Vacation House Rules - General Discussion

[CrazyInAlabama]

New episode "Surfside Sensation" Season 4 Episode 13, on a huge lake. Scott calls it "Beachside Abode".

On Lake Erie.    Sarah and Rob, bought a contents included investment property. It's a cute little place.  They were looking for an investment/vacation rental property, Sarah bought it on her lunch break.   Location near the beach and sand dunes.  She's a real estate agent.   It's across from a park. The house is old, not maintained, and pretty run down.  Front porch is awful.  They took down a lot of the beach themed junk, and flip flop stuff.  Scott says it's less of a vacation rental than a garage sale.  Kitchen is small, and really awful. Footprint is good, floor plan it terrible. Scott wants to switch the kitchen and huge dining room.  

Bath is moldy and awful. Scott is wearing some puffy flip flop pillows like flip flops. back yard is small, needs a patio. There is an outside door to the other bathroom, no access from the inside to the second bathroom, so Scott will put a door from the enclosed porch to the bathroom.   No one wanted to rent the cottage. 

Scott's going to do a retro theme, based around the red display shelf, and use orange siding, and that's the color theme.  he's adding a fireplace, 2 bedrooms, and a kid's bunkroom, improve the current bathroom, put a door to the other bathroom. A game room, and fix the sunroom porch.  

Debra will do retro small appliances and decor. Her orange bike fits the theme.  Orange siding, inside will be turquoise and yellow, extend the front deck. There is termite and water damage in the sunroom room walls. Three's also a new front and a back deck for entertaining.  They're adding a mud room, and laundry room. 

The siding color is very orange, I wish it was lighter.  They actually have an adorable wagon to take your stuff, and picnic items to the beach. The cottage looks fantastic, and is such an improvement from the rundown mess it used to be. 

[NancyI]

Renovation turned out great, but that back deck is a lawsuit waiting to happen!  Where are the railings ????

[CrazyInAlabama]

Season 4 Episode 14 "Peaceful Paradis) Brothers Mark and Michael want to turn the family cabin into a vacation rental. Scott calls it the "Organic Oasis". This is the biggest house remodel that Scott has ever attempted.  The house is near Niagara Falls, and is huge.  The rooms are all big, kitchen needs a lot of work. There's a mirror on the dining room ceiling. fireplace is big too. There's a greenhouse. Primary bedroom is huge, but you have to walk through the primary bedroom to get around the green house. Ensuite is big, but odd, there is a in ground spa too, and it's falling apart. Plus a tub standing in the middle of the room with the spa. Bedrooms are big, with walk outs to the back yard. Family room is really big. The Florida room is big, overlooking the huge pool, with a hot tub.    Scott wants to remove the wall mirror, update the greenhouse, redo everything in the kitchen, take down the wall between the kitchen and dining, fix the ensuite for the main bedroom, put an ensuite in the secondary suite.   The spa tub in the ensuite is very deep.  

Scott says they can get $1,000 a night, especial for hosting weddings and other big events combined with vacationers staying at the house. 

Green, gray and lots of wood tones, lots of tile for the theme. family room will be a luxurious lounge.   They want fun, but durable design materials.   

There is old water damages in the lounge/family room, but the roof was repaired years ago, so the water damage won't continue.   Ensuite is gigantic. 

Finished house is spectacular, it's over 4,000 sq ft of luxury.  The greenhouse space looks lovely, the pool is so huge. the ensuite shower is really big.  Scott's right, the house will be perfect for a wedding, with the wedding party staying at the house. The primary bedroom is so big, and well decorated, and the ensuite is spectacular.   Second suite is big and gorgeous too.  The lounge family room is so nice with the bar and the built-ins.  I think they went with fake turf in the greenhouse for easy maintenance.  

(I know weddings should usually take up a day or two, but a big trend for rich people's weddings is an entire week for the wedding party, all kinds of parties, showers, rehearsal dinners, etc.   )

Edited September 3, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Irlandesa]

I didn't like the fake grass in the greenhouse.  I think I might have turned it into a bit of a courtyard with stones more than astroturf. 

The rest of the house was nice, though. 

I admit I didn't love the ending where they were all cackling over how they used to charge $2500/month but now could charge $1000/night...basically enjoying the fact that they converted a house/home someone could rent to another vacation spot which makes me wonder how far away people working at Niagra Falls have to live. 

Also, a house that's meant for weddings probably will get booked for a lot of weekends but many of the weekdays will be open. 

[buttersister]

There are only so many weddings. But there are lots of wealthy people these days. Marketing to them for extended family stays, reunions of family or friends, etc. should attract them. The house is beautiful. 
 

