Posh Cottage Temporarily Closed for Repairs
This is what a Car Driving into Your Vacation Rental Looks Likes!
Never in a million years would I ever have imagined someone would drive into Posh Cottage. Last Friday morning this indeed happened and I’m still in shock. I was sitting on the North patio having coffee when I saw our guest drive up, the next thing I heard was a vroom and then a loud bang. I ran to the gate to see in great horror that our guest had driven her car into the south side of Posh Cottage! Bella came out to see what the noise was and together we both rushed over to the house and our guest. Her father was inside the Cottage when it happened and luckily neither of them was hurt.
The Cottage on the other hand did not fair so well. There is extensive damage both outside and inside. The Board and Batten siding where the car made contact is crushed and the Tyvek used to insulate the wall is torn in several places. I think the foundation is okay, however my contractor, who I called immediately, said upon surveying the damage that at least two of the two-by-fours used to frame the wall will need to be replaced.
The Impact of the Car Sent Things Flying in the Kitchen
On the other side of the wall is the kitchen. The impact from the car pushed the refrigerator forward, barely missing the island, and left a long vertical crack up the wall behind it. The baseboard behind the fridge is damaged as is the backsplash tile than runs along that wall.
Backsplash Tile Took a Beating
Some tiles were completely broken and lying on the counter while many others had cracks through them or along the grout. The cabinets both upper and lower next to the refrigerator are damaged and the lower cabinet is also pushed away from the wall. Given that it was attached to the drywall that tells you how hard the car hit the building. None of the lower cabinet drawers next to the fridge close properly now and the upper cabinet drawers, including the ones over the refrigerator no longer line up. The cabinet units now have cracks between each section. I’m not sure if the floor was scratched by the refrigerator as it moved forward, so I will have to double check that the next time I’m in the Cottage.
I think the stove, microwave and washer dryer combo came out unscathed although I did notice the front corners of the stove both look a little dinged up. Most likely from the cabinets being moved about, almost like dominos when one falls it hits the one next to it and so on… I’m guess that might have been the case with the stove.
Electrical Tied to the Fridge, Both Were Ground Zero for Impact
Not knowing the extend of the damage at first, we immediately turned off the power and the water. Then when my contractor arrived, we turned it back on so he could check for electrical and water damage. The stove seems to be in working order as do the washer and dryer. The refrigerator is questionable, my contractor says an electrician will need to come out to look at it and all the electrical on the wall that was hit. To play it safe he also suggested we have a plumber out to double check the plumbing associated with the washer and the refrigerator.
Once we established no one was hurt, I texted my village (aka my friend group) to see if anyone could come over and be a witness to this event as I wasn’t sure what to do. My friends Laurie and Michelle were over in a matter of minutes. By this time, I was physically shaking, probably from shock so I’m glad they came. I then called the Mesa County Sheriff’s department, and they sent not one but three cars out! So now there are three sheriff cars and two farm trucks lining our driveway and roundabout. I can only imagine what my neighbors were thinking! Speaking of… it turns out my guest… was also a neighbor. She booked the Cottage for her parents to stay in while they were visiting Palisade. They can see the Cottage from their house and watched it being built last year. Although I did not know them until now, it turns out I can see their house from our North patio. What a way to get to know your neighbors… I can think of other ways to go about it, and I’d not recommend this approach for introductions!
Once the police report was taken, we then called our insurance. I then contacted my management company as we had three back-to-back confirmed reservations that took us through mid-October. Turns out that September-October was our best booking months and now I had to cancel three of the four reservations! Over the course of several days after the accident, I was on the phone with Airbnb explaining the situation, while my management company was talking to booking.com. Our current guest booked through VRBO. After we canceled the reservations, we also reached out to the guests (or who would have been guests) and explain the situation. I even worked with one to help her find other accommodations. I felt so bad having to cancel at such short notice, but the Cottage is in no shape to house guests now. With them all taken care of, together I and my management company set to work compiling a report that documented the lost income of which I will submit to insurance so that it too can be reclaimed. Depending on how quickly insurance moves, which will in turn impact how quickly my contractor can demo and rebuild the Cottage, I may also be requesting that insurance cover the lost potential income we could be making if the Cottage was open! Basically, each day we are closed is lost revenue, the longer we are down the greater the loss!
Posh Cottage Temporarily Closed for Repairs
I never imagined someone would actually drive a car into a house, let alone my house! But as you can see, it can happen, and it did happen. One simple little mistake… hitting the gas instead of the brake and my life is again turned upside down. The Cottage was my main source of income, I made more in the six months that it was open than I did all of last year teaching at the university. I love hosting guests and sharing the farm and Palisade with them. I also feel bad for having to cancel our guests’ reservations. I’m hoping that once Posh Cottage reopens, they will find us again and book a stay. Until then, Posh Cottage is temporarily closed for repairs… updates will follow!
