When the pandemic shuttered public pools, Nachbar, already wrangling a pea‑gravel yard that made his five‑year‑old’s backyard a hazard, saw an empty patch as a profit opportunity—
The 800‑square‑foot plot, stretched 20 by 40 feet, was rebuilt over five years into four covered zones: a hot‑tub area, a fire‑deck, a ping‑pong pavilion, and a grill deck, all layered with neon lighting and bright palettes that make the space feel like a private resort—
Nachbar paid cash for the entire $48,412 project, tackling most of the work himself and enlisting a builder friend for timber framing. He learned to run a natural gas line from online tutorials, and a friend handled most wiring after hiring a contractor for a sub‑panel; the biggest single expense was the hot tub at $11,900—
The idea to rent came after he discovered Swimply, a platform that lets homeowners lease pools and outdoor amenities by the hour. Since listing Pong Springs, the yard has logged nearly 200 hourly bookings, translating into roughly $85,000 a year—
Neighbors have praised the transformation; one guest, a local wedding planner, remarked that the space feels like “an off‑the‑grid escape that still feels safe for families.” Nachbar says the privacy walls and bamboo planters have made the yard feel “intimate” even amid close neighbors—
Now, with the rental income proving lucrative, Nachbar is seeking the Portland city’s special‑use permit to add a larger pavilion that could host up to 30 guests, potentially boosting annual revenue to $120,000.