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Hot Tub Heaven

By CottageGuru | August 30, 2007

Is it worth investing in a hot tub to increase your rental potential, particularly during the off-season? This is a question we are often asked by owners as they strive to capture that elusive fall, winter and spring market. We asked a few owners for their views and received the following responses:

“Since installing the tub at our cottage on the Irondale River in the Haliburton Highlands, our out of season occupancy rate has risen by around 65% - a very significant increase.”– (Irondale River cottage owner)

“Before we bought the tub, we were lucky to get the very occasional booking outside the July and August period. Since it was installed in October, we have rented 9 weekends, two full weeks in February, and a week at Easter. That has virtually paid for the tub, and we get to use it when we are up at the cottage which is a real bonus.” — (Ripple Lake,

Huntsville owner)

“‘Our guest book is testament to the success of the hot tub – everyone mentions it as a great feature of the cottage, and we have had several return visitors who say they come back because of it.” — (Catchacoma

Lake, Kawartha owner)

Buying a tub is a major investment with the average price of a 5/6 person tub being around $7000 with installation costs that could add another $2000- $3000 onto that figure. So before taking the plunge it’s worthwhile giving serious consideration to how beneficial the investment would be.



Permanent tub vs portable soft tub‘We bought a soft tub for our cottage because it was portable and we thought when it wasn’t rented, we could use the tub at our city home. What we didn’t take into account was the 48 hours it takes to fill up and heat up before it could be used. That meant driving up to the cottage mid-week, spending several hours filling it up, then having to go back up before the renters went in, to put in the chemicals when the water reached a suitable temperature – and you have to add the chemicals at intervals which adds on even more time.’Soft tubs do have the advantage of being portable, however they lack the features of the permanent models, are less comfortable and generally have less sophisticated filtration systems. If you want to keep the cost down though, a soft tub is a cheaper option. Indoors or outdoors?

I was surprised to be asked this question from an owner as I would expect a hot tub to be an outdoor feature, however there are a lot of people who enjoy their indoor tubs just as much. It really depends on whether you are hardy enough to brave minus double digit temperatures to enjoy the stars and get crunchy hair. This is exhilarating no doubt, but for some, the benefit comes from the jets and therapeutic qualities rather than the ability to move fast between the tub and the cottage door over a frozen and slippery deck. If you have space indoors and are able to get a tub inside without major structural alteration, you might want to consider this option, particularly as there is a saving in hydro costs. Of course with a portable hot tub, you could have the tub indoors in winter and just move it outside for the rest of the year. Cost

Apart from the tub itself, there are additional installation costs dependent on where you want the tub located (you may have to strengthen the deck, or build a base if it is going onto bare ground); and what your electrical supply is (most tubs require a dedicated 220v service as well as a GFCI breaker, which may add as much as another $2000 to the cost). Kathy Ross of the Pool Spa and Sauna Showrooms in Bracebridge and Orillia (and now

Huntsville) says you should figure on monthly hydro costs of around $30. Chemical supplies cost approximately $12-$15 per month. Maintenance Renting your cottage with a hot tub brings with it potential problems that can be avoided with a little forethought and good planning. Hot tubs require chemicals to be added at regular intervals and these intervals are more frequent when more people use the tub. So, if you have a party of eight people staying for a week for example, it is likely that the tub will need checking mid-week to ensure a healthy chemical balance is maintained. Leaving a detailed checklist on tub care and maintenance is one option, however you are relying on the good sense of your renters to follow the instructions given. A better option is to either travel up to the cottage yourself or find someone locally who you can trust to do a quick water test and add chemicals as required.Naturally, buying from a reputable local company and having trust in their ability to troubleshoot promptly will give you more confidence in having a tub in a rental property. They should also offer a free water testing service which should be done around once a month. So, is it worth it?Let’s say you can rent your cottage for 4 weeks in the shoulder and low season for $1000 per week and are also able to rent 10 weekends at $500 per weekend through the fall, winter and spring, achieving additional income of $9000 in a single year. In the best case, and with good marketing, you could cover the cost of the tub and installation in that space of time. However, that should be balanced against the maintenance and additional hydro costs as well as the increased time you would need to spend at the cottage. Neverthless it is a hard fact that most renters in the fall and winter will rent a cottage with a hot tub in favour of one without, even at a higher cost. The owners we contacted were all positive about their decision to buy a tub. The final word comes from a cottage owner who has seen a lot of benefit from having one:‘We did a lot of research and planning before we bought, and that has brought us more renters, more income, and to top it all, we get to use it when we are up at the cottage which makes it all worthwhile’. Another link for everything to know about hot tubs is Hot Tubs to Go, a US site but packed full of useful information and articles.

Topics: Adding Value |

4 Responses to “Hot Tub Heaven”

  1. Additions, Renovations and Improvements to Increase Rental Profit | CottageBlogger.com Says:
    December 5th, 2007 at 3:28 pm

    [...] but the sauna could pay for itself in more weekend bookings in the winter and fall. We installed a hot tub in 2005 and this contributed to increased occupancy in the low and shoulder seasons. Improvements [...]

  2. Internet Connection at the Cottage | CottageBlogger.com Says:
    January 5th, 2008 at 1:22 pm

    [...] we increase the rental rate? Buying a hot tub in 2006 was one of the best moves we’ve made since we bought the cottage and answered all [...]

  3. CottageDaily.com » Blog Archive » Shopping for a Hot Tub Says:
    January 31st, 2008 at 6:55 am

    [...] we want to make, after we take possession of our new vacation property, is a hot tub. According to CottageBlogger, “It is a hard fact that most renters in the fall and winter will rent a cottage with a hot [...]

  4. Thomas B Says:
    February 18th, 2008 at 10:04 pm

    great post. Yes, a hot tub is a great way to increase the overall property value.

    Thanks,
    Tom

    Houston Portable Spas

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