In 2022, Eunice Panopio introduced her tiny home dream to life by constructing one within the Philippines and turning it into an Airbnb.The thought first got here to her in 2018, when she was dealing with social media advertising and marketing for a lady who managed resorts. Watching bookings pour in, she started to marvel what it is perhaps wish to construct a spot of her personal.”I used to be like, ‘I hope I can try this for myself,’ however I by no means had the funds,” Panopio advised Enterprise Insider.Quick-forward a couple of years, and Panopio was learning advertising and marketing and communications in Melbourne, Australia. On the facet, she freelanced as a graphic designer and photographer and labored weekend shifts ready tables.
Eunice Panopio constructed a tiny home within the Philippines whereas she was learning in Australia.
Eunice Panopio.
“That is how I figured I ought to use the cash that I am incomes in Australia to do my long-overdue dream,” mentioned Panopio, now 27, an entrepreneur who additionally works in social media advertising and marketing.Bringing a imaginative and prescient to lifeBuilding a tiny home in Australia would have been too costly. As a substitute, Panopio determined to construct within the Philippines, the place she grew up.She already knew of an empty 1.3-hectare plot in Talisay, Batangas, a couple of 90-minute drive from Manila, that she thought could be ideally suited.The land overlooks Taal Volcano and its surrounding lake, a well-liked vacationer vacation spot and nationwide park. She had gone tenting there as a child, and the panorama left a deep impression.”My buddy’s household owns the land, however they moved overseas, so it is simply there,” she mentioned. They had been open to the concept of Panopio constructing one thing on the property.When it got here time to design the tiny home, Panopio drew inspiration from her travels however needed to make use of furnishings and constructing supplies made within the Philippines.
She managed many of the mission remotely whereas learning in Australia.
Eunice Panopio.
Most contractors quoted her costs within the hundreds of thousands. She finally went with the one who mentioned he may do it for 750,000 Philippine pesos.
Associated tales
Enterprise Insider tells the progressive tales you wish to know
Enterprise Insider tells the progressive tales you wish to know
As a result of she could not cowl the complete value as a scholar, Panopio partnered with an acquaintance of her father’s from church.The investor contributed about 500,000 pesos, which Panopio used to pay her contractor upfront. Panopio paid the remainder in installments over the following couple of months, she mentioned.
Development took a couple of month.
Eunice Panopio.
The tiny home was accomplished in over a month in 2023, with Panopio managing many of the mission remotely from Australia.She wasn’t within the Philippines for the primary few weeks of the mission, however returned to supervise the inside design because the remaining work was completed.The largest problem was putting in water and electrical energy. Each needed to be prolonged from the primary street, a two-minute stroll away.Managing a rental businessThe tiny home sits on a 16,000-square-foot lot and includes two buildings related by a sheltered walkway.One has a loft with a king-sized mattress for company, whereas the opposite homes the lavatory, full with a big round tub framed by home windows that overlook the encompassing greenery.
The tiny home includes two buildings.
Eunice Panopio.
A spotlight of the 388-square-foot tiny home is its use of reclaimed wooden, a lot of which native carpenters gave to Panopio without spending a dime.”I do discover the sweetness in them, particularly woods which have irregular cuts or irregular colours. I actually like these,” she mentioned.Nightly charges vary between 7,000 and eight,500 Philippine pesos, or about $123 to $150, relying on the season. Every keep features a complimentary dinner.
The tiny home has a loft-style design.
Eunice Panopio.
The tiny home has a 4.89-star ranking on Airbnb based mostly on 56 critiques.At first, Panopio thought Airbnb could be passive earnings. “However I rapidly realized it took extra work than I anticipated if I needed company to have a very good expertise,” she mentioned. Visitor communication, check-ins, and upkeep all the time require her consideration.
The loft space of the tiny home has a king-sized mattress.
Eunice Panopio.
To date, she’s solely handled one significantly tough visitor.”I made certain the whole lot she talked about did not occur to different company,” she mentioned, including that she now units expectations early by explaining the property’s distinctive setup.An area to disconnectPanopio’s mission is a part of the worldwide tiny home motion, which has gained traction as each a life-style and a enterprise mannequin.In 2019, six tiny homeowners advised Enterprise Insider that residing tiny decreased their housing bills. A few of them even convert their tiny homes into leases once they journey to earn further earnings.”We couldn’t have afforded to arrange such an expensive rental if we had continued to hire and even purchased a starter house — and renting our home for a handful of months a 12 months covers the prices of possession,” one couple in California advised Enterprise Insider.At the same time as cities like New York and Barcelona crack down on short-term leases, Airbnb maintains a footprint throughout Asia.
The tiny home is near Taal Volcano and its surrounding lake, a well-liked vacationer vacation spot and nationwide park.
Eunice Panopio.
An Oxford Economics report commissioned by Airbnb estimated that the platform added 113 billion Philippine pesos to the nation’s GDP in 2024.Different younger Filipinos have taken the plunge too. One couple constructed a tiny home an hour from Manila as a weekend retreat and turned it right into a guesthouse once they moved overseas.In Panopio’s case, most of her company ebook the tiny home for brief getaways.”Because it’s simply 10 minutes away from the volcano, company can hire Jet Skis across the lake, or they may additionally go fishing,” Panopio mentioned, including that there is an amusement park close by.When she designed the tiny home, Panopio’s aim was to make it Instagrammable. However she quickly realized most company hardly use their telephones throughout their keep.For the primary 18 months, the home did not even have web — and nobody complained. “Now that we’ve it, typically folks do not even ask,” she mentioned. “They go there to not use the web.”Do you have got a narrative to share about constructing an Airbnb or your dream house in Asia? Contact this reporter at agoh@businessinsider.com.
