Features to include if building a home to also use as an STR?

Question

I am thinking about building a house for our next primary residence, but I would also like to use it occasionally as an STR. I’m thinking about features to include for this purpose. So far, I’m thinking about extra closets with locks, maximum number of bedrooms feasible (aiming for four or five), fireplace and some kind of a nice outdoor deck or screen porch, possibly a hot tub. ￼We generally host families or alumni friend groups for events related to sporting or the University. Any other ideas?

Paul Sandhu · Answer

2 or 3 separate entrances.  A pistol range or skeet shooting field if you're out of the city limits.  An archery range if you're in the city.  A "Help Yourself" garden with peppers, onions, potatoes etc.  Bicycles.  Fishing equipment.  A scoped pellet gun, pellets and a bag of corn.  Outdoor picnic area with firepit and firewood.  Bubble bath.  A Blue Ray player and a selection of G, PG, PG13, R, and other movies that would appeal to adults.  Horseshoes or cornhole boards.  Animal box traps and bait.  Electronic darts.  Poker table with chips and cards.  A bar made from 2 pallets and a 2x12.

Kathy Hansen · Answer

I think I was really influenced in my suggestion by an Austrailian TV show about STRs that just came to Netflix (it's called Instant Hotel). It's a competition in which STR hosts stay in each others' listings and rate them. Overall, the learning and takeaways about the STR business were pretty meager, but a cojuple of things struck me.

The couple that won was the only one that had a bathroom for every bedroom in their place. And each time the hosts would go to a new STR, they would grumble about the bedroom setup and even have dramatic fights over who would get the best bedroom. They were so thrilled with the bathroom-for-every-bedroom in the winners' house.

Anyway, it may depend a lot on whether you expect to mostly host larger groups or smaller groups.

Kevin Lefeuvre · Answer

Separate studio or one BR unit with separate entrance,  aka "Granny Suite" for multiple purposes including a place to keep for yourself private when renting the rent of the house. Some sort of faux duplex.

Jen Faulkner · Answer

We get a lot of requests for properties without stairs.  Even if you can't avoid stairs, maybe have a section of the house that's easily accessible without stairs, so that the guests don't even need the rest of the house.

Anand S. · Answer

Here in SFL it's essential to have a pool or hottub. Maximizing BR and Baths increases revenue. Outdoor covered patio/screened-in porches and BBQ areas are also great attractions.

Julie McCoy · Answer

Awesome ideas here!  I second (third?) the bathroom-for-every-bedroom idea - I realize it may be cost-prohibitive to do six bathrooms but try for at least four, more if you can manage it, and be strategic about their placement as you plan how the house can be sectioned off into different sizes of STRs.

I have a 3/3 STR house that can be partitioned into 1/1, 2/2, or 3/3 versions - it gets a little complicated to keep it straight with the cleaning crew and making sure the appropriate doors are locked/unlocked, but the flexibility is great in what is (for me) a very seasonal market.  I make the biggest (e.g. most expensive) version available for a year in advance, but the 1/1 is only available 90 days in advance, so in theory the smaller version only fills in the holes that remain unbooked.

Re: the ADU, you may not be able to use it for an STR, but consider if you want to either have it designated as personal space for you, OR use it as an LTR?  As long as we're talking about maximizing options. :)

Sarah Lorenz · Answer

Lots of great ideas--thanks! @Paul Sandhu I like the garden idea. The shooting range in downtown Ann Arbor--hmmm, probably not, on several levels, but possibly hilarious for the shock value. Great ideas for entertainment, @Paul Sandhu and @Michael Greenberg. Two sinks in each bathroom is a good tip, easy to plan for a new build. @Kathy Hansen I wonder if separate en suite bathrooms for each bedroom would be worth the cost? Vs. a jack-n-jill set up for every two bedrooms? The main design I'm looking at would be a two story house with a finished daylight basement, and two bedrooms on each level, for a total of 6.  I'd be aiming to have maximum longterm flexibility--rent the whole place for events while we travel, rent the lower level for a nightly STR when it suits us, or turn 1-2 of the levels into a LTR later on if I get sick of the STR gig. So yes, separate entrances possible and the ability to lock off each level, but designed so it looks like a very nice single family home. We can have ADUs here, but you can't use them for STR. But you can for your primary residence, so I'll want to keep it like a single family,  I think.

John Underwood · Answer

@Sarah Lorenz Maybe  a separate level where your master bedroom is so that you can just lock that level and make it inaccessible minimizing how much stuff you have to put away.

Kathy Hansen · Answer

As many en suite bathrooms as you can manage.

Michael Greenberg · Answer

A blank canvas = great opportunity.  I am guessing when you said "University" you meant Michigan.  That said, anything University related, sports, graduations, parents weekends, etc.... are ALL opportunities.  I have homes near ASU and I find the more activities, e.g., corn hole, giant jenga, rope toss, etc.... are great inexpensive items.  I also chose to install artificial turf as opposed to grass that's only green it the winter.  A hot tub is a great idea, just be careful about locking down the controls and get a remote device connected so if you're away you can adjust it.  Fire pits are a bonus as well, again be careful, there's a a number of potential issues that might exist (though I have one and people love it).  I installed a huge pergola with outdoor kitchen and seating that can host well over 100 people in the yard. The more heads in beds, the better for events and even inflatable mattresses.  If feasible, dual sinks in each full bathroom and match the # of bathrooms to the # of bedrooms, or ensuite bathrooms. Maybe a loft above a garage or a carriage house if the lot/local codes will allow it.  I lock off the garage and use that for storage (at this point), but considering converting it to a "bunk house".

I'm sure others will provide great feedback so I'll be following this one closely.

Best of Luck!

Mike

Features to include if building a home to also use as an STR?

Most Popular Reply