Where would a nice pet resort be welcome? (Asheville, Boone: real estate, condo) - The Mountain Region including Asheville - City-Data Forum

jenarij · 11-05-2010, 02:52 PM

My family and I would like to move to Western NC and open a nice yet smaller scale pet resort that will cater to approx 10 dogs at once. Something that will be different then your average "kennel". The dogs will receive plenty of individual attention and lots of playtime, also have their own homey, comfy "condo's" rather then a kennel run.

Where in Western NC would a business like this do well and be welcome? We want to be in a town near a route that has plenty of traffic that comes through, yet dont want to be in an area that is already overrun with pet care businesses. We are considering Boone, Spruce Pine, Burnsville, and recently Marion. Not sure if Boone is ideal since it is considered more of a "college town" and pet care may not be a necessary service out there. We would also like to find a property that is not too steep and has some acreage/pasture/farmland, and from what I've seen so far Boone doesnt seem to have much property like that.
Any pro's or conds with the towns on our list?
Any other town/areas that we should add onto our list to look into?
Thanks ahead for any advice

Cofga · 11-05-2010, 04:51 PM

Go where the money is--Biltmore Forest, Grove Park, and Lakeview Park--all in or near Asheville. Check the real estate listings and look for houses in the $1000000+ range. Good luck

jenarij · 11-05-2010, 05:09 PM

Sounds nice, but the problem with that is we have not yet won the lottery ourselves! Doesnt Asheville already have many pet care services in the area?
We're hoping to find some acreage for under $100K to build our home and pet resort on. Or find a fixer upper home on some nice acreage for under $200.
Do you feel that this service would not be wanted/needed by your average pet lovers in NC that their want to ensure their pets are happy and well cared for while they are away? Our rates would only be slightly higher then your typical "boarding kennel", so I dont feel it will be a service targeted strictly towards the wealthy. I think we're looking more for a pet friendly area that is commuted through frequently for convenient drop offs for doggy daycare and boarding, an area that needs pet care services.

garth · 11-05-2010, 06:49 PM

One thing to consider is that Buncombe County (Asheville, et. al.) has zoning, now. It didn't a few years back. That may limit your ability to establish a dog kennel, no matter how fancy it is, in or near affluent areas that would use your services. You'll run into the zoning limitations and perhaps some NIMBY issues if you're not out in the hinterlands.

jenarij · 11-05-2010, 07:56 PM

Yes, I agree and think we should try to stick with the "no zoning" areas if possible. What about the other towns that I mentioned? If Im not mistaking, I dont think there is any zoning in Marion, Spruce Pine, and Burnsville. Are these towns good options for a pet resort?
Since we will only have a capacity for 10 dogs at a time, we only need a few steady customers, so smaller towns are ok as long as they are in an area that has a main road that gets traveled frequently and is not in the boonies far away from everything.

saucystargazer · 11-05-2010, 08:22 PM

Yes Asheville has tons of these and several have gone out of business in this economy. I would say go somewhere else. Someone else asked this same question a few months ago, search for it, people had several suggestions for areas other than Asheville.

jenarij · 11-08-2010, 05:55 PM

Thank you all for your feedback. Is anyone here from or familiar with the Burnsville or Spruce Pine area? Those are really 2 areas we are leaning toward, we're hoping to visit soon.
We've been doing research on the area for months, and following some of the very informative postings here for quite some time. But nothing beats the actual experience of living there. So I would love to hear from others in these areas! Are these towns in need of quality pet care?

jenarij · 11-08-2010, 07:15 PM

I should have added our other 2 potential towns of Henersonville and Waynesville. We are looking not only for a place for our business but also for our home and family in a friendly community. A town thats not too conservative.
Church is also important to us. We are in our early 30's and currently attend a foursquare church that is very diverse where everyone is welcome and loved. With a band that plays upbeat music as the church sings along, and a great message every week. I really hope that we can find another church like this, it will also be a very important factor in our decision of where to move. We'd like to be within a 45 min drive from a church like this. Any ideas?