Tips and Tricks for Building a Luxury Guest House

Being a guest house builder in San Diego, we’ve done it all. House to Home has over 25+ years of experience in the building industry building anything from a design-build project to a luxury guest house. Our highly experienced staff wants the best for our customers and the finished product.

As a luxury guest house builder in San Diego, we’ve worked with a wide range of clients, providing them with all our insider knowledge. While a luxury guest house can be on the smaller side, it’s essential to include all the necessary features to ensure guests don’t miss out on the usual conveniences of living when they come and stay.

Why Do You Need a Luxury Guest House?

Why wouldn’t you need a luxury guest house is the real question. A luxury guest house can be used for a multitude of reasons. Depending on your family size, it could be booked out all year round. But if not, renting out your guest house on Airbnb is a great way to make a passive income. When you have a luxury guest house, not only does it provide that sense of privacy for your own family but also for whoever is staying. It’s a great way to create memories without feeling too crowded.

Alternatively, a luxury guest house is fantastic for families with older children looking for that extra sense of space and freedom. It gives them a chance to relax, yet still offers parents peace of mind knowing the kids are at home.

How To Build a Luxurious Guest House

How you build a luxurious guest house is entirely up to you and will depend on your needs and the core reason for building. However, at House to Home, our process of designing and building a luxury guest house is one we’ve completed many times before and have all the tips and tricks for.

Budget

Budget is one of the first things to consider when building a guest house in San Diego. House To Home will work with you to provide options, no matter how big or small your budget is. As we’re built on the foundation of being customer-centric, we cater our services and offerings to you and your budget. That way, you can still achieve a luxury guest house, no matter the budget.

Add Natural Light

When building a guest house in San Diego, natural lighting is key to making the space feel open and adding an element of luxury. Due to luxury guest houses being smaller than your home, bringing in natural light sources wherever possible will make all the difference for your guests. For each build, we’ll offer suggestions on positioning your guest house. However, listed below are just some of the ways that you can add in natural light.

  • Skylight
  • Sliding doors
  • Include extra windows

Chatting with House To Home about one or even multiple of these options is a great way to let that natural light flood in.

Include a Private Entrance 

While a guest house is usually built for your guests, you must consider your family’s privacy. All guest houses need to have a private entrance. This is generally positioned with a side gate and a path down the side of the house leading to the guest house. Not only does this give you privacy, but you don’t need to worry about guests having a key to your home to gain access, particularly if you’re renting out your guest house.

Think About What Features Guests Would Want

Consider what features guests would appreciate when coming to stay. While it might seem like an obvious thought, having your wants and needs planned before coming to us with the ideas gives our team a clear direction of what should be included.

You’ll want to think about features like including integrated appliances, or do you need to include a sofa-bed rather than an additional room? Having these thoughts written down and ironed out is ideal when envisioning your dream guest house.

Add Enough Storage Space

If you’ve ever stayed at a hotel, AirBnB or guest house that doesn’t have enough storage, you’ll understand how frustrating it can be. Not having anywhere to leave your suitcase or bag can leave your room messy and unkempt. Lack of storage, particularly for a longer stay, can be incredibly annoying.

When you work with House to Home, we’ll include custom storage where needed and also make suggestions if the proposed storage options will be enough for the space. Ensuring you have enough space is crucial, particularly when creating a luxury guest house. You’ll also want to consider storage for additional items, such as extra pillows and blankets for guests.

Consider Layout

The layout is crucial when working with a luxury guest house. Again, as you don’t have as much space to work with as you do in your home, it’s crucial to take advantage of the space that you do have in your new guest house.

The layout can either make the space feel bigger than it is or make it feel small and too closed in. Your floor plan and layout are things that are heavily considered before we start the building process. We’ll walk you through what will work best and make sure you’re happy with all the decisions being made.

How To Add That Luxurious Touch

Once you’ve had your luxury guest house built in the San Diego area, it’s time to add all the final touches. Styling is what can make the difference between an average stay and one that will have guests coming back.

Giving your guests a stay they’ll remember means doing all the extra things. Whether it is leaving them a welcome basket with food and drinks or leaving a list of local cafés, these small, thoughtful touches will make your guests happy, refreshed, and eager to come back.

Stock Up on Essentials

To make your guests really feel at home, stock up on all the essentials. Ideally, you want to tackle the bedroom, bathroom, and pantry. And a great tip before your guests stay is to ask if they have any dietary requirements so that you can cater to them. While you don’t need to fill up each of these spaces completely, just adding a few items adds a homey touch. We’ve listed some examples below to help with what to include.

Bedroom 

  • Room spray or candle
  • Alarm clock
  • Extra blankets and pillows
  • WiFi password and information

Bathroom

  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Body wash or soap
  • Travel-sized skincare items
  • Bathrobe and slippers
  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Razor

Pantry 

  • Tea and coffee
  • Non-perishable snacks
  • Fresh fruit
  • Bread, milk, eggs

Add Convenient Power Outlets and Charging Cords

This tip involves both you and House to Home. During our building process, we’ll consult and suggest where the most convenient power outlets should be located. This not only makes your guests’ stay more enjoyable, but we’ll also consider the space’s other functions, such as turning the ADU into an office space in the future.

But as the guest house owner, you can add a sense of luxury by providing guests with a few different charging cords. Grabbing some from Amazon is a cheap and cost-effective solution to what can be a very annoying problem.

Include a Range of Lighting

Including a range of lighting is key to letting guests choose their own ambiance. Lighting can be the difference between a closed-in luxury guest house and one that feels open, airy, and spacious. Having dimmer lights installed is a great way to combat this, along with providing indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, and several lamps to accommodate their needs.

What Now?

If you need a guest house builder in San Diego, you’ve come to the right place. House to Home is here to be your team of experienced professionals, providing you with all the insight and information you need. We’ll chat with you about all the possibilities for building the guest house of your dreams. Our business is built on a customer-centric foundation, so we’re here to listen and help. We’ll chat with you about the different regulations in the San Diego area that are specific to you and your project. Providing solutions and alternative options to ensure that you end up with a luxury guest house that you and your guests will fall in love with.

If you’re ready to get started with us, contact us to book a consultation. Alternatively, follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with the latest information and inspiration.