Starting the Property Search for a Glamping Business

Ripping off the band aid

This week I embarked on my first property visit for my glamping business with my sister Kendall and her dog Roo. Even though I didn’t get the magical ‘love at first sight’ feeling, I’m proud of myself for reaching this point and I feel more prepared for future viewings.  

For the last couple of months, I’ve had my sights set on the Carolinas and I have looked at every property listing within my budget … multiple times. After what seemed like ages of monitoring this list, there was only one property that really called my name. I figured since I kept coming back to it, it was time to pull the trigger and finally see it in person. And I’m glad I did.   

On paper, this property checked nearly all of the boxes on my wish list. In person, something didn’t sit quite right; I wasn’t in love.

I approached the property with high hopes and an open mind: I told myself to ignore the confederate flags along the winding dirt road leading to the entrance, and I put on my rose colored glasses to offset the damp and cloudy day that would surely add a dreary filter to my perspective.

Keeping an open mind

When we pulled up the drive, the first thing I noticed was the drastic topography – something that was not evident in the real estate listing photos nor the Google Map satellite search.

Of course, this was to be expected knowing that a charming little river wound itself around the perimeter, but the particular way the property was situated in the valley in relation to the surrounding land was unanticipated.  

Kendall and I put this first impression aside as we toured the grounds. We mapped out where we would put the glamping units, discussed how we would turn the on-site workshop into an outdoor kitchen, became giddy when we found a trail already in place that wound through the wooded areas, and considered how the in-ground bunker could double as a platform for a yoga dome.

As we walked through each corner of the property, we tried it on for size and assessed how it fit from every angle. When climbing down from the final hill, Kendall and I got the feeling that we may have overstayed our welcome – our real estate agent wrapped up our visit in quite the hurry to get to her next appointment.

The heart is a guide

As we drove away from the viewing and pulled back onto the main highway, our initial reaction to the topography came back to the forefront. While driving down the main road surrounded by open fields, we felt like we could breathe again. We had pushed the feeling of claustrophobia aside during the viewing, but there was no denying it once we were back in the open.

When I think of glamping and wellness retreats, I imagine open, airy vistas with space to breathe and reflect. I want my glamping patrons to think of my venue as a beckoning refuge of comfort and rejuvenation with sweeping vistas that elicit peaceful, relaxed, and calm emotions.

It’s a difficult concept to describe and an even harder thing to capture in a Zillow or Redfin listing. But nonetheless, I didn’t feel it here.

And that’s okay.  

This week, I was reminded that your heart is great at guiding you in ways can’t be put in words. And often these lessons are the most important.

Finding the right venue is going to take time. It’s going to take patience. I have to go with the flow and let go of my urge to put timelines in place. It’s all part of the process and none of it can be forced. I will find my glamping venue when it’s the right time. I trust that the universe has its plan.  

In the meantime, I just need to keep going through the motions and take time to listen to my heart. This week, my heart was telling me that this property wasn’t the one.

And so my search continues…