When Chris Broomfield, 51, a Connecticut carpenter, and his wife bought 5 acres of land in upstate New York, he already knew what he was going to do with the property.
asserted
he → buy → property
They bought the land in 2015 for $27,000.
asserted
They → buy → 27,000
Eight years later, the rental cabins he built on that land had generated more than $2.1 million in revenue!
asserted
he → build → revenue
Something that began as a weekend project to give his children a financial head start became a thriving hospitality business, a million-dollar business serving
Airbnb guests across the region.
asserted
that → begin → region
How a carpenter built a cabin empire
asserted
carpenter → build → empire
Chris Broomfield had spent decades doing carpentry contracting work.
asserted
Broomfield → spend → work
"Carpentry is a knowledge- and experience-based [business]," he told CNBC Make It.
asserted
CNBC → base → It
"I couldn't really hand that down to my kids.
asserted
I → hand → kids
So I needed to build something that at least would give them a head start on something to borrow against or something that creates additional income."
asserted
that → need → income
That's how it began.
asserted
it → begin → ?
In 2015, he bought a five-acre property in Remsen, New York.
asserted
he → buy → Remsen
The land was close to the place where he grew up.
asserted
he → grow → place
His brother also had a property nearby.
asserted
brother → have → property
He saw potential in those rolling hills and the property's proximity to the lake.
asserted
He → see → lake
He thought multiple short-term rental cabins could bring visitors.
uncertain
cabins → think → visitors
Broomfield began commuting eight hours every weekend from his Connecticut home to build an A-frame cabin largely by himself.
asserted
Broomfield → begin → himself
“I always knew it was going to be an Airbnb property.
asserted
it → know → ?
I knew I was going to put multiple cabins on it.
asserted
I → know → it
I chose this property because it was close to the lake.
asserted
it → choose → lake
It was very wooded, and it had rolling hills.
asserted
it → have → hills
I saw its potential with multiple cabins,” he said.
asserted
he → see → cabins
Three years into the process, he had completed a one-bedroom structure that would become his flagship property.
asserted
that → complete → structure
The build cost roughly $90,000, though he hired outside help for specialised tasks such as drilling the well and handling electrical work.
asserted
he → cost → work
Broomfield's wife inspired a feature that guests couldn't stop photographing: a motorised king bed that slides out into the woods, letting renters sleep under the open sky.
asserted
renters → inspire → sky
Along with it came a full kitchen, fireplace, fire pit and multiple decks.
asserted
kitchen → come → it
They listed the cabin for $60 a night on Airbnb.
asserted
They → list → Airbnb
When demand spiked, the price went up to between $380 and $700 a night.
asserted
price → spike → 380
By 2024, the A-frame was pulling in $119,337 annually, with 2025 projections near $143,500.
asserted
projections → pull → 143,500
I loved being able to build anything that I wanted to build.
asserted
I → love → that
Something that came from my mind and not a blueprint.
asserted
that → come → mind
The free rein was really enjoyable,” Broomfield told the publication.
asserted
Broomfield → tell → publication
Once the A-frame cabin went viral, Broomfield moved quickly into his next project: a treehouse cabin.
asserted
Broomfield → go → project
This time, he hired a team rather than doing it alone.
asserted
he → hire → it
Thirteen weeks later, in November 2019, the treehouse was finished.
asserted
treehouse → finish → November
The treehouse, sitting 14 feet up, quickly grabbed attention.
asserted
treehouse → sit → attention
Guests had to cross a suspension bridge to reach it.
asserted
Guests → have → it
Two bedrooms, a private pond with a dock, a covered porch and a living room overlooking a waterfall attracted families.
asserted
bedrooms → overlook → families
In 2024, it generated $151,966 in revenue and ranked in Airbnb's top 10% by ratings and reviews.
asserted
it → generate → ratings
Broomfield knew this was his true calling.
asserted
this → know → ?
He started building more.
asserted
He → start → more
…and 16 more, not listed.
The Aporia
