MANY people dreamed of owning a treehouse as a kid, but what if one could net you £300 a night as an adult.
Peter Bahouth shared how he built a treehouse on his property 24 years ago and he now makes so much money from renting it out he has quit his job.
Often the unique tiny home is so popular that guests book it two years in advance, and it was even named the most wished for Airbnb in the world in 2017.
Speaking to Business Insider, Peter, who lives near Atlanta, Georgia, said: “I built my treehouses 24 years ago, and I never imagined them as an Airbnb. I had a totally different career running big organisations, but my creative project turned out to be financially sustaining for me.”
His love of treehouses started when he was a child after getting a small “terrible” treehouse in an eight-foot tree.
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When he moved to Atlanta as an adult, he noticed there was a beautiful acre-sized plot of land next to the house he bought.
Although the owner initially didn’t want to sell, he eventually agreed, and Peter thought it would be perfect for a treehouse.
He continued: “I said to myself, ‘You know what, there's one way to get out there, and that's to build that treehouse.’
“I loved to sleep outdoors when I was a kid on my grandpa's porch, so I wanted my treehouse to have a bed that you could roll out and sleep on.”
He pictured having a one-room treehouse with a bed in it, but decided that if he was to rent it out no one would book it due to it being the “creepiest thing in the world.”
He eventually settled on building three rooms and he would connect them together to make a treehouse haven.
The first one houses the lounge, the second is the bedroom with a bed that rolls out, and the third has a deck area around the 160-year-old Southern Short-Leaf Pine tree it is on.
Inside, Peter added beautiful antiques and up-cycled furniture, and there is even a chandelier.
The listing states: “The treehouses are open to the elements. There is a fan for warm weather and an excellent mattress warmer for cooler evenings.
“But as the bed rolls out onto a platform (and rolls in for rain) there is no air conditioning or heat.”
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I loved to sleep outdoors when I was a kid on my grandpa's porch, so I wanted my treehouse to have a bed that you could roll out and sleep on
Peter Bahouth
At first, Peter thought “who's going to stay in a treehouse when they come to Atlanta?" but it boomed in popularity.
Thousands have flocked to stay in the luxury Peter Pan-style lodge, which has fairy lights, a hammock and rope bridges.
The home has been given a “guest favourite” status, and has numerous five-star reviews.
Renting out the treehouse doesn’t come cheap, and can cost £306 per night, for a minimum of two nights.
Peter has been able to quit his job and earns enough money to pay his mortgage from his treehouse.
He added: “Being able to be around something like the treehouse that has character, personality, graciousness, and a welcoming thing about it makes people feel great. It's amazing.”