Otoh, from my pov, I appreciate Bargain Block and the people they work for. It’s not an either or. But interesting that Scott went from helping couples grow their retirement funds to this — although I suppose these parents have a similar idea. But I cringe to think what the budget was. Scott Bros., Napiers and Hilary all be jealous.

[Orcinus orca]

2 minutes ago, buttersister said:

But I cringe to think what the budget was.

That's all I could think of. They are going to have to do a LOT of rentals to pay that off.  And I do wonder if the parents are already rolling in dough and that place will never be rented. It only had three bedrooms so the old "heads in beds" went by the wayside in this remake.  I think it was just a remodel with a chance to be on TV.

It was a pretty amazing place, for sure.  But for heart, give me Evan and Keith any day.

[CalicoKitty]

I kept thinking about how much insurance must be costing.  They keep saying how much the owners can earn for so many weeks at such and such a price.  But that cannot be all profit.  They never mention the costs involved:  insurance, cleaning and laundry service before each new rental date, plumbers and repair services, and having to redo rooms when some big party trashes the house.  And someone to fill all those "self-watering" flower pots.  I think there would be more liability with a huge "luxury" party house like this than an average family cabin.

[chessiegal]

8 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

having to redo rooms when some big party trashes the house. 

That's what security deposits are for. Make it high enough so people either don't trash it or you can pay for a mess.

[Pine]

I cannot seem to locate a thread for Renovation Resort Showdown.  Isn't there a forum for it?

[Soapy Goddess]

8 hours ago, Pine said:

I cannot seem to locate a thread for Renovation Resort Showdown.  Isn't there a forum for it?

I was looking for it too, but apparently no one requested it. Guess that means you & I are the only two who watched it 😁

I enjoyed Scott & Brian as co-hosts. I think the right couple won, but did not agree with the runners up.

[Pine]

On 9/5/2023 at 12:14 AM, Soapy Goddess said:

I was looking for it too, but apparently no one requested it. Guess that means you & I are the only two who watched it 😁

I enjoyed Scott & Brian as co-hosts. I think the right couple won, but did not agree with the runners up.

I liked the runners up,  but any of the others could have been without me minding.   

I was certain that we were going to see what the "Guys" did on their end unit, with the enclosed back porch.

[Soapy Goddess]

9 hours ago, Pine said:

I was certain that we were going to see what the "Guys" did on their end unit, with the enclosed back porch.

Maybe they're saving that for a "behind the scenes" episode? Or did they air something like that already and we missed it??

[wenhiku]

On 9/5/2023 at 12:14 AM, Soapy Goddess said:

I was looking for it too, but apparently no one requested it. Guess that means you & I are the only two who watched it 😁

I enjoyed Scott & Brian as co-hosts. I think the right couple won, but did not agree with the runners up.

Make it three!  Enjoyed the show and hope they do it again.  The winners were my favorites from the beginning, with the luxury lodge couple also winning me over as the series progressed.  I appreciated the effort put into the playful lodge theme, but it seemed impractical for a rental, safety-wise.

The romantic lodge theme missed the mark for me. As well as it not being my design style, if you are on a romantic vacation, it should not include a kitchen designed to seat so many people - and a bunk room!

[CruiseDiva]

I watched it as well and really enjoyed it. Hope they do another season.

[RoxiP]

On 6/20/2023 at 6:55 PM, absolutelyido said:

I liked Cottage on a Cliff, but I don't understand the need to have a master suite in a cabin. If only one person per bed were staying in the other bedrooms (not including the sofa bed), that would be 7 people sharing the other bathroom. I think it would be much more practical to have two bathrooms that everyone shares.

Perhaps the master suite concept is because these are also private homes used for private use on occasion.  No expertise here, just a guess.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm not sure that these are really vacation rental homes.   There have only been a few that anyone found online for rent, and they didn't have the features that were put in to make the rental attractive.   The Quilt house, the Sunflower house, and the carriage house with the equestrian theme were actually rentals, but without the themes still at the property.     I bet a lot are simply family homes.      

[CrazyInAlabama]

Tonight's new episode Season 5 episode 7, Influenced by the Lake, theme is The Little Pink Cottage, a podcaster and yoga enthusiast who is obsessed with pink has her vacation home redone.   This includes a hammock built into the dock.   

Scott and Debra want content for podcasts and social media postings, so they do a ball pit with pink balls of various shades, and with balloons.  Scott says air mattresses on the bottom of the ball pit protect the uses from hitting the ground.   They also have a big blow up flamingo, and a shell blow up too.   The cottage exterior is blush pink.  

Edited Yest. at 01:02 AM by CrazyInAlabama

[absolutelyido]

I think the problem with targeting a vacation rental to influencers, is that they will all ask for free or a discounted price in exchange for featuring the cabin in their social media.