Clubhouse and Pool, what to do w/ it?
Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes
Clubhouse and Pool, what to do w/ it?
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Kim Meredith HamptonBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · St Petersburg · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votesDustin,
I never heard of that happening , except with golf courses, which they usually sell and develop into more homes.
Could rent out for special events, make a large house to rent with the pool, rent out so someone for their office-depends on zoning? Whatever you do, make sure that you have good insurance
21 Replies
- 8yKim Meredith HamptonBusiness MemberReal Estate Broker · St Petersburg · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
Dustin,
I never heard of that happening , except with golf courses, which they usually sell and develop into more homes.
Could rent out for special events, make a large house to rent with the pool, rent out so someone for their office-depends on zoning? Whatever you do, make sure that you have good insurance
- Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes8y
Originally posted by @Kim Meredith Hampton:
Dustin,
I never heard of that happening , except with golf courses, which they usually sell and develop into more homes.
Could rent out for special events, make a large house to rent with the pool, rent out so someone for their office-depends on zoning? Whatever you do, make sure that you have good insurance
Thank you. And I agree, there are some options, just not real sure what would make sense. I've brainstormed briefly and thought about event space too or perhaps a small gym with maybe a couple tanning beds and access to the pool. Something that could draw customers from the entire subdivision. Laundry would be the obvious choice except these townhouses have washer/dryer hookup.
- Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes8y
For the record, I posted it in this forum because some of you have large apartment complexes and know what people want (and what they're willing to pay for). And even though I only have a piece of this subdivision pie, it does have a lot of similarities to a complex since almost everyone is a renter.
- 8yKim Meredith HamptonBusiness MemberReal Estate Broker · St Petersburg · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
Originally posted by @Kim Meredith Hampton:
Dustin,
I never heard of that happening , except with golf courses, which they usually sell and develop into more homes.
Could rent out for special events, make a large house to rent with the pool, rent out so someone for their office-depends on zoning? Whatever you do, make sure that you have good insurance
People also love the Amazon boxes where they deliver their boxes and they can pick them up where they are locked up after they get off of work. They love shared working areas or a small conference room to meet clients.
- Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes8y
Originally posted by @Kim Meredith Hampton:
Originally posted by @Kim Meredith Hampton:
Dustin,
I never heard of that happening , except with golf courses, which they usually sell and develop into more homes.
Could rent out for special events, make a large house to rent with the pool, rent out so someone for their office-depends on zoning? Whatever you do, make sure that you have good insurance
People also love the Amazon boxes where they deliver their boxes and they can pick them up where they are locked up after they get off of work. They love shared working areas or a small conference room to meet clients.
I've actually never heard of the lock boxes for Amazon, I'll definitely look into that. Nice idea!
- Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes8y
Originally posted by @Thomas S.:
Storage units.
Fill in the pool to eliminate liability and maintenance.
I have considered those as well. I'm not sure what maintenance costs and insurance costs are for having a club pool are.
I love the idea of storage, but not real sure the building will be conducive for that. It's a worthwhile thought tho.
- 8yPeter MacKercherBusiness MemberResidential Real Estate Broker · Saint Louis, MO · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 567 votes
@Dustin Beam There's a lot of information missing here, and the biggest potential issue/expense is the pool.
Pools are great if you use them. I have one at my house and it's nice, certainly. It also takes time and effort to keep up with...
So, is the pool being maintained? Does it have water in it? If not the pool may not even work, and over time pools can raise if they're left empty as groundwater runs under them and the fluid tension pushes them up. Expensive thing to fix. You can fill it in, too, and turn the area into a large patio, as an alternative.
The next question I'd have is zoning. Is the property commercial, residential, what would be the local process you'd have to go through to get it zoned for whatever your goal is?
Then the clubhouse itself -- does it have ample parking? Is there a commercial kitchen? What other features does it have?
There's a ton of things you can do with the property, depending on what your answers above are. You could open it up as event space for weddings, birthdays, etc. If the property is attractive that may be a good option; it's certainly a big market here in St. Louis. Having a kitchen on-site would be a big help there.
You could open it as a private clubhouse and pool. I'm guessing you'd be able to staff a lifeguard from some local company for a low hourly rate. The resistance to this is that, clearly, as the HOA is already defunct, the neighborhood decided they don't need those amenities. How is the local economy? Is the neighborhood itself desirable and attracting people with disposable income who'd continue to pay for the amenity if you moved forward?
If you're buying multiple townhouses in the neighborhood then you clearly believe the area is worthwhile, and having that piece of property near the entrance offers an extra bit of control that's rare to have. Depending on what your decision is you may expect some pushback if it's commercial from the nearest neighbors, who'd potentially complain that the venture would diminish property value.
I feel like I've been rambling a bit but the opportunity is intriguing. Follow up with more details, if you can!
- Walnut Creek, CA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes8y
Originally posted by @Dustin Beam:
Originally posted by @Thomas S.:
Storage units.
Fill in the pool to eliminate liability and maintenance.
