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The outdoor shower is an excellent idea. We’ll think on that; we vinyl sided the house a couple of years ago to get away from painting the shingles every year.
Bellalunatic, the outside shower is a great idea, as noted above. And I wish we didn’t have to reconfigure inside, but the NH Seacoast is not as warm as Florida, so we can’t count on an outside bathroom to solve the problem of multiple people needing showers. It’s just too cold on some days when fronts come through.
K'ledgeBldr, we considered renting the house out for the winter at a reduced rate; many people do this here. If we could find someone we could trust, we’d do it. Problem is, in NH, there is no protection for landlords. We can only charge 1st month rent and security deposit, not 1st, last, and security deposit (as was traditional) due to NH law. So if they don’t pay after the initial payment, you’re into forclosure, which can take a year or more. That could cost you the summer, where the rent pays for the taxes, and 10 month’s rent. And that’s if there are no damages. We can’t take a chance on that much of a loss. And with job losses continuing, even the best tenants could default now. I agree that the Master Bed doesn’t need to be huge; no one will be staying there long. And the views from the 2nd floor are nice (salt marshfront), to offset the size.
My uncle has a beach rental in Rhode Island, we used it a couple of summers ago. We enjoyed the outdoor shower then...is it really all that much colder in NH in the summer? I have no idea.
Also, you should look into how people are handling their charging for rentals inyour neck of the woods on VRBO.com Homeaway.com and Vacationrentals.com.
We rent out our beach place in Fl. on there, we didn't need to pay a percentage to a rental agent. You shouldn't either!
I would go with the 2 full bathrooms. How big of a master is really necessary. We can thank HGTV for programming everyone into insisting on a very large master. How much time does one really spend in the master????? cause it doesn't happen in my house.....
ow much time does one really spend in the master????? cause it doesn't happen in my house.....
And how much time do you spend in the bathroom??
We have HGTV to thank for the global bathroom fetish too. Unfortunately it has created the notion that every home has to have a separate bathroom for every occupant in the house, but buyers are finding that they often do not recoup the money. With bathrooms being the second-most expensive room in a home, that is an expensive lesson to learn.
I would really do your homework about competing properties in the area--do they offer master bedroom suites, and if so, what do they rent and sell for? How long will it take to recoup your investment?
We have HGTV to thank for the global bathroom fetish too. Unfortunately it has created the notion that every home has to have a separate bathroom for every occupant in the house, but buyers are finding that they often do not recoup the money. With bathrooms being the second-most expensive room in a home, that is an expensive lesson to learn.
I would really do your homework about competing properties in the area--do they offer master bedroom suites, and if so, what do they rent and sell for? How long will it take to recoup your investment?
LOL, actually I do spend a lot time in the bathroom, it is the only place where no one can annoy me. legittinetely (sp) LOL
I would definately prefer two showers in a house, though 3/4 bath is fine, you don't need two full baths with bathtubs. A bigger master bedroom is really nice too, but surely there's a way to add a shower without making the room THAT much smaller?
It sounds like you have a really interesting project on your hands. Here is what I would be thinking about if I were you:
1. What do the other homes around me have? If every home in your neighborhood is 3br 1.5ba then that is what most renters will be expecting. In that case I would think the money being spent on adding the extra bathroom could go towards improving the amenities that the property offers.
2. What is the normal rental profile for the area? If you have a lot of families with young kids, then they most likely won't care about the extra bathroom. Older couples who may be sharing the place with some friends or families with older kids may certainly appreciate having 2 full bathrooms.
If it was me and I wanted to set my property apart I would be looking at what amenities I could offer the renters. Chances are people are thinking more about relaxing, entertaining and having fun then they are about sleeping in the bedroom or taking a shower. Depending on the layout of the property and what you can do here are some things off the top of my head that could help set you apart, that aren't bathroom related:
- A nice patio/deck in the backyard that also includes a built in gas grill. Nothing renters hate more than needing to bring charcoal or fill propane tanks. This is New England afterall and I'm sure there will be some lobster and clam bakes. I'd also add a fire pit to keep people warm on the cold nights.
- A roof deck to enjoy the view, if there is one. These are real popular in a lot of places. You said you aren't right on the beach, but if you can add a roof deck and gain a beach view that could be a bigger plus than having a basement and probably cheaper to boot.
- Put newer, but lower end LCD TV's in the house. Also add a BlueRay player and offer a decent cable/sat package. Rain and bad days are inevitable and people will be happy to have a TV for the kids that they can also hook their video games to. How many of us have sat huddled around a 14" TV in a shore rental while a storm rages outside?
- Make sure you have good appliances that are easy to work with. If you have the space I would also add a seperate freezer chest. People will like that they have a place to store food for a week or two and if people are fishing they'll have a place to put their catch.
- On the bathroom front, I would really suggest going with the outdoor shower. Done right you can even have a heat source installed to make it tolerable when it's a little colder outside (but seriously, who is swimming if it's that cold). Another reason that hasn't been mentioned for the outdoor shower is...SAND. If you had the choice of at least offering people the ability to wash off outside, you will avoid them tracking a lot of sand into the house and washing it down the drain into your plumbing.
um, we're a family with small kids and we totally appreciate a 2nd bath/shower
Those other ideas are great though, the patio/deck and grill, and nice tvs and appliances. Those would be good investments, I would think!
Very true, lol. I have three small kids as well. In my house, we have 2.5 baths for a reason, mainly so we don't have to share the aquarium wonderland bathroom with the kids, lol.
However, in a shore rental where all the other properties may only offer 1.5, the extra bath really isn't going to make as much of a difference to me as the other amenities the house offers.
If this was a house to be lived in year round it is a slam dunk to add the second bathroom.
Very true, lol. I have three small kids as well. In my house, we have 2.5 baths for a reason, mainly so we don't have to share the aquarium wonderland bathroom with the kids, lol.
However, in a shore rental where all the other properties may only offer 1.5, the extra bath really isn't going to make as much of a difference to me as the other amenities the house offers.
If this was a house to be lived in year round it is a slam dunk to add the second bathroom.
Well then I guess you have your answer--- see what other rentals in the area offer, and use that as your guide. Best wishes!
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