The garage renovation and patio addition that Martin and Katie Vloet planned for their Ann Arbor home was meant to be a space for the family to grow into and to share with family and friends.
But being a little more than a football field away - about 130 yards - from Michigan Stadium the project went in another direction: From private oasis for a family of three to a football fans' paradise for rent.
"As we started to do the work people picked up on it and said this is a nicer space than some of the spaces for rent. Several people said, "Would you be willing to rent the space?' We had to think about it for awhile" Martin Vloet says. "We came to the quick realization that giving up the space 6, or 8 times year is not a bad trade-off for help you pay off the renovation."
They dubbed their backyard and garage
MGoPatio and took the game day business concept up several notches, going from being a neighborhood spot for game-goers to park to a rentable party place for football games and other sports and campus events.
MGoPatio covers 2,700 square feet altogether. There's a two-level garage with upstairs living space and a 1,500-square-foot patio, says Vloet, a photographer.
And the bookings are coming in. There's been such demand that clients are hosting events even before a few loose ends of the renovation are tied up. Bosch hosted a party for the Sept. 8 game against Air Force. BP hung out for the Sept. 15 against U-Mass, and Sports Illustrated, which was the first booking, takes over MGoPatio for the Michigan-Michigan State game Oct. 20.
Vloet, who with his wife bought the house knowing that football Saturdays would be a regular part of their lives, is excited about the prospects of working with corporate clients.
"We're dealing with a nice clientele…and people you can trust to take good care of the place," he says.
Source: Martin Vloet, owner MGoPatio
Writer: Kim North Shine
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