Shepherd huts & alternatives

Juggler

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
Looking at the potential for buying a Shepherds hut or similar, what are the alternatives? Can't really get my head around pods, they look small, not keen on the Geo-domes, what else is there out there? Tried bell tents and don't want to go back there...:oops:
How many nights do people want to stay? ideally I'd want no less than 3 or 4 nights to minimise change over, so what's out there?
 
Location
UK
The market will become tougher from next year when everything begins to open up so any new venture will need to stand out. I have a number of great options I'd love to share with you.

This is cabin is currently being built for delivery later this year;

Screenshot 2021-07-02 at 18.47.07.png
 
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Juggler

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
My predictions are the market will all but collapse next year, tread carefully I’d say, loads of folk getting into this and when forigen holidays re open good and proper .....
I've thought this, it makes me nervous so won't be rushing into anything and it will be a single unit most probably not going to go down the route of lots of pods or anything like that.
Nice little cabin by our lake should be enough, was thinking of just starting the planning process this year and see how things pan out next year.
 
Location
UK
My predictions are the market will all but collapse next year, tread carefully I’d say, loads of folk getting into this and when forigen holidays re open good and proper .....

It won't collapse, the staycation market has been really steady since 2016 with most areas having a large increase in units available and the occupancy has stayed the same, averaging at 80% nationwide. What will change is poor options of poor quality / poor service will struggle, the rates the average "pod" will command will drop below £100. All about offering something different
 

Barleycorn

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Hampshire
We've just opened a campsite, 5 caravans / 50 tents, and have thought about glamping. To be honest I get £20 to £30 for a patch of grass, although I have got compost toilets and showers to pay for. Buying a shepherd's hut for £30,000 to get 3 or 4 times the income on one pitch doesn't add up to me, especially as you have to clean it and provide bedding, and replace all the cooking utensils that they 'lose'.
 

Juggler

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
We've just opened a campsite, 5 caravans / 50 tents, and have thought about glamping. To be honest I get £20 to £30 for a patch of grass, although I have got compost toilets and showers to pay for. Buying a shepherd's hut for £30,000 to get 3 or 4 times the income on one pitch doesn't add up to me, especially as you have to clean it and provide bedding, and replace all the cooking utensils that they 'lose'.
Yes I kind of agree, I'd rather a nice static caravan and charge for the week but probably won't get planning for it, I'm guessing a Shepherds hut @ £150/night would give you a little more income than a static over a normal week but you have probably 2 x the purchase price or more (lots of very nice used ones to be had for around 12k) and 2 x changeovers so doesn't really make sense but if I'm allowed one and not the other what am I to do...
 

Muddyroads

Member
NFFN Member
Location
Exeter, Devon
Yes I kind of agree, I'd rather a nice static caravan and charge for the week but probably won't get planning for it, I'm guessing a Shepherds hut @ £150/night would give you a little more income than a static over a normal week but you have probably 2 x the purchase price or more (lots of very nice used ones to be had for around 12k) and 2 x changeovers so doesn't really make sense but if I'm allowed one and not the other what am I to do...
£150/night? 😱
 

tw15

Member
Location
DORSET
I am going to start to build a 20x8 shepherds hut / cabin it will be on a container style skid unit it is for my daughters 21 st birthday pressie even though that was july oh well . As for costs i am trying to do it using as much reclaimed materials and oid sh stuff , it is going to bed more of a self contained mini house as it will also go on a four wheel turntable lorry drag trailer with container catches .
Seem some pods built on hook lift skids makes moving them about easy . The price for shepards huts and pods is eye watering 5k budget is my aim . Oh anyone knows of a cheap mb trac 1000 or over it would make my day to pull it about (Wishfull i know ) .
 

HatsOff

Member
Mixed Farmer
Keep us updated with progress.

I've thought about it a bit. I think dropping £10ks in one go is asking for trouble, but am tempted to start small and see if it can grow organically. It's the start up infrastructure costs which seem pretty fixed.
 

Barleycorn

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Hampshire
I waded in with 5 compost toilets, two showers, water connection, etc, around £10,000 investment, just about got it back this year, should be in profit after the bank holiday, still fairly light on bookings but getting good reviews and in a popular area. Considering converting loos to flush loos and a cesspit over the winter, approx £4000 but hopefully next year will pay for it.
 

itsalwaysme

Member
Location
Cheshire
£150/night? 😱

This one is proving very popular, it's the whole experience people seem to go for and a classic style shepherds hut is much more attractive for a romantic weekend, or just a break away in the countryside, this one is sited away from the farm with it's own access track, very quiet and secluded.
Much better than a used static caravan or one of these square shaped boxes that look like your holidaying in a shipping container.
Read the reviews on the above link, to give an idea of what people want/ expect.
 
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flowerpot

Member

This one is proving very popular, it's the whole experience people seem to go for and a classic style shepherds hut is much more attractive for a romantic weekend, or just a break away in the countryside, this one is sited away from the farm with it's own access track, very quiet and secluded.
Much better than a used static caravan or one of these square shaped boxes that look like your holidaying in a shipping container.
Read the reviews on the above link, to give an idea of what people want/ expect.

That does look very nice!
 

tullah

Member
Location
Linconshire
Be interesting to hear if anybody has used a planning agent for a hut or two sighted in an AONB and what they were charged together with all the usual countless ridiculous surveys. This is what's destroying progress here.
 

renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
I am going to start to build a 20x8 shepherds hut / cabin it will be on a container style skid unit it is for my daughters 21 st birthday pressie even though that was july oh well . As for costs i am trying to do it using as much reclaimed materials and oid sh stuff , it is going to bed more of a self contained mini house as it will also go on a four wheel turntable lorry drag trailer with container catches .
Seem some pods built on hook lift skids makes moving them about easy . The price for shepards huts and pods is eye watering 5k budget is my aim . Oh anyone knows of a cheap mb trac 1000 or over it would make my day to pull it about (Wishfull i know ) .
Have two MB Trac 1000's but the word cheap is an ancient term reserved for a decade ago. Had a tyre kicker around the other day asking about them and he got upset when I laughed at the figure he offered,
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
The market will become tougher from next year when everything begins to open up so any new venture will need to stand out. I have a number of great options I'd love to share with you.

This is cabin is currently being built for delivery later this year;

View attachment 978931
Flood plain? Will it float on it's foundation....??
 
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renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
I am going to start to build a 20x8 shepherds hut / cabin it will be on a container style skid unit it is for my daughters 21 st birthday pressie even though that was july oh well . As for costs i am trying to do it using as much reclaimed materials and oid sh stuff , it is going to bed more of a self contained mini house as it will also go on a four wheel turntable lorry drag trailer with container catches .
Seem some pods built on hook lift skids makes moving them about easy . The price for shepards huts and pods is eye watering 5k budget is my aim . Oh anyone knows of a cheap mb trac 1000 or over it would make my day to pull it about (Wishfull i know ) .
Have you thought of a canal boat. We keep our canal boat on drag trailer as you describe but the added advantage of that type of trailer is that being on air suspension you can launch the boat from a slipway using the air suspension.
 

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