The Lake
Looking forward to spring, summer, fall… Can’t wait to get back up to the cottage. I’ve been going through hundreds of photos on my iPhone, all from the lake and the valley, while I work on updating my website.
This season will be the first where I’m fully responsible for everything; financial, physical, everything. We’re officially cottage owners! While I’m obviously feeing very lucky and excited to be able to keep this place in my family and eventually pass it down to my kids, Family Cottages are a whooooooooooole thing.
No. 1: Bills
Mortgage, hydro, taxes, renos/maintenance/upkeep, wood, propane, etc.
No. 2: Guests
To offset the cost of taking it on, we will be renting out the complete cabin during stretches we (ourselves) can’t be up there. Since my husband and I work full time, we can’t be up there as frequently as we’d like.
No. 3: Finding a Balance
It’s a new way forward, us being owners and… landlords? Renters? Hosts? Hosts. I think hosts best reflects what we’re hoping to do. We’d love to be able to turn this place over to close friends and family without charging money but it’s just not a possibility at this time. Likely won’t be a possibility for a very long time.
It’s hard for me personally to say ‘no’ to people. I just have to keep telling myself ‘this isn’t a hotel’. It’s not a business. It’s also not a free for all (unless explicitly stated otherwise by me). Finding that balance means success in securing a positive future for this very special place. Ultimately, if I do find that balance, we get to keep the cottage for generations to come.
No. 4: Learning
Our kids are getting older. Life is getting easier. Certainly not out of the woods in terms of this new ‘hosting’ role; Ryan’s been a landlord (by proxy, me too I suppose) for three years now and, well, I’ve been a renter from age eighteen up to twenty seven (?). I still always overthink things; ‘Did I say yes to the right people? ‘No’ to the wrong ones?’ And every time someone asks to bring a pet, I hate that I have to say no. I’m super allergic to animals and we stay up there as often as possible.
With AirBnB, some of those questions answered themselves.
Then there’s their whole rating system (which is flawed). Did you know that giving a host anything less than 5 stars actually damages their listing/reputation? I received 4 stars once because, ‘the place was more beautiful than pictures implied’. A 5 star review on AirBnB simply means, “this place was what it claimed to be”. Nothing more and nothing less.
I’ve had guests give a glowing review and say they ‘intend to book again’ turn around and give me a 4 overall. Guests give me less than 5 stars for accuracy because they couldn’t find the place even though I provide detailed directions including a full ‘driver POV’ video to thoroughly navigate the dirt road from the highway to the front door.
Then there was that one group who trashed my place, pissed off my neighbours, smoked inside, left chocolate to melt into my kayak cushions, left broken glass in the kayaks (a fun find), left used tissues around the living room and kitchen areas among other things like four full sized garbage bags tied off and left out by the BBQ (after a three night stay). That guest left me a bad review because I asked for their damage deposit (which I did receive but it was like pulling teeth).
It’s not all bad. In fact, I consider myself immeasurably blessed. There are wonderful people and families out there who get to share in the magic of the lake. When I can’t be up there with my own family, it’s such a marvelous place that deserves to be inhabited by good people who treat it right and appreciate the nature that surrounds. We’re very lucky to have had predominantly great guests (I don’t think renters is the right word).
Moving forward, I’d personally like to ‘know’ the people I’m hosting and have them know me. Don’t get me wrong, we can be strangers (and stay strangers)! I’m simply hoping to promote interest in my cottage through my social media sites and through my website: WindmillCottage.ca.
It’s a bit more personal for people to say, ‘I stayed at Amy’s place!’ or maybe I just hope it instills a sense of kinship to those who do decide to rent; you’re not just renting ‘a cottage’ from a soulless app on your phone or tablet with a 4.88 star review… You’re not lining the wallet of an anonymous income property owner. You’re renting from me, Amy. A 34 year old radio DJ and mother or two who’s been coming up here since 1986 (when I was born) & plans on spending another thirty or more here.
See you at the lake!
