The Story of the Timbrook Guesthouse in Columbus, Ohio
1. Big house.
2. Empty nesters.
3. Recession.
But over the years as owners changed the land got sold off and this area gained sub divisions, churches and of course, Antrim Park, which is beautifully maintained by the City of Columbus.
What Now?
The main renovation to our home took place in the early 90’s. But I must say it seems like it has never stopped. Between Peter and I, our ideas are endless with what we would still like to add here at our little patch of heaven! With about 5,000 square feet of living space, five bedrooms and four baths, and our children grown and off making their own mark in the world, the question Peter and I asked each other was, “What now?” How could we justify this footprint for just the two of us?
So we talked and talked and thought we roughly had it figured out. We would wait a few more years until Peter was ready to retire from his business of 30+ years and then buy an Inn for sale along the east coast somewhere. Having Hawaiian blood in him, Peter has always felt a need to be back by the ocean. So that was the plan.
1. Inn.
2. East Coast.
3. Ocean.
But Then, Recession.
The main renovation to our home took place in the early 90’s. But I must say it seems like it has never stopped. Between Peter and I, our ideas are endless with what we would still like to add here at our little patch of heaven! With about 5,000 square feet of living space, five bedrooms and four baths, and our children grown and off making their own mark in the world, the question Peter and I asked each other was, “What now?” How could we justify this footprint for just the two of us?
So we talked and talked and thought we roughly had it figured out. We would wait a few more years until Peter was ready to retire from his business of 30+ years and then buy an Inn for sale along the east coast somewhere. Having Hawaiian blood in him, Peter has always felt a need to be back by the ocean. So that was the plan.
Room Number 2
Room number two happened right about the same time. Valerie appeared at our door one day looking for a new place. We have a Carriage House on the property that was available at the time so she stopped by to take a look. She herself was recently an empty-nester and had started a new job.
She loved the Carriage House but it was a little more than she wanted to commit to. So, I said, “Well, I am already renting a room upstairs, do you want to take a look at one of our suites?” I showed her what is now our West Wing Suite and she was in love.
Both Valerie and Tim were with us for about 13 months, Valerie full time.
And Then There Were Three
Then came a call that turned into room number three. Word of mouth sent him to us knowing we had a big empty house, although it wasn’t so empty anymore.
Tony lives in Connecticut, but finds himself here in Columbus, Ohio one week out of the month. He wanted a place to hang his suits and park his car. Four and half years later, Tony still gets picked up on a Monday from the airport and then dropped back off on Friday. A goodbye until next month.
So by the fall of 2013, I had three rooms occupied although not all full time. I found out that you can only rent two rooms out before you are in need of a permit. Peter is still not retired but I said, “honey, I think we can have our Inn right here in Central Ohio.”
An “OK” to that sent us to a zoning attorney who helped us get our variance. By January 2014, The Timbrook Guesthouse had a name and permit.
Keep checking back for more Timbrook stories! So much more to tell!
Chow for now! And a big Mahalo!
Jill
