It’s love at first sight for Natures Near as show dome inspires quick decision

Posted on 13 November 2023

Choosing glamping accommodation is an important investment and it’s perfectly understandable to take your time in making a decision. Sometimes, however, it’s simply a case of love at first sight. Many customers step into one of our domes and their minds are made up within a matter of hours.

The thought process was certainly straightforward for Teesh and Eric of Natures Near, an Airbnb nestled in the spectacular Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Back in October 2022, with no immediate plans to launch their business, Teesh and Eric set off to Colorado to attend the Glamping Show USA, purely as a research exercise. They intended to look around, get some insight on the nature of the business and fly home to consider their options. Their plans changed when they arrived at TruDomes’ stand and saw our show dome. It had an immediate impact. Teesh and Eric spent the entire two days recording and exploring all the domes at the show and returned to their hotel to compare their merits. They quickly identified a clear winner.

 

Teesh said:

“When we set out to start an Airbnb business, we originally were thinking tiny homes on wheels. After doing a little research on what was available, we discovered glamping and geodomes. We had never seen one in person, so the Glamping Show was definitely something we wanted to attend. We searched high and low exploring every option at the show and decided on the geodesic dome on the first day, now we just had to find our perfect fit. We won’t mention any names, because there were some great companies at the show, but TruDomes really stood out. It’s hard trying to figure out quality from pictures and online. After touching, seeing and comparing all the domes that were available, TruDomes had the most seamless and finished look by far. We loved TruDomes’ insulation kit over any we’ve seen thus far. The materials used seem to be sourced of higher quality and we love the lightweight durability of the aluminium bars.”

Having agreed a purchase price with TruDomes, Teesh and Eric started planning for the return journey with their newly acquired geodesic dome.

 

Teesh said:

“It was a blast watching the team take down and package our dome. It amazed me how well and compactly it fitted back into the shipping crate. It was definitely not planned and at the last minute we had to rent a cargo van, but we were quite pleased there was no damage when we got home. The long drive back also gave us some time to talk about some of our plans for the dome which helped us to stay on track. We were sure we would need help putting up the dome. To our surprise, me and Eric put the entire dome together with help from our twelve-year-old while adjusting the canvas. There is a cool video of our road trip on our YouTube channel about our journey home from the Glamping Show. You can also check out the video of us installing the dome.”

Teesh and Eric applied a few modifications to fit their vision for the dome. They added an extra layer of Reflextics insulation behind the standard insulation kit to enhance the protection from the hot, sunny summers and the cold, wet winters of the Great Smoky Mountains. The show dome included a bathroom pod which Teesh and Eric will be using for another project. In its place, the dome has been fitted with a bathroom customised to fit the specific layout of their design concept.

Natures Near is due to launch in late November 2023 for a select number of guests to experience the dome for the holiday season. A grand opening will follow in the New Year when Natures Near goes live on all platforms to take bookings for short-term stays.

It has been an incredible journey to reach this point. The couple sold both of their homes, both cars and most of their possessions in Florida. They took their son out of school to relocate to South Carolina, bought an RV as a temporary home and had to adjust to close living quarters. The project has not been short of stresses and strains, but Teesh and Eric are in no doubt that their efforts will be fully vindicated.

 

Teesh said:

“This entire project was life changing for all of us, including our pets. We also experienced the death of my grandmother this year, who was our biggest supporter. Having her see the property and our vision before she passed makes us press forward even more. As a family, we decided that financial freedom was important to us and that we wanted to take a chance on our dreams, so we did. The entire experience has tested our faith and patience with each other, but we got through it. Tons of blood, sweat and tears along with some sleepless nights, smiles and lots of precious memories. It wasn’t easy, but it’s so worth it. There are no regrets here – we couldn’t be happier up here in the mountains, where we experience all four seasons and have some of the most peaceful and breathtaking views.”

Having experienced the ups and downs of setting up a glamping business, Teesh offered her advice to anyone thinking of following the same dream:

“Our advice to anyone wanting to start an Airbnb business is go for it. There are less expensive ways to start without going into debt with a mortgage, and TruDomes is one of them. Eric and I were very clear about our intentions and we planned for a year before making the move. We worked, we saved, we sacrificed and prayed. Then, when the time was right, we took the leap of faith.”

“The most difficult part of the entire process of starting an Airbnb is trusting the process and having patience. We purchased our dome almost a year before being able to install it. We constantly felt like we were racing against the clock, until one day it all came together and started to make sense.

“I recommend starting a Youtube or social media page for your business. It’s free advertising  and also documents your highs and lows. Eric and I joke constantly about how we’re going to look back at these videos and laugh at our tough moments. Our channel is growing steadily and has already received almost 200,000 views. It’s easy to get discouraged, so don’t compare yourself and your growth to anyone else. We are finally monetized on Youtube, meaning we now get paid for views. We also have Facebook and Instagram pages for our business, and they are growing as well.”

Teesh and Eric are very confident in the appeal of their dome at Natures Near. The couple are already making plans to expand their offering with glamping space at other locations in the US.

Teesh explained:

“We are excited about being a part of the TruDomes family and we look forward to purchasing our second dome on a larger scale. Our plan was always to keep going, get one property up and running then purchase another. We plan on placing unique Airbnb stays all along the states that border the Appalachian trail. This is just the beginning for Natures Near and our family. We intend on continuing with tiny homes and Domes as our choice of Airbnb dwellings.

“We’d like to say thank you to TruDomes, especially Kelda and Ian who initially sold us the dome,  but truly the entire team was an absolute dream to work with. The communication and support after the sale was awesome. They actually mailed us some spare parts from the UK after the show when we got back to North Carolina. I’m so excited to see them grow and now have a distribution centre here in the USA. This will make it a breeze for new hosts to receive information and get set up.”

Teesh and Eric may have bought their dome on the spur of the moment, but there is no doubt that Natures Near is the result of countless hours of careful design, planning and development. This exceptional glamping business looks set to become a success on a truly mountainous scale.

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