What is your dream listing upgrade?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone,

Decorating or making improvements to our home is very important,  which is why I have spent some time doing so in my own place, though I haven’t finished decorating yet ever since I moved into my new home in 2020. I very much enjoy looking at other people’s ideas on decoration, especially here in the Community Center. Depending on the ideas that I find here, I sometimes consider applying them to my home as well! 😃

What do you dream of adding to your home? Or maybe there's something you were dreaming of that you've added recently, especially for those who have renovated or are renovating their home?

Personally, I would love to build a wintergarden on one of my terraces, and perhaps add some solar panels!

I hope you all have a great day, 

Quincy

[Robin4]

@Quincy 

Quincy, mate you know as well as I,  there is only one indestructible bed!!

But is not 100% practical for a B&B.

I probably cheated a bit with the current bed, it was second hand when I bought it, but it came from a loving environment.....and I think that is important Quincy! keeping in mind this is a rental facility, I would not like to sleep on a bed that came from a broken household, or even worse a bed that someone died in!

I knew the history of this bed and I was determined to make this bed shine, like I have with everything else I have done on this property. I had it stripped and totally serviced, I had it extended by another 200 mm (8 inches)  to accommodate those super tall guests you get every now and then. I had all linens I purchased altered to fit the bed and I have had 5 years of great reviews out of that bed. Sure it has been abused but Quincy, that is human nature, we all like to push the boundaries in life........find out what sort of a mark we can leave!

*

I have bought another bed.....there was enough money in the damage fund, and this one is perhaps a little bit more bullet-proof than the last one! All the functions in the last bed were electro/mechanical, in this new bed they are hydraulic, so the chance of burning out a motor or stripping a worm and screw ferrule has been eliminated. Two 100 Kg people can sit on the pillow end of this bed and raise the head of it, if their crazy minds feel like it.....and the mechanism will cope with it!  

Quincy, I at least don't have to make excuses anymore to those guests that thought they were going to drop their bags and have a relaxing massage.......

Jesus, what do guests expect in a $95 per night listing??? But that's the problem with hosting.....if you offer it, it has to work!

Cheers.........Rob

[Quincy]

Yikes, I hope I don't end up on that bed anytime soon @Robin4! Though, it's definitely indestructible!

I'm glad to hear that you were able to get something new, but if something breaks down again, you may need to consider putting 2 of those beds in the picture that you shared in the guest room 😆.

[Helen427]

@Quincy What species of Botanicals and Trees etc would you choose for your Wintergarden? 

Any particular colour or favorites?

[Laurelle3]

@Helen427 many of my plants in the cottage garden hasbeen knocked around with all the rain over the past 3 weeks. I have been taking out the damaged plants and replanting with cuttings and some current annuals. The garden is part of my maintence along with the lawns as our guests say they are delighted and surprised with the gardens which help with my positive review.

My christmas display with new window boxes made by husband last year. 

[Quincy]

Hi @Helen427, this is a good question. I usually leave the choosing of plants over to my significant other 😃. Though, I'm always open for recommendations if you have any! 

[Helen427]

Good afternoon @Quincy 
This has popped up in my reading materials.

Would these Botanicals work in your garden?

Winter and Spring Flowering Plants - Ladies Mirror Journal - 1922

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/LADMI19220701.2.33

@Huma0 @Lorna170 @Laurelle3 @Flowers1 @Flowers0 @Flowers7 @Winter4 @Winter5 @Spring3 @Spring2 

@Gardenia8 @Garden53 @Garden48 

On one of our walks we came across this delightful small garden, whilst I personally wouldn't choose Black, the small area concept would work well for those in such places.

I also quite like the Crazy Paving that was in Vogue in the 1930's era.

Garden Entrance

Wall Features and Flowers

Botanicals and Ornaments and Seating

[Laurelle3]

@Helen427 I read the article, great advice from the 1930's. The advice is still the same for today but where I live in Australia it is not as cold in winter. We are having a break from the coast and continuous rain and over the great dividing range where they have had next to no rain for months. On my walk today is the botanical gardens at Albury NSW.

[Ann783]

Sauna. Landscaping upgrade. We have a huge front yard that goes unused except for tag football. 

[Christine615]

We’re working on the backyard right now. And going to convert the garage into an art studio for my daughter who lives on site and cohosts.

But my husband now wants to know when I’m going to start the “dream upgrades” at our main house. So I’ve got my eye on restoring my carriage house apartment similar to the ones my neighbors rent on Airbnb.

[Quincy]

Do you have a timeframe as to when you'd like to get started with all the upgrades @Christine615? 😃

[Gillian166]

@Quincy 
I just got a king 4-poster bed in one of our listings, that's been a dream for a few years. 
We just installed solar panels in January, another thing we'd been planning for years. 
I've just paid a deposit to have the pool heated ($12K total cost, yikes, and they aren't sure it will be big enough, might need a second system, oh boy!)

dreams: to have the pool area re-done. currently is dodgy brick work circa 1970s, we'd like to put timber decking over it all and create a 1ft lip around the pool so you can sit and dangle your feet in.  Clad half of the structure in something more modern. Maybe put a sauna in there somewhere. 

we also have an old concrete water tank we'd love to convert into a unique space for ABB. 

[Quincy]

Yikes, indeed @Gillian166! These things come at quite cost. I'd love to have a swimming pool, but given the space available on my property, I could perhaps get away with a jacuzzi of some sort 🙂. 

[Angie233]

We are upgrading our outdoor kitchen and  furniture in 2022. 

[Laurelle3]

@Quincy Last year we upgraded the cottage with airconditioners for the 2 bedrooms as our temperate climate is getting hotter and more humid.(you could say that our climate is changing). We also installed more solar panels to counter balance the energy used with the airconditioners. The first electricity bill was reduced and we were paid a tarrif as we had made more electricity than the airconditioners used. 

Our next upgrade this year will be replacing the driveway and parking area for our guests.

The future upgrade will be installing an EV outlet when Australians adopt more electric cars.

[Lorna170]

@Quincy  Since my husband overtook my laundry room with his solar water installation (lovely hot floors and constant hot water supply), my dream is to reconfigure my oversized 2 piece powder room into a new laundry room and powder room.  It would mean incorporating an adjacent coat closet (one of two) and moving a wall, but I would LOVE it... and it means that the current laundry and utility room with the furnace, solar tank, hot water tank and electric panel would never need to be visited by me!