A FAMILY-run guest house in Falmouth is set to close its doors for the last time after its owners decided to take life a little easier.
Mark and Erica Green, owners of the Lyonesse Guest House on Western Terrace in Falmouth, have decided to wind down their business after putting the property on the market.
Having had their offer for the property accepted, the prospective new owners have since submitted a planning application for a change of use from a guest house to a dwelling.
If everything goes to plan, the Lyonesse will cease to be a guest house sometime around the middle of the year, with an exact date yet to be confirmed.
Having run the business for 16 years with his wife Erica, Mark told The Packet that their reasoning for putting the property on the market was down to a decision he made while recovering from a serious medical condition.
Around 18 months ago, Mark suffered from a heart attack and underwent a triple heart bypass operation.
During his recovery, Mark decided that he didn't want the financial stress and worry that came with running the business and decided to call it a day and put the property on the market.
Mark told The Packet: "It's a lovely house and we've had a great time living here, but it's a big old house and we can't sustain living here without running the B&B.
"I'll be sorry to see it go but it's felt like a life sentence at times and now we'll be winding it down and finding somewhere else a bit smaller to live.
READ NEXT:
"There's so much competition now that every year we don't whether it's going to be a lucrative business anymore, it's just another added stress and worry.
"It's been great and we've met some fantastic people.
"We're a small family-run B&B, we used to make our own bread and breakfasts and granola, and we were very hands-on with the guests so we'll miss them.
"But it will also be nice to have our house to ourselves, so we'd like to say goodbye to all the fantastic guests we've met over the years."
Mark also decided that he’d like to put more time into working as a delivery driver, which he started during lockdown, as he enjoys getting out and about and doing something without the financial stress of running a business.
The news comes just under a week before Erica, who is an English teacher at Falmouth School, celebrates her 50th birthday on Monday, March 13.
Mark added: “I’m not retiring, just sort of semi-retired.
“Just to de-stress really and keep my health, I’ve started to slow down and change my lifestyle, doing things a bit differently, a bit slower."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here