Introduction to the First edition
Like many people ( including you , as you have picked up this book ), we had toyed vaguely on and off over the years with the idea of opening a B & B . It seemed a good way of financing and “ justifying ” a beautiful house in an attractive location . But we never did anything about it – until , for job reasons , we found ourselves having to move from our long-time Sussex home to the unspoilt little Abbey town of Sherborne in deepest rural Dorset .
We ended up buying a 300-year old house whose 21 rooms and 4,000 square feet was more space than our family of four needed . We had two or three spare bedrooms , and as the house had recently been a hotel and restaurant they were all en-suite . Now , if ever , was the time to put our pipe dreams into practice – and we did .
We learned a lot in our first year , and more in our second , and much of it the “ hard ” way . We wished that we had started with the benefit of a practical guidebook based on hands-on experience , so that we could learn from others ’ mistakes rather than having to repeat them ourselves . Now we have written that book , and this is it .
When we set out to become B & B hosts , we had never done it before , and had all sorts of worries and doubts . Would we find our way through all the confusing and conflicting red tape and regulations ? Would we make enough money to justify the work , and help pay for the house ? How much work would it involve , and would we cope ? How would it affect our family life ? What would it be like having a succession of strangers in our own home ? Would they be friendly , or over-demanding ? If you are considering opening a B & B for the first time , you must have a similar list of anxieties .
One of our aims in this book is to answer those questions and allay those doubts . And because we started recently enough to remember “ day one ” as B & B virgins , we have tried to write the book that we would have wanted then . It is too late for us to avoid the pitfalls and mistakes we made – but , if you have bought this book , we will guide you through the minefields using the personal experience we have picked up .
One question is worth answering right now , before we get going with Chapter One : you are probably wondering whether the experience has lived up to our initial hopes and expectations . Has it been worth it , after all ? Would we , knowing what we now know about the day-to-day reality of running a B & B , recommend it ? The answer is yes . We have helped finance the house we wanted , in a place people from around the world choose to visit for its beauty . We have met lots of interesting people , most of whom tell us they envy us our home and our home town . Yes , we have had problems , and it can be hard work at times – especially if your lack of inside knowledge and experience makes it harder than it needs to be . But it won ’ t be as hard for you – after all , you ’ ve got the book we wish we had been able to buy .