They found a cave on their land and now it's a $1.4K/night business

• Amy and Bryant turned 34 acres into a booming rental business, including a $1.4K/night viral cave.

• They made $220K selling the A-frame plans they created while building their own dream cabin.

• By DIY-ing everything and sharing their story online, they grew their brand to 405K Instagram followers.

It’s not every day you hear about someone turning a dripping cavern into an Airbnb goldmine — but that’s exactly what Amy and Bryant Gingerich did.

Amy (a stay-at-home mom) and Bryant (an engineer bored with his 9-to-5) were itching for a change. With three young kids at home, they went all in on 34 acres ($10,000/acre) of Hocking Hills, Ohio.

They bet their savings, borrowed cash from family and friends, and got a loan from local bank. The land included forest filled with waterfalls, rugged cliffs, and a hidden cave.

Bryant renovated the tiny 1920s cottage himself, while Amy worked her design magic. Four months and $120K later, the cottage was ready to rent. Barely covering the mortgage with that income, Bryant knew they needed a bigger swing. It's wasn't just a project anymore. It was a dream come true, so he quit his job. No backup plan.

They’d always loved A-frames, so Bryant used his engineering know-how with Amy’s eye for design. Together, they drafted plans, took another bank loan, and got to work themselves. They saved a lot by not hiring contractors. In eight months, they turned $250K into a breathtaking, three-story A-frame called Dunlap Hollow. At $1,300 a night, it booked at 95% occupancy.

But the story doesn’t end there. Their excited guests wanted more than a stay — they wanted the A-Frame plans themselves. Seeing the demand, Amy and Bryant turned those A-frame blueprints into a digital product, selling them in three package tiers ranging from $1,950 to $3,950. So far, they’ve raked in $220K from these plans, covering almost an entire cost of their A-Frame.

That's where the fun begins. Gingerichs had no clue they owned a hidden cave. It was concealed by dead trees and heaps of dirt. By chance, they discovered the entrance on a hike. They turned a naturally dripping cavern into a livable luxury rental.

Geologists and structural engineers had to greenlight the project. The water was seeping in from every corner, but they managed to tame it by 4 heavy-duty dehumidifiers, running 24/7, pulling 20 gallons of water out of the air daily. The final bill for the cave came to $350K, furnishings ($50K) included.

They rent it for $1.4K/night with 100% direct bookings — one empty night in over 2 years since they opened.

Since unveiling the cave, it went mega-viral on social media, amassing 405K Instagram followers.

Key takeaways

1. Start small
   Amy and Bryant's first cottage barely covered the bills, but it set the foundation for bigger projects.

2. Leverage DIY to save costs
   By skipping contractors and doing the work themselves, they kept expenses low.

3. Sell by-products
   As Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson from 37signals say in their book Rework "there's always a by-product, and you should sell it." Turning A-frame plans into a digital product opened up a sweet passive income stream for Amy and Bryant. Whatever by-product you have, wrap it up and sell it.

4. Build in public
   Just as Amy and Bryant did with their Dunlap Hollow, start sharing your story on social media. It’s not just about showing off your work. You’re building a whole new traffic channel. They didn’t just market their rentals — they turned it into a brand. Sharing their journey brought them bookings and buyers for their blueprints.

Amy and Bryant’s story shows that big wins often come from taking bold risks, working smarter (not harder), going all-in, and spotting opportunities. Whether you’re flipping land, launching your next product, or still figuring out your big idea, start small and build momentum on your indie hacking journey.

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