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I dropped out of college and now make $28,000 a year with side hustle – how you can do the same

A MAN has revealed he makes $28,000 a year from renting out a yurt he paid just $15,000 for.

Louis Herron dropped out of college and was looking to earn extra cash, so he rehabbed a yurt he purchased into an upscale Airbnb, supplementing his income from guided hikes and tours of the Grand Canyon.

Louis Herron is a Grand Canyon guide with a yurt side hustle
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Louis Herron is a Grand Canyon guide with a yurt side hustleCredit: Instagram/mountain7ion
He makes $28,000 a year from renting out a yurt he paid just $15,000 for
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He makes $28,000 a year from renting out a yurt he paid just $15,000 forCredit: Instagram/mountain7ion

“It’s been a dream come true to host people on the land, then wake up early with them and show them the canyon, and take them on a hike," he said.

“To give them a whole packaged experience that’s led by a local who’s passionate about the area.”

Herron, 31, told CNBC Make It he dropped out of Ball State University in 2011, and moved West with only a backpack.

He got a job at a restaurant near Yosemite National Park as a dishwasher, and eventually guided hikes for park employees.

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He worked similar jobs at Glacier National Park and then settled in Flagstaff, Arizona near the Grand Canyon.

He purchased $2,400 for an acre of land and built two tiny homes on it.

One houses his Grand Canyon touring business and the other is the 16ft yurt turned side hustle, listed on Airbnb. 

He was inspired to build the yurt when he stayed in one at a ski resort outside of Flagstaff, he revealed, and fell in love with its "unique energy.” 

He spent $15,000 building the yurt in 2020, which included furnishing, composting, and the costs of installing a sink.

Materials alone cost $8,000, and the platform and reinforcements cost $4,000 and $3,000 respectively.

Herron spent nine days building the structure, keen to protect it from Glagstaff’s heavy winds of up to 200mph.

Like the yurt Herron stayed in previously, it has a skylight where visitors can stargaze.

Herron gave CNBC documents that proved he made $27,600 last year just by renting the yurt.

“I wasn’t really keen on [renting out property] because my idea for the land was, ‘This is going to be my quiet little island,’” Herron told  CNBC Make It. 

“But I wanted an extra source of income without having to pick up a nine-to-five or commute anywhere.”

The yurt is currently booked through mid-November.

However, the side hustle doesn't come without work.

30 hours of Herron’s week are devoted to cleaning and maintaining the yurt - hours that he says take away from his other business and eliminate times it can be rented.

He also needs to give each guest a crash course on how to live off the grid.

As the yurt does not have plumbing, he has to watch the water supply so guests can shower, use the toilet, and drink water.

If there isn't enough rainwater, Herron has to drive five miles to a community well and fill up a 200-gallon tank in his truck.

The process takes all day, but the supply usually lasts around four months.

"It’s not as hard as it seems. It just takes thinking outside of the box,” he said.

“I could get it delivered, but it costs twice as much and I actually enjoy the process.

“It becomes a little meditative for me, and it definitely makes you respect and conserve water a lot more.”

Herron books guests directly from those who book his hikes at a discounted rate.

The hiking tour company provides a steady income, $40,000 a year, but with the pandemic and tourist fluctuation, the workflow fluctuates

Despite the hard work, his dream is to expand Airbnb properties.

“I definitely would like to upscale, but I only want to grow this vision on a sustainable level,” he said

“I have neighbors who have four, five or six Airbnbs on their property, and I see the stress it brings — and how the quality of care starts to fall through the cracks.

“I’m a reserved, conservative person, and I like to keep things simple and small and sustainable.

Read More on The US Sun

Read More on The US Sun

“Given the opportunity, I’ll definitely capitalize and I’d love to see more yurts out here.

"It’s just a matter of having time and money to invest.”

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