Part 3: How to Actually Find Land (Without Stalling Out)

Before Posh Outdoors, I cut my teeth consulting on more than 40 glamping projects through my consultancy, Glampitect North America.

The toughest stage to watch people struggle with? The land search.

Not because the process itself is painful. Digging into the details of property selection can be fun.

The real frustration was how often “I’m looking for land” became code for endless hesitation. Clients spent months, sometimes years, chasing the mythical perfect property. Many never pulled the trigger at all.

I hate seeing good ideas die like that.

So, for Part 3 of this 7-part series on building a boutique outdoor resort, here’s my no-nonsense guide to finding land for your resort.

(If you missed last week’s instalment, go catch up first).

Small Things To Keep In Mind

Analysis paralysis is sneaky. At first, you’re fired up, spending whole weekends scrolling listings. Then life gets in the way. The search slows. Enthusiasm fades. And before you know it, the dream gets shelved.

The antidote? Consistency and pace.

• Block time: Carve out a regular slot for the search, ideally daily. Protect it. Only genuine emergencies should bump it.

• Work fast: No aimless scrolling. No half-hearted browsing. Treat it like a sprint.

• Forget perfection: The unicorn property might exist, but chasing it will kill your momentum. Find land that works, and move.

Let’s get into the checklist.

The 4-Part Checklist for Land Selection

1 - The Market

Pick the wrong market and you’re swimming upstream. Success isn’t impossible, but you’ll make life unnecessarily hard.

Two types of locations usually win:

• Tourism hotspots: Built-in demand during peak season (your job is smoothing the off-season).

• Within 2 hours of a city: Perfect for weekend escapes.

The holy grail? Both. That’s what we did at Skyridge Glamping. Less than an hour from Calgary, planted in the Rockies. Demand takes care of itself.

2 - Friendly Zoning

I used to tell clients to take a zoning-led approach. Figure out whether you’re actually allowed to build what you want in the counties you’re searching in before you look at individual properties.

Some counties flat-out won’t allow a resort. Others bury you in permits, hearings, and environmental studies.

Figure out which counties and districts are possible. Then focus your search there. It saves lots of wasted effort.

P.S. I still take on the occasional zoning consultation. Reach out if you want to dig deeper

3 - Aesthetics

When a landowner pitches us at Posh Outdoors, the first test is the eye test.

Can you picture guests being wowed the moment they arrive? Or in the morning, coffee in hand, jaw on the floor?

If your gut says “meh,” keep looking.

4 - Infrasturcture

Ignore this and your costs will balloon. Check early for:

• Water and power availability

• Sewer/septic requirements

• Roads and access, because a premium experience starts with how guests arrive.

Talk to contractors before you buy. A rough cost estimate beats nasty surprises.

And that’s the playbook. It’s not complicated!

See You At The Glamping Show

I’ll be in Denver for Glamping Show Americas, Sept 30 – Oct 1. It’s the best place to meet suppliers and swap ideas.

Come find me at Booth 800. I’ll be sharing it with EJH Distribution, the team who supply Posh Outdoors’ units.

Check it out here.