I would love to stay in woodland yurt. But the prices are so high. In UK it averages at around £190 per night. It seems exorbitant to me, considering there is no electricity, shared shower/toilet and usually a breakfast hamper incurs an additional cost as does any “experience” provided. Overheads are minimal, to say the least. So why is it so expensive? Would love to hear from anyone who can explain.
Overhead may be minimal, but upfront cost isn’t.
A bare bones 16-20 ft yurt will set you back $9-10,000. Plus the cost of a wood floor, plus the cost of interior decoration, etc. If there’s a kitchen you need to handle potable cooking water supply and legal disposal of gray water (can’t just dump it on the ground). A composting toilet will set you back about $1000, plus a “shower house” shed is $3-5000 more. A separate potable water tank, heater, gray water storage/disposal tank, etc. is another $3-5000. Then you have to find some legal way to dispose of the gray water. UK price may indeed be higher.
What sounded like a quick, cheap way to make a bunch of money suddenly is a lot more expensive than you think.
I can see where someone who sets up such a listing is going to want to recoup their investment pretty quickly.
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Here’s one in the Lake District from £44
@KenH That makes sense and I appreciate that the investment costs are high. But it doesn’t seem to equate with other investments. For example, if you spend half a million on refurbishing a hotel you can’t just immediately charge three times more than your competitors in order to recoup, surely. It just seems a strange set-up to me. But if people are willing to pay…
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Nice! Seems like they’ve re-couped. I’ve probably been over-dosing on Four in a Bed 
(It’s a UK reality show where B&B owners stay at each others places and rate them - it’s awful but very addictive!)
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High demand mostly, glamping is a current trend and supply is limited while demand is high. UK is also known to be one of the pioneers of the trend.
Also, their target group is people who love luxury and pay for it, hence good profit margins. (It’s the whole point of glamping)
Insurance for such a places is also a PIA.
So these all accumulate into rates.
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We have this and are finally up and listed. No one flocking to stay here yet, but we feel ok that it starts slow and becomes successful in time. Like Ken H said the costs do pile up, much like a ground up build. Building off of a RV set up makes it marginally simpler, just because it is kind of ‘built’ already. Our Gypsy (Holy Grail of collectible trailers) had electrical and plumbing internal ready, no leaks, appliances etc. Our last big unexpected expense was on demand hot water: @ 2k…grrr
The glamping Lake district looks nice and not expensive, but it requires you bring everything you might need (bedding etc) and you get a nice roof over head and possibly a fun reaction to other campers nearby.
I think of actual glamping as privacy + luxurious or unique amenities + a feeling of being very near nature.
Someday I would like to sleep in a Mongolian yurt. In Mongolia. I’ve seen and slept in several here in California, and in most cases, somehow, the magic is kind of lost.
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That sounds like a fun show!! I need to see if I can watch it here in the US somehow.
It is curiously addictive. I can’t believe how nasty the owners are about each other’s places.
Definitely a case of upmarket B&B owners judging others on their own standards rather than value for money.
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Good point. I haven’t checked the number of places. It sometimes feels like there a lot, though! But that’s probably down to the aforementioned TV show. There’s a glamping type place in almost every episode (they always come last…!)
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We just celebrated Thanksgiving in a yurt in one of Canada’s provincial parks where they charge $100/night (“Yurtsgiving!”)
These were not glamping yurts - We did have electric, but no running water or showers. The heat was temperamental and the beds were essentially prison mattresses on steel bunk beds. I’d expect to pay a lot more for the types of yurts you see in Airbnb ads. I think you pay a premium not for the facilities themselves, but for the feeling of being “away” from the city and other people.
The yurts also have a limited lifetime. They’re in the process of replacing yurts that look like they were built about 15 years ago (along with the deck, cook shelter and bear boxes). We were in a wooded area with heavy snowfall, so they may see more wear and tear than you might in England. The ongoing cost of utilities can be seasonally high - the heater had to run A LOT since it was about 7F/-14C and the walls don’t hold heat well.
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It really is! There have been some truly horrible characters on there. I immediately hate anyone that takes all the bedding off and scours the bare mattress for teeny hairs and stains. Ugh, what awful people.
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Thanks @Allison_H. I’m beginning to appreciate now why the cost is so high. As said, I’d love to try it but, at the moment, if I have a few £100 to spare I’ll probably opt for a weekend in Barcelona or Paris!
It is very… British…!! There is an unhealthy obsession with having the Full English Breakfast with lots of disapproval over less than perfect poached eggs. But yes, do try to watch it. It can be very funny. And makes you glad for your Airbnb guests!!
Magwitch, in my opinion; bottom line it is hard work living off the grid or providing an experience that is off the grid! But I love BB’s off the grid or close to it. It’s not for the germ-a-phob types or those whom need to put their face on in the morning, but I believe there is a solid market for this type of experience. Our 28 foot sailboat is regularly booked in the summer and they don’t even leave the marina, it’s kinda pricey and it’s a fair bit of work to prepare for guests (it’s my son’s gig)…nice thing is we don’t have to use the ABB platform, word of mouth and a wee bit advertising at local outdoor stores. Check out http://freespiritspheres.com/ “Eryn” lived in my trees for a period of time, absolute magic sleeping in trees! But seriously, if your heart is not into it you may not have success.
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To add to @KenH comments about pricing.
My Dad has a beautiful 32acre lot, heavily wooded, natural stream, natural 1/2 acre clearing in the middle, road frontage on a state maintained road (paved) very close to Pinehurst NC (golfer’s dream area) and in a prime area for deer and turkey hunting.
I pondered placing a nice self contained camper on the land with electricity (connection available from road frontage) and punching a well. I envisioned a back to nature experience sitting by The campfire listening to the cicadas chirp.
Used decent camper $8,000. Punching a well $10,000-,$20,000. I didn’t bother to get the cost of placing a septic tank and electric connections. To truck in water and truck out waste is expensive.
My cousins are welcome to rough-camp and hunt the land.
Having water, electricity, & septic system will inclease the property value, however I can’t make the numbers work for an experience rental. More power to the people who can.
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I’m seeing that now, thanks to all the great replies on here!
The freespirit domes look wonderful, I would love that. Are they yours? I don’t quite understand what you mean by
“Eryn” lived in my trees for a period of time
?
And how on earth does a fully functional bathroom work in that set-up?! Truly magical 
I love 4 in a Bed! I just cannot imagine a yurt is anywhere near as expensive as providing a proper building and proper plumbing. I think it’s just the ‘saw you coming’ effect.