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Rural farm rental getaway

Sawyer Showcase:

Chad wants to grow his farm rental business using his portable sawmill

The farmstead owner wants to add new buildings to his short term rental property where guests can visit his geese, chickens, bunnies and pigs

When it comes to short term rentals, there's no shortage of little apartments or condos in busy cities.

 

But Chad is offering something else, a gorgeous slice of farmstead property in rural Ontario, where guests can wander around and check out the blueberry patch, or walk among his goose paddock, lovingly titled the Goose Caboose.

 

Having just gotten his HM136 MAX Portable Sawmill less than a year ago, Chad has been busy building a 48-foot-long sawmill shed. But when he's done he has big plans for the future, updating the farmstay portion of his property, with new cabins guests can rent and new infrastructure they can enjoy.

 

"I have a whole list of dreams, and it's in my head, and I have to prioritize what comes first," says Chad, talking about his plans for his sawmill. "And I think if we're talking, after I get this structure that covers the mill done, the first thing I'd like to build is a tiny home that will be in addition to the farmstay portion of the property."

The beauty of a country getaway

While there are many short term rental properties in the area, Chad sets his apart by having his farmstay be completely open to guests.

 

What that means is not only can guests enjoy the old farm house which came with the property, but can also walk among the various animal enclosures he's built. There's the rabitat, his bunny pen; the Goose Security Booth, where his geese will alert him to any visitors with their loud squawking; as well as his massive chicken house. He also has a shed for his cats which help catch rodents around the property.

 

In the future he plans on building a bee barn as well to harvest honey and help pollinate his property.

 

When Woodland Mills visited Chad, he walked around showing off his various amenities. It was a peaceful day with a nice warm wind blowing, rustling the many trees surrounding the property. The tranquil nature of the rural oasis helps provide a serene place for people to stay for short periods of time.

 

Chad also runs a YouTube channel, Hidden Spring Farm, where he shares videos of his animals and how he builds his farm infrastructure. A community of dedicated followers have been watching his journey online, and it's been successful in helping to supplement his income, and this year he's had people contact him to book a stay after seeing his videos.

 

In terms of short term rentals, it's completely different from what's offered in the city or from bigger companies, and that's why people choose him: the beauty of the site and the amenities of being on a small farm.

 

Growing the farmstay

During Woodland Mills' visit to Chad's farm, he mentioned how the next weekend he had rented the farmhouse out to a person from Toronto. He's planning on booking himself up, leasing out his property to help make a profit on the farm he bought four years ago.

 

To do that he has quite a few plans to expand on the rentals he has available, which would permit him even more opportunities to make money and expand his business.

 

Walking around, he gestures to the forested mountain in the background, saying he'd love to have a sheep pen with a hobbit house, resembling the little homes built into hills, just like from the movies.

 

Another short term rental opportunity he'd like to do is to build a Bavarian-style lodge. There's the foundation of an old building at the edge of his property, right by the blueberry patch, and he says he'd like to repurpose it for a little tiny home with lumber milled on his portable sawmill.

 

It can be difficult deciding what project to do next, says Chad. While he'd like to do some more features for the farm portion of his property, he's prioritizing expanding his short term rentals and increasing the amount of revenue his property brings him.

 

"The farm needs to get itself to the point where it's somewhat self-sufficient. How it started was it's eating my money," he notes, adding that he'll have to put off some of the more "dream-like projects" which aren't immediately contributing to growing his income.

 

Interested in rural short term rentals?

There's a lot to do for anyone wanting to get involved in renting out their rural property. Logistically there's getting a business license or short term rental permit from your local governments, but more than that, you have to prepare your property for the people who will use it.

 

Offering temporary housing for people can be a challenge, but Chad says it's incredibly rewarding when he has guests who love his farm as much as he does.

 

But not only does he have the dedication to grow the amount of places where people can stay on his property, he also has the benefit of a social media presence to draw people in.

 

"They leave happy, because people have been watching me build up this farm, and all of a sudden they can visit and see the farm and get a better sense of how everything is laid out, because you don't get that sense when you're watching the videos."

 

Subscribe to the Woodland Mills YouTube Channel for more more stories from seasoned sawyers and landowners as they share more awesome projects and provide inspiration for new ideas.