Remember the old Boarding Houses..

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Denise1952

Well-known Member
like the one they had in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with Michael Rennie? If you do, that is what I would love to have, everyone have their own room/space, but gather for "family-style dinners". I know people would have to deal with people, but if you don't have a way to buy your own home, it could be a comforting thing with the right group. Too many young ones here who expect you to be their mommy.

What are your thoughts. I'd like to hear from folks that would like this idea, and especially things that could make it work;) If you don't need it, or you just don't like the idea, I'd rather not see you tear down my idea.

Denise
 
I think it's a good idea. I see that here with international college students who get room and board. Sometimes older people just do not want to leave on their own because it gets lonely and they do not like having too cook for themselves everyday.
 
Mirabilis said:
I think it's a good idea. I see that here with international college students who get room and board. Sometimes older people just do not want to leave on their own because it gets lonely and they do not like having too cook for themselves everyday.
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I think mostly, it is getting used to being with others, putting up with their different ways, also getting a good group, that you can hang onto for awhile. I think if having things around the yard like a little bbq area, people could enjoy, flowers. Things we might not have on our own, but if we could let down our walls, and learn to get along;) I mean, nothing is perfect, but it would sure help some with their lonliness, as well as cheaper rent;) Have to allow pets too, I just don't feel a home is a home without pets. I know there would have to be limits, and rules. It just seems like a better way than living in some 4 x 4 room/house, whatever, all alone, waiting for the phone to ring;)
 
Denise, The closest I've come to your idea is when I had my parents, (They had to have separate rooms since they were divorced.), My youngest son and his wife with their child, and two adopted grandchildren. Our home was a haven for 9 to 12 people at any given time. It was difficult at times, but we were all pretty happy, and half the fun was working out how to keep everyone looking forward. :hide:
 
I mean, I am just dreaming you know, I couldn't buy a house. I wonder if a handful of folks could all rent together though, that way no one is boss so to speak. We just work together;)
 
Ina said:
Denise, The closest I've come to your idea is when I had my parents, (They had to have separate rooms since they were divorced.), My youngest son and his wife with their child, and two adopted grandchildren. Our home was a haven for 9 to 12 people at any given time. It was difficult at times, but we were all pretty happy, and half the fun was working out how to keep everyone looking forward. :hide:
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But you coped, you got along as best you could. There would also be more chance of choosing roomies this way. Although, one of the guys here, I cannot stand, I have learned to cope with. It's been really healthy for me too, to learn that.
 
They have that kind of thing, here in Huntsville, and I have also seen it in other places. I actually think it is a great idea ! I would not want to have to cook for that many people, but I can see it being a share-house (similar to where you are at now) and everyone looks after them self.
There are some fixer-upper tri-plexes and 4-plexes here, and if I had enough money to invest in one, I think that would work out well, too. They are the large, older Victorian style homes, that have been remodeled into apartments. A person could live in the bottom part, and then find selective people to rent the other two, and share yard and garden spaces together. Laundry facilities would likely be in the main apartment, but those could easily be shared as well.
I think it would work really well, and would more than make the house payment. Not sure how the insurance part would work, that might be expensive if you had to insure the house for everyone.
 
Some apartments have caretaker type of people that live there rent-free just for managing the property, and collecting the rents, showing apartments, and being there for when they needed a repairman to fix something. If you found a position like that, you would not have the responsibility of the mortgage or insurance, just taking care of the tenants, and finding another renter if one moved out.
Trailer parks often have a person that does this kind of thing for the owner, too; so there are some good possibilities out there, even if you can't buy a house yourself.
Did you check out that innkeepers.com website that I sent you before ?? They specialize in all kinds of caretaker positions, and you have plenty of time to look before the SS kicks in for you this winter.
If you don't have the link, I will look for it and post it again on here. Found it, so here is the link:

http://www.workingcouples.com/jobs-by-category/innkeepersmotelhoteljobs
 
I'm already doing a semi boarding house. We have no living room any more...it is now a bedroom. A big one. I rent that one for a smidge more since it IS big. The garage is a room. The patio was enclosed and it is a room, albeit a small one. I made that into my library. Common rooms are the dining room that has no dining room table..just two chairs and a coffee table. Two bar stools that snug up against the counter and of course the kitchen. We have a spare fridge in the laundry room and the roomies share that one. They also have the front yard if they want to garden..but they don't. I put a door up in the hallway that separates hubby's and my rooms. I have the master bedroom and master bath. Hubby has the room across the hall from me. He uses my master bathroom. When we don't want to be bugged...we close the hallway door. We also knocked a hole in my bedroom wall that enters the back yard...which is hubbys and mine...and off limits to the roomies. Nobody here socializes...they hang out in their own rooms. Which is fine.

I rent out the big room for 550...garage room for 450...used to rent the library room before it was a library, for 200. Now hubby and I just pay for that room and no renter. I have two roomies. One will be leaving in August...i will find a new roomie, retired or semi retired, lower the rent to 450 in exchange for them upkeeping the front yard, vac'ing, washing heavy pots and pans I have a hard time lifting. Thats the plan, anyway.
 
my back yard that is outside the door in my bedroom wall I installed:

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Shared dining room that has been turned into a sort of den for everyone.

