Farmers renovate old silos to give them second life as accommodation
Farmers are converting disused silos into beautiful and quirky places to stay as they aim to future-proof their businesses and diversify their incomes.
New South Wales farmers Nicholas and Amber Heffernan renovated their old silos to gain an added income stream and give the structures a second life.
"We just thought we'd cut a hole and build inside and it would be all easy," Mr Heffernan said.
"As we dove a bit deeper, we worked out that we had to change the structure.
"It was a complete rebuild, because it's a tin can, basically.
"We had to insulate it well to get it up to [our] standards."
After years of toying with design plans and creating small models, they sought the help of architect Sarah Lebner, who they said was able to think outside the box, or in this case, outside the can.
Together they transformed one 60-year-old silo into accommodation, while the cement base of another silo was used as paving for outdoor entertainment.
Forbes cattle farmers Adrian and Kylie Matthews also converted their disused silos into a farmstay, after hearing about the unusual accommodation style in New Zealand.
"It's actually gone a lot better than what we thought it would to begin with," Ms Matthews said.
"We put a second story into the taller silo, which has a queen bed up there. It's actually quite spacious, surprisingly."
While the couple sat on the idea for a few years as they raised their children, Ms Matthews said the plan was always to repurpose the silos.
"As the word spreads, we are getting busier," she said.
"Most weekends we have someone in here. I can't really ask for much more than that at this stage without giving up my day job."
The Heffernans only opened their accommodation last October, and while the new venture offers a helpful income stream, the addition didn't come cheap.
"We still have debts to pay out, but definitely … it will help. It's about future-proofing," Ms Heffernan said.
"The generation that's following can't stay on the farm because it's not financially viable.
But Ms Heffernan said turning a silo into accommodation might not be for everyone.
"It depends on what someone wants to do. People can do whatever they can dream up if they're willing to take that extra step, but it's not a simple undertaking by any means," she said.
Mr Heffernan agreed that anyone considering a restoration didn't have to go to the lengths they did.
"Building in circles is very difficult. We wanted to have it very luxurious, so it cost a lot to do that," he said.
From marriage proposals to interstate and international visitors, the Junee-based couple now enjoy sharing their farming experience and getting to know their guests.
"It's fantastic," Mr Heffernan said.
University of Newcastle's International Hotel School director, Marianna Sigala, said the novelty of sleeping in a silo could help farms stand out from the competition.
"[For] many decades now, interesting public or private places have been converted into accommodation, like prisons, old hospitals, caves. People are always looking to experience new things," Professor Sigala said.
"You can find luxury hotels … everywhere in the globe. But these [silos] are not things you can easily imitate or copy and paste."
Having stayed in a silo herself, the marketing professor also said they were a great way to connect with a location, as tourists were increasingly looking for authentic and meaningful rural experiences.
"By converting a silo … you actually provide the trigger for people to learn who are the locals, how they live, how they use the silo, and how this relates to their daily life," Professor Sigala said.
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