By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Leiker family has turned a backyard into two money-making businesses.
James Leiker wanted to build a new garage for his business, Handyman for Hire, on the lot of their home at 106 W. 17th in Hays.
However, his wife, Taryn, wanted to maintain a little bit more financial security.
The couple purchased a strip of land to add on to their lot from the former owners of Pools Plus. The couple agreed to build a loft above the garage, which they now book for short-term or extended stays through VRBO, HomeAway and Airbnb.
The Leikers opened the loft in November, but had to delay the open house until this month because it has been consistently booked.
Extending into the new business has allowed Taryn to work from home and home-school her children. The space, which they call the Chestnut Loft, pays their house payment.
The Leikers like to travel, so they incorporated many of the amenities they miss when they are away from home into the loft.
The 992-square-foot loft has a full kitchen with a full-size refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. Tucked into a corner of the bathroom is a full-size washer and dryer.
The loft has two bedrooms and will comfortably sleep four. One has a Murphy bed. For a business traveler, that bedroom could be used for office space. For families, the bed can be stored away for a play space for the children during the day.
The other bed, which James built himself from repurposed corrals, is equipped with underneath storage to give visitors more space.
“There were so many times when we were traveling, but there was no storage, and we didn’t like living out of a suitcase,” Taryn said. “So we built in all this storage, but it is repurposing something that is already going to be there.”
James also made other items for the home, including the Murphy bed, bathroom mirror frame and light fixture and reclaimed wood barn-door shades for the living room windows. The couple also used reclaimed wood to decorate the stairwell wall.
The couple custom designed the kitchen around a set of kitchen cabinets they bought from a family in Hays. The owners had just purchased a new home, which had a newly remodeled kitchen. The new owners didn’t like the cabinets, so the Leikers bought the kitchen at a deep discount.
Local artist Curly Leiker made several piece of metal sculpture that are displayed in the loft, including a small bison made of wrenches and spare implement parts.
The loft offers free wi-fi, but no TV.
“Our goal is not for people to stay here,” Taryn said. “It is to get them downtown and for them to go and experience the shops … to go and visit the restaurants and really see the people of the community. That is what people have done.”
Some downtown businesses have partnered with the Leikers to offer Chestnut Loft guests discounts for local goods and services. Munsch Fitness is offering free workouts for Chestnut guests.
In addition to overnight visitors, Leiker said she also wants to offer a place for new arrivals to test out the community.
“If people are experiencing a new community, this is their testing ground where they can really be here and experience it,” she said. “We have a family coming in a couple of weeks that will be here for five weeks.”
Daily cleaning is not included in the price of the stay, but it can be arranged. Towels, shampoo, soap and conditioner are provided.
The loft has a separate private entrance with a key code and off-street parking. The Leikers insulated the floor to reduce noise from the shop and installed a separate ventilation system for the shop to reduce any fumes that might be created from work downstairs.
Taryn said she would recommend the rental concept to other families.
“I think it is phenomenal. It has taken the weight off our shoulders financially,” she said. “We have several different businesses. It has been something for us that the more income that it produced, it takes more weight off. People are so pressured financially. It is so paycheck-to-paycheck. If they have the space to do something like this … to be producing an income, why not?
“Five years ago we were really paycheck-to-paycheck. What really helped us was finding a business and then reinvesting those funds into other businesses. This alone pays more than I used to make in a year.”
The loft rents for $150 per night. You can book it at vrbo.com/1269004, homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p1269004vb or airbnb.com/rooms/24094068. Also follow the Chestnut Loft on Facebook.
The Leikers have considered opening up the space for other uses when it is not booked for overnight visitors, including wedding or baby showers, cooking classes or meetings. The space will fit about 30 people for gatherings.