I have considered those as well. I'm not sure what maintenance costs and insurance costs are for having a club pool are.
I love the idea of storage, but not real sure the building will be conducive for that. It's a worthwhile thought tho.
The building will work as a front office to receive packages (think UPS type store, but pretty sure most UPS stores don't do well)......... and then since you filled in the pool and you can create the storage facility.
- Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes8y
Originally posted by @Peter MacKercher:
@Dustin Beam There's a lot of information missing here, and the biggest potential issue/expense is the pool.
Pools are great if you use them. I have one at my house and it's nice, certainly. It also takes time and effort to keep up with...
So, is the pool being maintained? Does it have water in it? If not the pool may not even work, and over time pools can raise if they're left empty as groundwater runs under them and the fluid tension pushes them up. Expensive thing to fix. You can fill it in, too, and turn the area into a large patio, as an alternative.
The next question I'd have is zoning. Is the property commercial, residential, what would be the local process you'd have to go through to get it zoned for whatever your goal is?
Then the clubhouse itself -- does it have ample parking? Is there a commercial kitchen? What other features does it have?
There's a ton of things you can do with the property, depending on what your answers above are. You could open it up as event space for weddings, birthdays, etc. If the property is attractive that may be a good option; it's certainly a big market here in St. Louis. Having a kitchen on-site would be a big help there.
You could open it as a private clubhouse and pool. I'm guessing you'd be able to staff a lifeguard from some local company for a low hourly rate. The resistance to this is that, clearly, as the HOA is already defunct, the neighborhood decided they don't need those amenities. How is the local economy? Is the neighborhood itself desirable and attracting people with disposable income who'd continue to pay for the amenity if you moved forward?
If you're buying multiple townhouses in the neighborhood then you clearly believe the area is worthwhile, and having that piece of property near the entrance offers an extra bit of control that's rare to have. Depending on what your decision is you may expect some pushback if it's commercial from the nearest neighbors, who'd potentially complain that the venture would diminish property value.
I feel like I've been rambling a bit but the opportunity is intriguing. Follow up with more details, if you can!
Hi Peter, thank you for the reply. You bring up some good points, I'll try to address them in order. But the big thing to keep in mind, is that I really don't know much except what I've seen from the outside. I'm just trying to determine if I should even inquire further at this point.
Pool maintained: Not sure. It has a cover on it now, so it makes me think water is in it, but do not know.
Zoning: Also do not know. I would assume it's commercial as I don't know how it would be considered residential.
Clubhouse features: Not sure about kitchen. I assume not since I don't see any exhaust fans on roof for a hood. Not a guarantee tho, could have a residential kitchen. Parking is about 20-25 vehicles max.
Area: If you're familiar w/ KC, it's not terribly far from the Legends shopping center, Kansas Speedway, etc. So in a more desirable area of KC, KS. Solid school district. The rents are rigth around $1200 for 3/2 (what a lot of these townhouses are), so a good solid area. We'll find out soon how "in demand" they are! :)
- Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes8y
Originally posted by @Matt K.:
Originally posted by @Dustin Beam:
Originally posted by @Thomas S.:
Storage units.
Fill in the pool to eliminate liability and maintenance.
I have considered those as well. I'm not sure what maintenance costs and insurance costs are for having a club pool are.
I love the idea of storage, but not real sure the building will be conducive for that. It's a worthwhile thought tho.
The building will work as a front office to receive packages (think UPS type store, but pretty sure most UPS stores don't do well)......... and then since you filled in the pool and you can create the storage facility.
That's a possibility, although my concern would be too much building and not enough pool to add storage units. Lemme see if I can post a pic...
https://i.imgur.com/usHelll.jpg
- 8yPeter MacKercherBusiness MemberResidential Real Estate Broker · Saint Louis, MO · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 567 votes
I was looking up the top franchises last night, as it happens, and the top franchise happened to be UPS stores. So, apparently, they do do well. Storage is a good option (there are threads around BP about how storage facilities make a killing...).
I'm not that familiar with the KC area, so that's not much of a help to me, unfortunately! The property and opportunity sounds interesting so I just wanted to put out a bunch of questions that may help guide and or define possible areas of concern. I'm interested in these sorts of repurposings so there's a ton of possibilities here, but finding the right one is, of course, the trick. A lot of what might work would come down to how the property is positioned relative to the neighborhood and the main street that serves the subdivision, and how the property is laid out.
I'd definitely inquire to find out more if the property seems like it has the potential to be repurposed. If the answer is yes then you could also start sniffing around to look up nearby demographics and seeing if there's some obvious missing nearby business that could work there. Maybe the locals don't want an HOA clubhouse but they'd love a cafe they can walk to that's not a Starbucks, for example.
- 8yPeter MacKercherBusiness MemberResidential Real Estate Broker · Saint Louis, MO · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 567 votes
@Dustin Beam Potential uses for your potential clubhouse has become the afternoon darling of office banter here. A few other ideas that some of our team threw out there:
- A daycare (talk about a convenient location for parents)
- A dog daycare
- A virtual golf course (which you could use to open virtual country club and invite your townhouse tenants to).
