Turning your home into a Bed and Breakfast is both an easy and complex process. The easy part is that if you are planning to turn your house into a small B&B, you do not need to have the infrastructure of a massive hotel. This means that in terms of infrastructure, there isn’t much you will need to change. However, this does not mean that you can post B&B signup and start opening your doors to guests. Some changes need to be made. These changes include;
The Kitchen
The first thing you want to do is amplify your kitchen hygiene. You do not want to face challenges like dealing with a food poisoning outbreak. Therefore, you need to address your kitchen hygiene first. It would be wise if you got a food hygiene qualification certificate or any other document depending on your location. Also, note that your basic household kitchen appliances, like your cookware, may not be sufficient for a B&B. For this reason, you may also need to acquire some basic equipment. Examples of the kitchenware that you will need include color-coded chopping boards, cooking pots, serving plates, and cups, among others.
The Bedrooms
The bedroom is the most important part of a Bed and Breakfast. You will need more than one bedroom that is properly furnished. Add some drawers, a wardrobe, and sits among other furniture. Make sure the beds are comfortable and spacious. When it comes to items like bedsheets, it is always wise to go with neutral colors. The same should apply for pillowcases and covers. You can still do white and add some color. Make sure the curtains are lined with blackout fabric. The curtains should also be close-fitting enough to accord your guests with the privacy that they deserve.
The bedrooms also need a nightlight in case your guests need to read at night. You can also add a couple of popular reading books. This is, however, not mandatory. Entertainment like a TV is essential in the bedrooms. The reason is that you do not want to force your guests to share the living room TV. Other items you will need in the bedroom include a couple of coat hangers, towels, soap, and toilet paper, among others.
The bathrooms
Most guests expect en suite bathrooms nowadays. Therefore, before you think of opening your doors, you want to make sure the bathroom situation is sorted. If you cannot afford to have a bathroom in every room, then you may want to take in a limited number of guests at a time.
Add bath sheets, hand towels, and soap in the bathroom. You can also add some accessories like hangers for clothes, shampoo, and body wash bottles.
The dining room
When it comes to dining, you can choose to allow your guests to have their meals in the kitchen or create a dining area. You will need a large table that can at least host the maximum number of guests that you can accommodate.
Safety
In addition to hygiene, your Bed and Breakfast needs to be safe. You will need to adhere to some safety regulations like fire safety. Contact the necessary authorities to find out what you can do to protect your house from hazards like fire. Some things you can do include reinforcing the bedroom doors, acquire fire extinguishers, and planning an emergency exit door.
It would help if you also made sure to store away all your valuables because you cannot trust strangers to respect your personal belongings. If you have any belongings that are fragile like one of a kind vases that you do not want to be broken, you may also want to keep them away. You can also provide your guests with information folders that will give them all the details they need, including the safety information.
You also want to install some security lights. The point is to make sure that the house, as well as its environs, are safe for your guests.
Conclusion
Turning your home into a B&B is a nice way to earn some money without having to rent your house or sell it permanently. When it comes to dealing with your guests, and an information folder will come in handy. It should contain information like the background of the house, where to visit, and places to get drinks and food.
