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The 1-story blue wood-framed framework, which fits properly into the peaceful household Harmony community, was initially crafted in 1956 to serve as a doctor’s place of work for Dr. Wagner. A part of the clinic developing also served as a dentist workplace. At that time, the Harmony Healthcare facility was situated just across the alley in a 3-story Victorian-type property now owned by James and Kay Haugerud.
Dr. Franz and Diana Sattler moved to Harmony in 1969 when Franz started off his dental follow and the Sattlers acquired the clinic developing in 1974. Sattler retired in 2011, obtaining served the Harmony group for extra than 40 many years.
When requested if he assumed various thousand consumers would be a safe and sound estimate, as considerably as the selection of place inhabitants who experienced sat in a dentist chair in that developing in the course of his 41-calendar year tenure, Sattler replied, “Oh certainly, that many and in all probability far more.”
After Sattler retired in 2011, he and his spouse transformed the clinic into a guesthouse used by family members who arrived to stop by. The guesthouse sat unoccupied a great deal additional normally than occupied in the course of the subsequent decade.
Airbnb renovation
Enter Michael Himlie.
“We had been really sitting down all over a campfire a single night time (with the Sattlers) when I asked them if they could know of a home that would be available for sale,” Himlie recalled. “Franz and Diana indicated that their property in Harmony may possibly be accessible.” That received the ball rolling.
Himlie defined that he was hunting for a home that would give a dual purpose – equally a house for him and also a supply of income. The youthful Himlie loved to vacation and had spent quite a few several years doing the job for the Intercontinental Civilian Safety Agency in Palestine, Iraq, Greece, Kyrgyzstan and together the US-Mexican border. Considerably of his perform was delivering humanitarian help to war-torn people, documenting war crimes, understanding international regulations and shielding civilians.
The pandemic set a hold on Himlie’s travels, and he returned to Harmony to figure out the next chapter in his lifetime. He started working at Niagara Cave, south of Harmony, and lived at home though conserving dollars.
“The Sattler residence was a great fit for me,” Himlie mentioned. “I wished to do some thing for my hometown and felt an Airbnb would be a very good way to bring much more readers to city. And the more revenue would assist me make my house payments.”
Himlie acquired the property in December 2021 and went to function transforming the former clinic/guesthouse into an Airbnb that can be divided into two independent rental models and capable of sleeping eight.
“There were pipes in just about each individual room and many sinks that I experienced to eliminate,” Himlie recalled. “There were being two assessment rooms, additionally workspaces and an x-ray place.”
Himlie converted just one spot into a smaller performance apartment with a kitchenette, modest dwelling area, full lavatory and bedroom. An exterior doorway on the west side of the dwelling was extra and a substantial rustic sliding doorway on steel tracks was put in, which separates the smaller sized device from the key living quarters.
“The good point about this door,” Himlie mentioned as he slid the doorway on its tracks, “is that it essentially divides the residence into two residing quarters. This way, I can stay in the lesser device and hire out the larger a person. Or, if a big group would like to rent the entire house out, they can do that.” A third possibility would be to have two independent events leasing out the two individual models.
The larger sized device of the 1,800 sq. ft. dwelling, which sleeps six, incorporates a large residing/enjoyment space, significant eating room that opens into a kitchen with a massive beverage bar, a big master bedroom, handicapped accessible toilet with a wander-in shower, a next bedroom with bunk beds for the young children and younger at heart and a closet that is huge adequate to keep bikes.
Himlie did a great deal of the reworking function himself, like the plumbing, wiring, trim get the job done and portray. Laminate planking addresses most of the flooring and Himlie built the mattress frames out of 2×6’s and 4×4’s. But he was quick to level out that he did get a large amount of assistance from good friends and family.
It took Himlie and friends about 3 months to complete the challenge. He did get experienced help with the sheetrock taping and spraying. And he utilized community corporations for his provides, including Kingsley Mercantile, Nolan Lumber, Torgerson Ostby Floorcovering and Trevor Situation Drywall.
Obtaining lived along the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East for various a long time, Himlie determined to give his abode a Mediterranean truly feel, which include the title: Petra’s Back garden. The residence is loaded with a lot of trinkets and treasures he attained all through his abroad sojourns and additional than 40 beautiful coloration pics of many scenes that Himlie captured with his camera.
Himlie explained that the arrival of the Airbnb evolved from the quite well-known bed and breakfast establishments. The Airbnb organization allows for the ordinary particular person to welcome vacationers into their households for an overnight remain or an prolonged stay. Even nevertheless he just accomplished the perform on his new venture last thirty day period, he already as a person of the models rented out to a touring nurse for 8 weeks.
To obtain out more info about Petra’s Backyard garden Airbnb, connect with 507-676-1910 or e-mail [email protected].