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HALF of what used to be the living room and is now a huge bedroom:

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Small bedroom that is now a library:

2njd0s6.jpg
 
Thanks hon. :)

Hubby and my private area is kind of unique too. My room is very ecclectic....very bohemian. Hubbys is native american of course. :)
 
I love eclectic, I didn't realize that's what I've always been until the word go popular, I used to just think late American Garage-sale, LOL!!
 
I remember boarding houses while growing up in my hometown. They were very common in the 40s and 50s (and long before that, but I wasn't around back then). There's would be a small sign either in a front window or in front of the house "Room and Board" or "Rooms for Rent". They sort of faded out, at least outwardly, over time, and I'm kind of thinking that when there were an abundance of them, it was at a time when widow ladies didn't have any (or very little) income and opened up their homes to boarders so that they could keep their homes and support their children. There were a lot of mines up there, and when men were killed or disabled in mining accidents, the family income stopped. Occasionally, the mining companies would pay a settlement to the widows when there were "special circumstances", but that happened only rarely.

As time went on and more women had enough SS benefits on their husbands' records or had worked themselves and had pensions/their own SS benefits, so taking in boarders was no longer a necessity.

Seems to me that there would certainly be a market for boarding houses, especially as the population ages. Me? I'd rather have a room and meals in a boarding house than be totally alone and without anybody at all for company. Kids grow up and leave home, one parent dies, the family home becomes too much for the other parent to keep up and hiring help too costly, kids ask the age-old question"What are we going to do about Mom/Dad?" because they live too far away to help. A good solution for all. Mom or Dad isn't alone, kids carry on with their lives knowing that if the parent gets sick, there's at least someone to let them know.

Maybe it's an idea whose time has come again. A good alternative to living alone, being uprooted and moved to be closer to their children (and leaving behind their friends and a place that's been home) or being parked in an assisted living facility.

Kaya, I like your set up a lot. And I love, love, love your back yard! How pleasant and serene.
 
Oh, your hubby would probably love my latest, hidden object game Kaya! It's called Myths of the World: Spirit Wolf! I love the scenery/graphics in my games, these are on DVD's not the online ones, plus I actually got two free through Bigfish games just for complaining:lofl:They are really good though, one game pooped out on me so they gave me another free, my choice of even collectors edition. Then I got another coupon for a free game, and that was because I could not get BigFish Game Manager to reinstall. Anyway, I really like them. I'll see if I can copy a piece of scenery. Here's one scene, and this is from the games "walkthrough" which is for us if we get stuck and can't figure something out. But the yellow squares you wouldn't see in the game, and this doesn't do the full-screen justice, the peeps that make these games are really artists!!

Wolf.JPG
 
Wish I had the funds to buy a large victorian or even a ranch house that had many rooms. I would have a boarding house. Everyone cook their own, though. Or, one "roomie" with reduced rent in exchange for cooking 3 meals a day. Good breakfast, light lunch, good dinner. For snacks, everyone is on their own. Large yard with lots of chairs and some rockers on the porch. Oh yes. I would do it in a heartbeat.
 
I'm with you, Kaya. So would I. For a while when DH and I first moved back to our hometown, we rented rooms to skiers. We provided breakfast only, but from time to time, we'd have repeat guests that we'd gotten to know and would fix a nice dinner for all of us. We really liked doing it, but then I went back to work and so did DH, and we no longer had the time. It was fun while it lasted, though.
 
hey ladies, that's me for sure, what Kaya said! It would be good to have one cook, but it would depend on the room we had. I wouldn't want too many boarders, but oh yeah, the Victorian house, with a yard and trees, for hot, Summer nights! Seems so many of us are dirt poor, but if we joined forces, we could have something nice;) Dream on everyone, you just never know what may come!! Hugs all, Denise;)
 
Denise..maybe you should put all your many energies in to finding a large house for rent...with at least 4 bedrooms...and secure one with the owners permission to turn it in to a boarding house or room rental situation for older retired folks. Then once you secure the home...put an ad in CL a wanted ad for potential roomies/boarders. Make the rules and policies you want for those to sign as a month to month contract, get 3 of them set up, then rent out those rooms.
 
Kaya said:
Wish I had the funds to buy a large victorian or even a ranch house that had many rooms. I would have a boarding house. Everyone cook their own, though. Or, one "roomie" with reduced rent in exchange for cooking 3 meals a day. Good breakfast, light lunch, good dinner. For snacks, everyone is on their own. Large yard with lots of chairs and some rockers on the porch. Oh yes. I would do it in a heartbeat.
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Oh oh, and one of these Kaya!! LOL!! I found this down where I used to live when I was a kid:

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Hubby and I discussed it, and if the landlord ever does tell us we have to go because his family is ragging him about it, we will just stay here in this town and rent another house. We will clear it with the landlord that we plan on renting rooms but WE will be responsible for rent, maintenance, etc. We would want a long term lease too, but we would rent out the rooms on a month to month because we gotta live with them before we want them to have a 3/6 month lease to see if we all get along. If so..then a longer rental contract would be fine.

It helps that we are retired property managers. We know what to do. :)
 
I'd be afraid of that swing, Denise. If it broke, or I fell out..I would break bones. No can do. And most retired folks I know would be afraid of it too. Rockers on a porch overlooking the yard will suffice. :)
 
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