Edinburgh Guest Houses

For some people, opening their own guest house in a city like Edinburgh is the dream of a lifetime. If you are seriously considering running your own guest house then the first thing that you need to do is to look for a viable property. If it is at all possible it is a good idea to look for a property that has already been used as a guest house as this should have the amenities you would need. You may not be able to find a property that has already been converted and used as a guest house, in which case you will need a building with plenty of rooms and preferably separate living accommodation for you and your family.

Once you have found a suitable building then you will need the services of a builder to do any of the conversion work that is needed and to put in shower rooms and other amenities. When the conversion is finished you can set about decorating and furnishing the property. It is best to keep the décor as neutral as possible and to get second hand dining room and television room furniture that you can renovate.

Get a Licence

If you plan on running a guest house then you will need to get yourself licenced with health, fire and safety executives in the area. Find out what the requirements are in your area so that you can be sure your property matches local specifications. Representatives will come and vet the property and providing you have the necessary fire doors etc fitted in your guest house, getting licenced as a business should not be too difficult. You will have to make sure that you keep up to the required standards because the licence has to be renewed on an annual basis.

Who Will Run Your Guest House?

If you are opening a guest house that has room for more than four guests at a time then you may want to consider hiring people to help with the cooking and cleaning. If you are not familiar with book keeping then you may also require the services of a good accountant to help organise your business finances and sort out your tax liability at the end of each year. Opening a guest house can be a great business opportunity, providing people know that you are there and open for business.

Market Your Services

Try to get your guest house listed with the local tourist board as they will generally keep a list of recommended guest houses, there may be a fee for this but it could be repaid many times over if you get business from that listing. Most guest houses will advertise in their local paper and very often in the windows of local shops. Do some research and find out what other guest house owners have done. In a technological age it is always a good idea to get yourself a website as many people now search online for hotels and guest houses when they go away.