Ever dreamed of living the life of a farmer, just for a day? While now you can at Little Tail Farms, a converted homestead turned Airbnb dream. Surrounded by lush farm fields in Dunlap, Tennessee, the property offers two unique stays from a converted above-garage suite, to a tiny home with Scottish Highland cattle for neighbors. 

While host Laurie Bizzell had never stayed in an Airbnb before launching her own listing, she knew the potential upsides of hosting. That’s when she decided to convert their working farm into a dreamy Airbnb destination — complete with chickens and goats. Discover Laurie’s tips and tricks for turning your property into the next top-rated Airbnb rental.

When did you know you were ready to get into the Airbnb game? 

It was a spur of the moment thought. We had never stayed in an Airbnb, but knew we did not want to run a long-term rental. We had used the space previously for when friends and family came to stay. Our property is located on the Cumberland Plateau and has no cell phone reception. I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to come this far out to stay with us — but boy, I was so wrong. 

We love your dreamy farm! Tell us more about your rental.

We have two Airbnb’s, an apartment over our detached garage and a tiny home on the farm. I love the apartment over the garage, since it's situated in the middle of the property with three pastures and lots of farm animals surrounding it. The tiny home also has a ton of character, it's custom built and sits on a beautiful pasture with Scottish Highland Cattle directly in front of it.

What makes your rental special? What do guests rave about? 

The farm! We love to share our farm. As city people, we had never had outside pets prior to this. Having a variety of livestock that our guests can interact with is definitely the best part of our Airbnb. We love hosting our guests and strive to provide the absolute best experience possible! 

Is there anything you wish you knew before launching your Airbnb?  

The hardest part was finding a solution for fielding all the emails and text messages with booking. We now utilize automatic messaging, which has been great and saved us a ton of time. We also really recommend staying in your own Airbnb for a few days and making a list of items that your guests will need or appreciate. Also, make sure you have proper insurance in place and an extra umbrella policy (you never know!). 

Share some funny “mistakes” that you’ve made over the years!

My advice? When pressure washing the balcony, do not lock yourself out of the Airbnb. Jumping from the second floor or being stranded until someone comes home is not fun. 

Learn more about the Little Tail Farms and inquire about booking your next farm stay on their website. You can read more host stories for additional insider tips on turning your short-term rental into a top-rated destination.