A brother and sister team in New York is building tiny homes to list on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.Their two builds located a four-hour drive from New York City have been hitting an over 90% occupancy rate.The sibling duo wants to build 100 units around the country in the next five years.Why vacation in a giant resort with hundreds of other guests when you can relax off-grid in a tiny cabin tucked away in the mountains? Ethan Abitz Over the last two years, unconventional accommodations — be it tiny homes, treehouses, or shipping container homes — have skyrocketed in popularity … The Box Hop … a sign that travelers are passing up on conventional hotels in favor of untraditional Instagram-worthy homes that make the accommodations part of the vacation.Shelby Wilray And now, investors, builders, hospitality companies, and scrappy startups across the US have been cashing in on this unique short-term rental boom … Shelby Wilray … including Emily and Gabriel Broomfield, a brother and sister duo who have built two wildly popular tiny homes, including one based in a shipping container.
Shelby Wilray Before venturing into the short-term rental industry, the siblings found their entrepreneurial start selling home decor on Amazon and face shields at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.Ethan Abitz In 2020, using the profits from their successful face shield business, the Broomfields decided to spend three months building a shipping container-based home now known as the Scenic Orchard.Emily Broomfield Soon after debuting the home on platforms like Airbnb, the tiny home was flooded with bookings.
Shelby Wilray And within four-and-a-half months, the siblings made their money back on the unit.Shelby Wilray It was this sudden and surprising rise in popularity that made the team realize they had a solid business model.Shelby Wilray “The return on investment of tiny homes and short-term rentals compared to traditional real estate is not even in the same ballpark,” Gabriel Broomfield told Insider.Ethan Abitz Six months later, the sibling team decided to start building their second unit: the slightly larger Starlink internet-enabled Hickory Outlook located about 1,000 feet away from its predecessor.
Shelby Wilray But this time, the Broomfields decided to pass on building another home out of a shipping container.Ethan Abitz “I would not advise [a container build],” Gabriel Broomfield said, noting difficulties related to working with the container’s metal sides.Ethan Abitz He says building the tiny home out of a shipping container would’ve added an additional $20,000 onto building costs.Ethan Abitz Despite these appearance differences, both units are equally popular with guests, hitting occupancy rates of about 90 to 95%.Ethan Abitz The Scenic Orchard starts at $445 per night, while the Hickory Outlook will run guests $545.Christopher Funk However, during peak seasons, these prices can grow up to $500 and $570 a night for the Scenic Orchard and Hickory Outlook, respectively.
Shelby Wilray Source: Scenic Orchard , Scenic Orchard
Both properties sit on the same 45 acres of land in the Adirondacks, a popular getaway destination for New York City residents.Ethan Abitz The newer 456-square-foot Hickory Outlook — which cost over $200,000 to build, according to the property’s Instagram page — is pretty similar to other tiny homes we’ve seen pop up over the years.
Ethan Abitz Source: Instagram
The main living room is open concept by nature — it is a tiny home after all — with a kitchen, king bed, desk, and couch all in one room.
The bathroom is in a separate room.Christopher Funk And the kitchen is substantial for a tiny home: There’s everything guests may need to prepare a meal, including an oven and cookware.Christopher Funk Source: Scenic Orchard
To make this interior space feel a bit larger, the walls are lined with tall windows.
Chris Daniele The home isn’t giant but there is a 600-square-foot heated patio with a fire pit, hot tub, and sauna, giving visitors a chance to relax outside with views of the surrounding trees.Chris Daniele If an escape into the mountains in a tiny home sounds like your dream vacation, you’re not alone.Shelby Wilray The Hickory Outlook is now booked almost every day of September and October … Chris Daniele Source: Scenic Orchard
… and nearly every Friday and Saturday from November through January.Chris Daniele Like the Hickory Outlook, the original Scenic Orchard is a small home standing at 300 square-feet.Chris Daniele However, this build is as much a tiny home as it is a shipping container-based home.Emily Broomfield And unlike its newer sibling, the Scenic Orchard had a build cost of around $100,000.
Shelby Wilray The only reminders of the home’s past life as a 40-foot by eight-foot shipping container are its corrugated exterior walls and interior ceiling.Shelby Wilray Source: Scenic Orchard
Besides that, the once lifeless box has been completely transformed into a small cozy home.
Shelby Wilray Like the Hickory Outlook, there’s a conjoined patio — although this one’s smaller — with a fire pit and hot tub.Ethan Abitz And inside, there’s a queen bed, conjoined kitchen and living room, and separate bathroom.Chris Daniele Windows are plentiful throughout the shipping container, reminding guests of their secluded location.
Shelby Wilray And like its Hickory Outlook counterpart, this home inside a shipping container is already booked out for most of September and October.
Ethan Abitz Source: Scenic Orchard
Fridays and Saturdays through November are also fully reserved, although there’s still plenty of availability left in December and January 2023.Chris Daniele Source: Scenic Orchard
It’s this booking success that has pushed the dynamic sibling duo to consider expanding their number of builds and locations.Ethan Abitz But gone are the days of shipping container homes: The Broomfields want to stick to building traditional tiny homes.Emily Broomfield And in about five years, it wants to roll out 100 units around the country with about a dozen in New York and some in states like Tennessee, Florida, and even California.
Christopher Funk To help finance this rapid growth, the team is now talking to banks, credit unions, and even private investors.Chris Daniele And the future looks bright for the creative family: Gabriel Broomfield believes the tiny home trend will carry on as the cost of real estate keeps rising and people continue to seek out both mobility and minimalism.
Chris Daniele So if you’re planning on vacationing in a tiny home in the next few years, you might end up finding yourself in a home built by this brother and sister team.Christopher Funk Axel Springer, Insider Inc.’s parent company, is an investor in Airbnb..
