Couples looking for a mid-life career switch are taking another look at the great British B&B as the perfect alternative to their nine-to-five routine, and Hotels specialist Peter Brunt from Colliers International has a brace of likely properties just over the Severn Bridge which could fit the bill for potential owners in search of a more relaxed lifestyle.
He said: “Enquiries begin to peak at this time of year as mid-lifers return from their summer holidays and head back to the daily grind wishing there was a realistic alternative. Well running a contemporary B&B might just be it.”
Peter has two properties on his books he reckons would be ideal for a first-time hotelier: “Just over the Severn Bridge they offer fabulous surroundings within a comfortable drive of the West Midlands, Gloucestershire and the greater Bristol area – and hundreds of thousands of potential visitors.”
The Lansdowne Hotel, Brecon
The Lansdowne Hotel in tourist hotspot Brecon, Powys offers nine letting bedrooms along with a particularly spacious one bedroom flat for the owners. The handsome guest house is situated in a popular market town tourist destination and is on the market at £375,000 freehold.
The town is the main touring and weekend centre for the surrounding Brecon Beacons National Park and is popular with year-round visitors exploring the mountains.
Forest House, Coleford
Owning a guest house appeals to many mid-lifers, especially since the emergence of fashionable ‘boutique’ B&Bs, and a good example of a smart new B&B business can be found at the Forest House and Bluebell Restaurant in Coleford, Gloucestershire.
The attractive Georgian building offers superb hotel and restaurant facilities and already enjoys an excellent reputation. The eight-bedroom property enjoyed net sales of £274,663 in March and is on the market at £450,000 freehold.
Situated in the heart of the Royal Forest of Dean the local tourism website lists forty things to do in the immediate area from steam railways and canoeing to off-road cycling or leaping around on high ropes in the tree tops!
Sales activity in the area
Peter Brunt has scored a hat-trick of sales in the area recently, selling the Slebech Park in Pembrokeshire, the Llanwenarth Hotel near Abergavveny and the Dragon Hotel in Montgomery.
He believes the sudden surge in interest and activity across the market signals returning confidence in the region’s tourist appeal.
“Viewing rates have soared and buyers are finding that properties are much less likely to sit on the market and that they need to pick up their skirts and chase.
“The fact these sales have been achieved across the hospitality spectrum suggests this is no midsummer flash in the pan but a widespread recognition that tourist attractions in the principality are finding favour once again.”
For further information, contact Peter Brunt, Hotels Director Colliers International, on 0117 917 2000.
