Maine / Bed and breakfast question

Ever known anyone that had their own B&B?? Hubby and I have been looking at moving to Maine for a long time now. We can't do it until the girls have graduated (4 years); I won't pull them out of school again, I just don't think it's fair.

But anyway....

We've met a group of people that live on the island up there we're looking at. I'd asked them about work for me when we move. Wondered if there were any chain hotels or B&Bs up there that I could manage or work in an accounting department for.

They said there aren't any chain hotels and only 1 B&B on the island. The other small hotels have like a dozen rooms, but they're gross and they didn't recommend I work in a place like that. Other than that, it's pretty desolate - way up on the Canadian border. They did suggest I look into owning a B&B myself since I have experience. My boss and GM have both offered to create positions for me here so I get experience in every aspect of hotels. I've done accounting, management, and front desk / night audit work, as well as helping out in housekeeping.

One of the guys said he's been looking for lodging up there next spring and everything is already booked. So finding a room is pretty hard. They have a pretty busy transient population; it's become a pretty popular vacation destination. So a B&B would do well if properly run.

So, I found an old 1880s New England style Colonial, 3 story on an acre of land just off the island on the main land. It's got a big garage attached to it too that would make a phenomenal kitchen and dining room. It has original wide plank oak flooring, original woodwork around the doors and windows, but other than that has been stripped down to the shell. Perfect for remodeling into a B&B.

It was named the Chapel House, but they have little info on the history of it other than that. Post and beam construction and they said it's level. New sewer and septic. I'm sure it would need electric and plumbing, as well as the obvious walls and such. But for a B&B sounds like it's got some potential.

We can't do it now. It'll be a couple years I'm sure before we can buy something and start investing a little at a time. But that is something I'd look at to renovate. Along those lines anyway.

So - what do you think? Does it seem like somethign that would work to you? Not making decisions now, just trying to get other people's opinions.

I would sure look up the building codes for remodeling into
A B&B.

They could be alot different than for a single residence.
Being in building and ground maintance I have found that
Things for a public vs residential vary greatly. So check out
The specificians very throughly.

Example, the campground has frost proof water hydrants
So campers can get potable water. When you shut off the water
It drains itself. The EPA has now said these are not safe for
Potable water as they could possible contaminate the water,
By letting in a small amount of water from the drain that is built
Into them.

So we have to change them to regular pipe sticking up out of the
Ground with a regular shut off at the top. We have some that we
Can not drain the supply lines for winter time. I hope they don't freeze
Up this winter and bust.

Excellent point! I'll have to ask them about that.