- A co/shared working space.
- Walnut Creek, CA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes8y
Originally posted by @Peter MacKercher:
I was looking up the top franchises last night, as it happens, and the top franchise happened to be UPS stores. So, apparently, they do do well. Storage is a good option (there are threads around BP about how storage facilities make a killing...).
I'm not that familiar with the KC area, so that's not much of a help to me, unfortunately! The property and opportunity sounds interesting so I just wanted to put out a bunch of questions that may help guide and or define possible areas of concern. I'm interested in these sorts of repurposings so there's a ton of possibilities here, but finding the right one is, of course, the trick. A lot of what might work would come down to how the property is positioned relative to the neighborhood and the main street that serves the subdivision, and how the property is laid out.
I'd definitely inquire to find out more if the property seems like it has the potential to be repurposed. If the answer is yes then you could also start sniffing around to look up nearby demographics and seeing if there's some obvious missing nearby business that could work there. Maybe the locals don't want an HOA clubhouse but they'd love a cafe they can walk to that's not a Starbucks, for example.
Lot of drama about UPS franchises....
http://www.bluemaumau.org/ups_franchise_system_mas...
there's more depending how much free time you have
- Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes8y
Originally posted by @Peter MacKercher:
@Dustin Beam Potential uses for your potential clubhouse has become the afternoon darling of office banter here. A few other ideas that some of our team threw out there:
- A daycare (talk about a convenient location for parents)
- A dog daycare
- A virtual golf course (which you could use to open virtual country club and invite your townhouse tenants to).
- A co/shared working space.
Man, daycare sounds like a really good idea. The pool would definitely need filled in taht scenario, but I would imagine the interior build out would be minimal. Nice idea!
- Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes8y
@Dustin Beam Who owns it now? Is it functioning, and are taxes being paid on it?
- Kansas City, MO · Member since 2015 · 609 posts · 321 votes8y
Originally posted by @Matthew Olszak:
@Dustin Beam Who owns it now? Is it functioning, and are taxes being paid on it?
I believe its bank owned, that's about the extent I know.
- Multifamily Investor · Newport Beach, CA · Member since 2015 · 176 posts · 182 votes8y
Hmm, what would I want if I moved to a townhouse in your complex, and what could you make money from...
I have laundry in my unit so I don't need any facility.
I don't necessarily want to pay for the use of a pool...
A gym would be good, but now you're competing with places like 24 hr fitness (which are cheap), so what could you offer me that's cheaper than 24 hr fitness (yet still enough cool factor to make me want to work out and pay for it) but will also be worth YOUR money to maintain...
I don't think an office center is useful since I would have internet and a printer in my unit. This isn't a hotel where people need a quick printer/internet access (where the 'office center' is rarely used anyways).
I don't see the use of an Amazon box since I have a townhouse and the package would be delivered to my doorstep, and if I'm paranoid of theft, I can approve Amazon to unlock my house and deliver the package inside.
Its the entryway to your property, but you said you don't own the entire property? Then it's not really the entryway to your property, simply a building that sits at the beginning of your pieces of a large property? Is that right?
A daycare isn't a bad idea, but you should probably check: 1. is your tenant base in need of daycare? Do you have MANY families that need care for their 4month-3 year old children? Are you interested in the insurance and laws that govern daycares? Are you looing to RUN a daycare? Or simply get it zoned for daycare and sub out the space?
Daycare is also it's own zoning, and often they don't let the area have more than X number of them. So check if there are more around you? (quick google maps).
I think if it were me, I'd look into making it a house and selling it off to someone. May get less than premium pricing since its at the beginning of a subdivision, but maybe you do some landscaping that puts the property more in its own parcel? Tall trees, fence, etc. And sell it as a house with pool. Or at least ask some local realtors if they think it could sell as a SFR to begin with. (I don't think you'd necessarily want to keep it as a rental since you'll have your bread n' butter townhouses next door then this black sheep 1-off to cause you potential problems?)
Disclosure: I have never dealt with this situation personally, so I'm simply trying to put myself in the shoes of one of your tenants in the townhouse there. Think simply and 'daily life' to get some perspective.
Hope that's helpful in some way!
- Realtor and Investor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes8y
What a great opportunity for ancillarly income! Here in AZ, almost everyone has a pool, but most people prefer living in communities with pools so that they don't have to worry about the maintenance themselves. In fact, we have an aquatic center that you either have to be a member of, or pay PER VISIT to enter. It's like $4 each time you want to go in to swim.
The clubhouse would make a great venue for parties, meetings, and gatherings. You can charge for that, and take reservations online.
Put some vending machines inside it, and add even more revenue streams.
Give local swim instructors pricing on using your pool for their lessons, and allow them to market to the residence in the community. (Swim lessons on Saturday mornings from 9am-12pm).
I see all kinds of potential.
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