‘It’s a great way to generate an income’
Creating a one-bed studio at the bottom of her garden in Portmore, New Forest, allowed Lisa to generate extra income through Airbnb
Lisa, who was recently given ‘super host’ status, finds her Airbnb business both manageable and enjoyable, as well as providing her with an income
Lisa Weidner has had a variety of jobs during her career, including a stint as a jazz singer. ‘Unfortunately, lockdown put paid to that and, as I was approaching my fifties, I decided to find something I could do to earn an income on my own terms,’ she says.
The answer lay at the bottom of her garden, where an old recording studio, built by her ex-husband, had fallen into disrepair following a flood. ‘It had become an eyesore and was only ever used as a party pad by my two daughters,’ says Lisa. ‘Lockdown gave us the opportunity to give it a new lease of life.’ Together with her partner, Robbie Munro, who has a background in construction, along with an architect friend, she came up with a design for a one-bedroom, open-plan studio, which Lisa would turn into a shortterm holiday rental.
Though the original footprint is the same, everything else has been transformed, from the curved internal walls to the rooflights, raised floor with underfloor heating, external cladding, new front door and covered veranda at the back. Lisa’s especially pleased with her bold décor scheme as she was determined ‘not to turn it into a cutesy country cottage’. She’s also gone the extra mile to provide everything for her guests’ comfort: a super-king-size bed; a large, wall-mounted smart TV; a dishwasher and wine fridge in the kitchen; and even an outdoor hot tub with its own heated shower.
Despite the appearance of luxury, the interior was completed on a budget, with Lisa and Robbie sourcing fixtures and fittings online. Lisa found some greatvalue pieces at VonHaus and the kitchen units are from Howdens. ‘The worktop is the cheapest they sell and I didn’t like it at first. But when the walls were painted, it seemed to blend in and looked perfect,’ says Lisa.
Having decided to market ‘The Hideaway’ through Airbnb, Lisa was lucky to get lots of advice from friends who were already using it. ‘They helped set me up, gave me pointers and then it was up to me,’ she says. ‘The website is quite selfexplanatory and there’s always someone to answer any queries. It’s a great income stream and I can’t recommend it enough.’ Visit bit.ly/TheHideawayAirbnb