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- Will Sutherland owns a treehouse Airbnb on his property. It took him about six months to build.
- When he first came up with the idea, he thought it was a pipe dream that could never come true.
- Now he rents it out and makes $30,000 a year so he can watch his guests make memories in it.
This article originally appeared on Business Insider.
This essay is based on a transcribed conversation with treehouse Airbnb owner Will Sutherland. Edited for length and clarity.
Even before we purchased the house, we had the idea of ​​building a treehouse on our four acres of land. When I first walked through the grounds, I saw two trees sitting on a rock ledge and wanted to put a treehouse there. At the time, I never dreamed I could do it.
The tree house was built by one person and took about six and a half months.
I carried all the lumber, all the floors, roof trusses, floor trusses, big square beams. I also sourced some cedar logs from a friend building a house. I have a sawmill at home so I was able to saw all the cedar for the siding.
Sabrina Hartley via BI
When I told my now-wife, Sabrina, about building a treehouse and renting it on Airbnb, she said, For years, Airbnb Schoolie (a converted school bus) guests used our home’s bathroom. This was inconvenient as there were no toilets or showers in the schoolies.
When we built the tree house, we also built a bathroom with a shower and toilet. Currently, all guests are using the public bath.
Sabrina Hartley via BI
Sabrina helped with some of the details like finishing the floors and trimming the boards. She was by my side every day when she came home from working as an arboretum specialist at the Virginia State Arboretum.
The treehouse is small, but has a loft bedroom for added square feet
It’s like a bunk bed, great for kids. The treehouse also has a main queen bed. There is no running water, but there is a 5-gallon water tank for washing your hands and brushing your teeth. There is also a hot plate for guests to heat water, a window unit air conditioner and an electric heater.
Sabrina Hartley via BI
I made a slightly steep staircase in front and a ladder-like emergency exit to the tree house in the back. Located on a rock ledge, the treehouse is approximately 18 feet off the ground in front and 14 feet in back.
Earned $30,000 in your first year renting a treehouse
The treehouse gets thousands of views on Airbnb every month and I have been booked for months. The price per night for the treehouse varies from $160 to $250 per night depending on the time of year.
Schooley and Treehouse started with Airbnb with enough money to quit their jobs. I spend more time helping friends and family on projects and daydreaming about new things I want to create. I also get to see them come to fruition sooner than when I had a full-time job.
Sabrina Hartley via BI
Now that I’m in the hospitality business, I’ve had to change the way I spend my day. You can’t go out and use a chainsaw or run a sawmill when someone is trying to read a book on your treehouse porch. Mow the grass as soon as you see a customer leaving.
We basically live in a small miniature community here, with bus guests and treehouse guests always standing side by side.
Sabrina Hartley via BI
It is fulfilling to see our guests create quality memories in our treehouse. The income from Airbnb also allowed me to work from home and spend quality time with friends and family.
Insider Inc.’s parent company, Axel Springer, is an investor in Airbnb.
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