A man left his tech career to build Harry Potter-inspired cottages in Tennessee; the three-home project cost $700,000 and rents for up to $700 a night

Justin Kersey once worked in technology, building a career as a consultant and delivery manager for companies including UPS, Tractor Supply and S&P Global. Then he took a very different route, teaming up with his uncle, Joe McCarthy, to develop fantasy-themed holiday homes in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. What began with plans for conventional park-model houses eventually became a collection of elaborate properties inspired by fantasy worlds. Their latest project includes three cottages based on characters from Harry Potter, each designed with its own architecture and interiors. As reported by PEOPLE, together, the three cottages cost about $700,000 to build and now attract guests throughout the year.How a technology consultant built Harry Potter-inspired holiday homesKersey's route into the holiday-rental business was not a straightforward change of profession. He studied at Towson University before completing an MBA at Duke University, then worked in technology as a consultant and delivery manager. His employers included UPS, Tractor Supply and S&P Global.Outside his main career, however, he was already considering what else he might do. Kersey and his uncle eventually bought a commercial lot near Pigeon Forge, a Tennessee destination known for its tourism industry, and initially imagined developing more conventional park-model accommodation. The idea changed once they began thinking about how the properties could offer guests something more distinctive.Rather than simply constructing small holiday homes, the pair began building around fantasy settings. Their first major collection consisted of eight properties inspired by The Lord of the Rings. It was their own customers and growing social media audience that helped point them towards the next project. Interest in fantasy-themed accommodation was already visible in the response to the earlier properties, and Kersey and McCarthy decided to apply that approach to the world of Harry Potter.The result was not intended to be a literal recreation of locations from the books or films. Instead, the team imagined what homes belonging to particular characters might look like.Inside the three Harry Potter-inspired fantasy cottagesThe three properties each have a separate identity. The Wizard's Retreat takes inspiration from Harry and Ginny, while the Wizard's Library is based around Hermione Granger. The Wizard's Herbarium, meanwhile, draws from Luna Lovegood. Kersey's team designed the spaces around characteristics associated with each character rather than simply filling the rooms with recognisable references.There are custom bookcases and chandeliers, antique furnishings, sleeping nooks and suspension nets. Other details include potion bottles, miniature fairy settings, gnome displays and murals. Torch-style and fairy lighting is used to alter the feel of the rooms, while the architecture combines Tudor-Gothic elements with influences from the surrounding Appalachian region.Some of the details are easy to miss at first. That was intentional. Kersey says part of the experience is allowing guests to discover smaller pieces of the design as they move through the house. The properties are therefore closer to themed accommodation than ordinary holiday cottages with a few decorative touches added afterwards.The $700,000 project involved months of design and constructionThe design process alone took roughly three to four months for each cottage. Construction then required another six to seven months. Kersey and his team acted as the prime contractor, bringing in subcontractors for specialist stages of the work while staying directly involved in areas such as carpentry. They also took responsibility for the decorating.That hands-on approach came with some practical problems. Parts of the framing did not match the original plans, forcing the team to abandon spiral staircases that had been intended for two of the houses. Those were replaced with conventional staircases. There were smaller headaches too. Kersey recalls that workers collectively spent more than 100 hours searching for tools that had not been returned to their proper places.The three Harry Potter-inspired cottages ultimately cost about $700,000 to build. Custom interior carpentry was the biggest individual expense, reflecting just how much of the design was created specifically for the properties rather than bought off the shelf.The cottages can cost up to $700 a nightThe finished homes are rented at different rates depending on the time of year and the day of the week. Prices range from roughly $250 to $700 per night. Peak dates include Halloween, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Late January and February are generally cheaper, putting the properties into their lower seasonal period.According to the PEOPLE, Kersey says the cottages average about 90% occupancy month to month. Their guests are not limited to dedicated fantasy fans either. Couples celebrating special occasions, families, grandparents travelling with grandchildren and visitors specifically travelling to Pigeon Forge for the experience have all stayed there.The properties have also hosted marriage proposals, anniversaries, birthdays and several small weddings. Across Mountain Shire's fantasy properties, the business has accumulated a 4.97 out of five Airbnb rating from more than 1,800 reviews, according to Kersey.Social media has become part of the businessThe cottages have also developed a substantial online audience. Videos showing the interiors and construction process have attracted millions of views, while guests regularly post their own footage. Kersey said, “We get a lot of bookings directly from social media, particularly Instagram and TikTok, and many guests tell us seeing one of our reels is what convinced them to book.”It gives the properties a marketing advantage that conventional holiday accommodation may not have. The unusual interiors are naturally suited to short-form video, and each room provides something different for visitors to film. For a business built around highly specific visual experiences, social media has effectively become another way of showcasing the houses.More fantasy properties are already plannedMountain Shire's expansion is not stopping with the three cottages. Kersey expects at least two more properties to be added by the middle of 2027. One planned project, called Sanctum Patronus, will take inspiration from Patronuses, with designs incorporating creatures including a white stag, otter, phoenix, horse and cat. The team is also considering properties based on Hagrid and the Weasley family's Burrow.There is an important distinction in how the business describes these projects. The houses are inspired by familiar fantasy stories, but they are not presented as official or licensed reproductions of the fictional locations. They are Mountain Shire's own interpretations, built around the atmosphere and character associations that fans recognise.Ready to Make a Smarter Property Decision? Build Your Legacy with TOI Homes.