A New York couple's shipping container home and tiny cabin stays have become popular on Airbnb. Now they want similar ones across the US.

A tiny home during the winter with snow
  • 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?
A birds eye view of a snowy landscape
Over the last two years, unconventional accommodations — be it tiny homes, treehouses, or shipping container homes — have skyrocketed in popularity …
The OG shipping container home by the Box Hop surrounded by trees
… 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.
Two people walking up to a tiny home
And now, investors, builders, hospitality companies, and scrappy startups across the US have been cashing in on this unique short-term rental boom …
A tiny home on grass
… 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.
A bed surrounded by windows inside a tiny home
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.
A tiny home in the snow
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.
A gutted shipping container painted black.
Soon after debuting the home on platforms like Airbnb, the tiny home was flooded with bookings.
A tiny home on grass
And within four-and-a-half months, the siblings made their money back on the unit.
A tiny home surrounded by nature
It was this sudden and surprising rise in popularity that made the team realize they had a solid business model.
The bathroom inside a tiny home
"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.
A tiny home in the snow
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.
People in a hot tub outside a tiny home
But this time, the Broomfields decided to pass on building another home out of a shipping container.
A person in bed in a tiny home
"I would not advise [a container build]," Gabriel Broomfield said, noting difficulties related to working with the container's metal sides.
A tiny home in the snow
He says building the tiny home out of a shipping container would've added an additional $20,000 onto building costs.
A tiny home in the snow
Despite these appearance differences, both units are equally popular with guests, hitting occupancy rates of about 90 to 95%.
A birds eye view of a snowy landscape
The Scenic Orchard starts at $445 per night, while the Hickory Outlook will run guests $545.
Inside a tiny home with a bed, windows, Christmas tree.
However, during peak seasons, these prices can grow up to $500 and $570 a night for the Scenic Orchard and Hickory Outlook, respectively.
Two robes outside of a tiny home

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.
A person walking up to a tiny home in the snow
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.
A tiny home in the snow

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.
Inside a tiny home with a bed, windows, Christmas tree, kitchen. Someone is holding a mug up
And the kitchen is substantial for a tiny home: There's everything guests may need to prepare a meal, including an oven and cookware.
Inside a tiny home with a bed, windows, Christmas tree, and kitchen.

Source: Scenic Orchard

To make this interior space feel a bit larger, the walls are lined with tall windows.
A tiny home next to a pickup trick
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.
A hot tub in the woods
If an escape into the mountains in a tiny home sounds like your dream vacation, you're not alone.
A person swinging near a tiny home
The Hickory Outlook is now booked almost every day of September and October …
A tiny home during the winter with snow

Source: Scenic Orchard

… and nearly every Friday and Saturday from November through January.
A tiny home during the winter with snow
Like the Hickory Outlook, the original Scenic Orchard is a small home standing at 300 square-feet.
A person standing next to a tiny home
However, this build is as much a tiny home as it is a shipping container-based home.
A shipping container gutted.
And unlike its newer sibling, the Scenic Orchard had a build cost of around $100,000.
A table, kitchen, and couch in a tiny home
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.
A kitchen space inside a tiny home

Source: Scenic Orchard 

Besides that, the once lifeless box has been completely transformed into a small cozy home.
A hallway with furniture inside a tiny home
Like the Hickory Outlook, there's a conjoined patio — although this one's smaller — with a fire pit and hot tub.
A tiny home in the snow
And inside, there's a queen bed, conjoined kitchen and living room, and separate bathroom.
A bed in front of a window
Windows are plentiful throughout the shipping container, reminding guests of their secluded location.
A table topped with food inside a tiny home
And like its Hickory Outlook counterpart, this home inside a shipping container is already booked out for most of September and October.
A tiny home in the snow

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.
Two people sitting outside of a tiny home next to a firepit

Source: Scenic Orchard 

It's this booking success that has pushed the dynamic sibling duo to consider expanding their number of builds and locations.
A tiny home in the snow next to a car
But gone are the days of shipping container homes: The Broomfields want to stick to building traditional tiny homes.
A tiny home as its under construction
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.
Inside a tiny home with a bed, windows, Christmas tree
To help finance this rapid growth, the team is now talking to banks, credit unions, and even private investors.
A bed, couch, and kitchen
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.
Two people sitting outside of a tiny home in a hot tub
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.
Inside a tiny home with a bed, windows, Christmas tree.
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