BUILDING A MICRO DEVELOPMENT
In north-western Montana, the trees seem to go on forever. Dotted by lakes and watched over by mountains, the wilds offer endless opportunities to explore by boat, skis or just your own two feet.
These endless vistas bring vacationers from all over the country seeking a breath of fresh air, a place to wander, or simply some quiet time.
All those visitors keep the local short-term rentals busy year-round, which is great for entrepreneur Drew Bailey.
An accidental development
Drew runs a handful of Airbnbs just outside of Columbia Falls, that see year-round traffic. Living in Columbia Falls himself, he loved the area as well. So when he saw an acreage up for sale in the same valley where he ran his short-term rentals, he jumped at it, planning to build a family home out there to enjoy the view of the Columbia Mountains.
The only problem was his short-term rentals were going a little too well.
“The Airbnbs were working so well for me that I really wanted to kind of capitalize on that,” Drew said. “So eventually, I decided to put cabins on the lot I had bought for myself. But construction costs are just so high and getting contractors out here is kind of a nightmare.”
With big plans, little experience and a few hurdles in his way, Drew decided to go pre-fab.
“I can't even put a figure on how much more stressful it would be for me to build,” Drew said. “I'm not talking to framers; I'm not talking to roofers; I'm not talking to glass guys, tile guys, flooring guys, plumbers. Essentially you save hundreds of hours of headache and phone calls, bypassing all that nonsense.”
This gave him the ability to create a micro resort. He pictured three tiny cabins, each with its own personality, set high on a prominent bench on the property with views of a meadow and mountains in the background.
The purchase(s)
With his dreams mapped out, Drew just had to pick his cabins. One of his brothers had already stayed in a DROP Structure and enjoyed the experience. With firsthand knowledge of the quality, he decided to purchase the first of his trio of cabins from us, while searching for other companies that matched the aesthetic to build the other two.
For a micro-resort like Drew’s, the Duo was the obvious choice. So, he chose the interior that would suit his needs and made his order.
A few weeks later, before the delivery of his Duo, Drew got some interesting news.
“DROP Structures called and said ‘hey, we have one available that someone backed out on.’ And I bought that on the spot,” Drew said. “I didn't really think too much about it, because I was so pleased with the first unit and the whole transaction process – it was so smooth and they're so easy to work with – I was confident with them for the second one.”
So instead of just waiting for one DROP Structure, Drew was now waiting for a Holo+ (a Holo with a kitchen area and bathroom) along with the in-construction Duo.
Four months after ordering, the truck showed up with his Duo and Holo+, and in half a day, they were placed on their foundations, ready for interior design. Seeing the two units in place, Drew had another idea.
Looking at the Holo+, he thought a matching unit, placed just beside it, would be a perfect addition. He called us up again and ordered another, simpler Holo – without plumbing – to act as a secondary bedroom for the first one.
While waiting for the second Holo, he outfitted his Duo and started to rent it out.
Then, after three months, his second Holo arrived and was placed just eight feet from the first. He spanned the space between with a deck, so kids could run barefoot between them without getting the units dirty.
So now, instead of three cabins to rent out individually, Drew has a Duo and the combined Holos, which sleep four altogether.
A forested getaway
Looking out of the panoramic windows of the Duo, it’s easy to see why Drew fell in love with the area.
Six acres of sun-bathed rolling hills, forest and meadow, with clear views of the neighboring Columbia Mountains. From the decks of the units, the view is serene and beautiful, breathtaking.
“You get this mixture of fields meadows and the mountain range,” Drew said, “and you can see the sunrise and sunset from right inside the units.”
And of course, it has access to a wide array of activities year-round.
Drawing reactions
Even without dealing with timelines, trades and logistics, the project has been a big step for Drew. Not only was it a large purchase, but it was also his first foray into development. From placement to plumbing, he made every decision along the way, and every visitor would vote with their wallet and word of mouth.
“This was a gamble because it's a whole new project to do infrastructure, the groundwork, the plumbing, the septic,” Drew said. “But once I spent 12 hours out there, it kind of blew my mind. For the first time, I felt completely settled and calm about the whole project and excited.”
But, it’s more than his single night sleeping out that put his heart at ease, because his neighbours, followers on Instagram and random passers-by have had similar reactions.
“Without exaggerating, I probably get one message or phone call a day. I get people stopping on their bikes and in their cars. I've gotten probably 50 DMs in the last three months, saying: What is that? How do I get that? Who do I talk to?” he said.
“It's been pretty crazy.”
Development made easy
Between towns, down dusty, winding roads, construction is difficult.
We go out to the wilderness to get away from modern life, to get back to simplicity and nature, which is exactly why you don’t find large construction companies or a deep talent pool along these roads less travelled.
So, while small developments make sense out there (because that’s where we want to go) those places are also the most difficult to develop. For Drew, DROP Structures was the answer for his developments.
“I don't work with many companies that, after all is said and done, I’m super happy with the process,” he said. “In my other job, I work with manufacturers and builders and I’m always let down. But this was one of the coolest experiences I've had. It was just great from start to finish.”
If you’re looking to find your own spot down the end of some winding road away from all the noise of modern life, we can help.
Let’s dream together.
