you like a fireplace in the master suite, next to a cozy reading nook? The sky or the budget, whichever comes first (and I can guess!) is the limit!
Brooke