If you’ve ever dreamed about having a lake house but wondered, “How the heck are we going to pay for this thing?” — welcome to HammaHouse.
We’re a family who loves being at the lake. Swimming, boating, tubing, paddle boarding, sitting around the fire… it’s our happy place.
Here’s the honest version: this lake house has always been a family project — my family, our two sisters’ families, and our parents, all in on it together. Then we lost both our parents way too close together, and suddenly we had one big question staring us down: how do we afford this now?
So we made a call that probably qualifies as questionable decision-making: we’d open it up to other families when we weren’t using it, and let the house help pay for itself.
Turns out, it’s working. And along the way we’ve learned a lot about running an Airbnb without losing our minds — or our summer.
Why We Decided to Try Airbnb
The idea didn’t start as some big business plan.
Honestly, we just wanted to make owning a lake house a little more manageable.
We knew we weren’t going to be there every single weekend, especially once the kids got older and life got busier. And the thought of the house just sitting there empty while another family could be out there making their own memories? That felt like a waste.
So we thought… why not Airbnb it?
Spoiler: we had no idea what we were doing.
We figured the income could help with some of the costs of owning the house — and if we were going to do it, we wanted to figure out how to do it well.
That meant learning everything the hard way.
What actually makes guests happy.
What they really use.
What isn’t worth buying.
What breaks.
What we completely overthought.
And, of course, all the little things nobody tells you before you become a host.
So What Is HammaHouse?
That’s really where HammaHouse came from.
We wanted a place to share the things we’ve learned along the way — the good, the bad, the stuff we wish someone had told us sooner, and the things that have made lake life and Airbnb hosting a whole lot easier.
Because we’re not experts sitting behind a desk talking about hosting.
We’re actually doing it.
We’re buying the things. Testing them. Cleaning them. Replacing them when they break. Figuring out what guests love and what ends up collecting dust in a closet.
And while we’re at it, we’re making sure the lake house still feels like our place, not just a rental. Because at the end of the day, this was always about keeping something our family loves — not turning it into a business that runs us instead of the other way around.
It’s about creating a place where our family can spend time together, make memories, bring friends and extended family, and hopefully keep enjoying the lake for many years to come.
What You’ll Find at HammaHouse
Around here, you’ll find a little bit of everything that comes with lake life and sharing a vacation home.
🏡 Airbnb Hosting
Real-life hosting tips, lessons we’ve learned, things we’d do differently, and the little details that can make a stay better for your guests — without making your life harder.
🌊 Lake Life
The gear we actually use, things that make lake days more fun, the chaos of getting a full house of adults & kids in and out of the water, and whatever else we come across on the water around here.
🛠️ Lake House Hacks
The products, tricks and ideas that help us keep the house running, comfortable, and ready for the next group of guests — plus the stuff we tried and regretted.
And yes… we’ll share the stuff that doesn’t work, too. 😂
Because if we can save you from buying something we tried and hated, making a rookie hosting mistake, or spending three hours figuring out something that should have taken twenty minutes — we’re calling that a win.
Welcome to HammaHouse
So that’s us. A slightly chaotic family trying to make the most of a lake house we love, while figuring out how to make it work financially, too.
We’re still learning. We’re still making mistakes. And we’re definitely still finding things that make us say, “Why didn’t we think of that sooner?”
But that’s what makes this fun.
If you’re thinking about buying a vacation home, already have one, are curious about Airbnb hosting, or just love the idea of spending more time outside with the people you love — you’re in the right place.
Welcome to HammaHouse.
Let’s see if we can help that lake house pay for itself. 🌊🏡
