Shepherds Hut

I am your market then. We always go out all day exploring and walking. But why would someone choose a shepherds hut with no views over other accommodation? I am not criticising, just saying you need to look at the competition and ask what do you offer that they don't.
For example a room in a b and b was often our choice before children. We chose this because a cooked breakfast before a day of exploring and walking was a lovely start to the day and we always had a pub meal, so didn't care about cooking facilities.

Definitely not. The chavvy sex pond would put me off for a start.

Make sure you have an outside cooking area as well! Maybe a firepit/bbq type thing? We stayed somewhere once that had a little outside bar area next to the firepit with a mini fridge inside so it was lovely to sit by the fire in the evening, cook food and make drinks without being in your bedroom

What about food and cooking facilities?

I'd prefer a pod to a shepherds hut but I absolutely wouldn't stay anywhere that allowed dogs. I always filter any holiday search to those properties which state no dogs allowed.

I totally agree with this. If I want to be in a commuter town by countryside I would rent a cottage.
Shepherds huts are a step up from a tent and ones I have seen that appealed have amazing views in places where you would not get permission to build another cottage.
I do not buy the fun argument, but maybe I am not the right market then.

Nature lovers, birdwatchers ramblers etc... would probably love to stay at your hut as they'd probably be out and about all day anyway and just need somewhere to bed down at the end of the day.

Ads in country/nature type magazines would garner a fair bit of attention and would sort of filter out the more raucous or easily disappointed folk who complain at the first opportunity.

A few years ago my daughter and her then boyfriend stayed for a short break in a glamping pod and I took them and brought them home.

They had a fantastic time mainly because there were miniature ponies in the grounds.

Could you get a few of them in the garden as a selling point?!

How have I got to the ripe old age of 54 having never heard of a Shepherds hut?

I've just looked on Google images and they're a fancy shed, which I wasn't expecting.

Some look quite nice but I'm not sure I'd pay much to stay in one. I think I'd prefer a caravan.

I have stayed in a Sheherd’s hut in Devon, two nights with husband and one dog. It was on a farm though and at the top of the hill, we also had use of an open but covered eating area with picnic table and a barbecue. We had to walk to the farmhouse to use the bathroom and it was a fair walk.

Your lack of view and description of it being beside your house, makes me think no, this is not a shepherds hut I would book. (Not that I would anyway because it sounds like you live within a few miles of me 🙂).

No. I don't want to sleep in a shack on wheels when I could have a comfortable room or cottage, and I say this as a previous hippy caravan dweller in my 20s!

Hmm probably this. But given the location I think it will rent out if priced correctly.

As long as the lack of view was reflected in the price and the hot tub and hut interior were really nice then yes, definitely.

Op, I stayed at a place with a Dutchtub which was great. Guests fill and empty it themselves as needed and it’s heated by firewood. Means you don’t need to worry about the cleaning of the hottub water between guests. https://www.hotboxstoves.co.uk/product/wood-fired-hot-tub-dutchtub/

Would have to be on the very budget-friendly end of the pricing, I imagine, because it's already not ideal to be in someone's garden (how big is your garden?), and the basic-ness of a shepherd's hut us usually "offset" by being out in the middle of nowhere and having access to lots of nature and walks.

Personally, when I book on airbnb, I never choose a place that's in someone's garden or shares any of their facilities. Seems a huge risk to me, not in an alarmist way (although what a shit holiday it would be if I happened to choose to stay in a serial killer's garden), but just in terms of what if I don't get along with the hosts, or they want to spend time together chatting or whatever.

It could work, I suppose, for people just wanting a place to spend a couple of nights while in your locale. Cheap pricing is what would make this work, I imagine.

I wouldn't stay in a Shepard's Hut in the same grounds as your home. But I'd stay in one in a more secluded private area.

Also, I’ve seen plenty of glamping properties on people’s property - one was so close they would use the land lords shower and bathroom - and it always does very well. As long as you make it clear, people can make their own judgement as to whether it’s too close but it’s definitely not an issue.

What does "no view" mean?

What can you see from the hut?

It doesn’t appeal to me at all. £100s for cramped accommodation. I’d rather camp for a fraction of the cost. I choose accommodation for beautiful scenery if countryside break or convenient location for city breaks. There must be a market though judging by what people charge on Air B&B.

Is the hot tub completely within the private area and for sole use of the hut occupants or shared with the family? The latter would not be a runner for me.

I echo some of the previous comments - shepherd's huts are often too small and too cluttered for comfort if the weather turns bad (definitely echo the drying space issue) and hard to heat in Winter.

The "luxury" end with proper bathrooms and insulation usually cost as much as a holiday cottage and certainly more than the insulated and well equipped huts with tubs on offer at many forestry sites for short stays. I would have thought those forestry site style huts are your competition if you want occupancy for most of the year. For me shepherds huts were a bit gimmicky and fell between better options value wise.

Yes I would! So many of these places are never close to a train station - I would love to be able to nip out on a train from the city for a break away!

I think if it was done up really nicely it would be worth it.