Up The Creek – Business Sale
Overview
Up The Creek has been in operation since 2004, and is the only backpacker/hostel style lodge on the entire Sunshine Coast. ’UTC’ has a solid reputation as one of the Coast’s best value tourist accommodations, and as one of Canada’s best hostels. With almost 300 reviews: Trip Advisor (102), Google Business (82), AirB&B (51) and Facebook (46), virtually all of them 5 star, it’s no wonder people keep coming back. Approximately 50% of all guests are repeat customers!
The 2,136 sq ft lodge is set up to accommodate 18 people in 4 different rooms, with an additional 6 people in tents (cyclists only) and 2 in a small-RV parking area. R2 property subdivision Zone C allows for the building of a second 969 sq ft home on the property, which could allow the owner(s) to live separately but on-site, and thus accommodate an extra 7 people in 2 more rooms, utilizing the current owner’s private suite. However, increasing the capacity to 25 + 8 seasonal would probably require spot-rezoning with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
The purchaser is advised to check current Short Term Rental (STR) byelaws and recently changed Provincial regulations regarding STR’s, as well as reclassification of the property to ‘hostel use, as this designation is not currently defined by the SCRD.
Located in a desirable residential part of Roberts Creek, and blessed with the civic address of Roberts Creek Road, the 27,442 sq ft lot (approx ⅔ acre) has 300’ of south facing frontage on Krause Road. Without doubt, Krause Road is the Creek’s most family friendly street, being level, open and serving only local traffic.
The property might also benefit from future District proposals for densification of ‘lower’ Roberts Creek, whereby the minimum parcel size is expected to be lessened, possibly to quarter acre lots. This would allow sale of the bottom part of the relatively unused garden by allowing building of a separate house on a smaller lot. Easy flat access with a ditch crossover /driveway access already in place, and necessary changes to septic field layout.
A soft launch of the impending sale was made at the 20 year anniversary in June 2024. Already 10 or more parties have expressed interest in the property & business.
On March 7th 2025, Up The Creek will feature as the cover story in Coast Life magazine. A readership of 300,000 will then know of the intent to sell. On Sunday 23rd March between noon-5pm, an Open House event will welcome all.
No sale agreement will be possible unless the purchaser expresses a clear intent to operate a similar backpacker-style lodge for a minimum of 5 years, using the same operating name, and the same business ethos. It will NOT be sold to anyone to who does not have the intention to live and work on the property, nor for the purpose of short term low-income supported housing. Experiences after the closure of Sechelt’s hostel are only too vivid. Offers from Housing Societies will therefore not be entertained.
Ongoing Renovations
Recent (less than 1 year) renovations at the property include:
- Renewal of ground floor common bathroom
- New private shower room to Fir room
- New outdoor shower
- New vintage style private bathroom with claw-foot tub
- New electrical and gas services to laundry room, including on-demand gas water heater to supplement the existing immersion heater
- New back door to laundry room/outside shower
- Redecorated private lounge and master bedroom
Materials have already been purchased for the following renovations, and their completion is anticipated before any contract exchange date:
Externally:
- Finishing of rear roof end sections in metal sheet
- Installation of 5 new UPVC windows (3 to private suite, 2 to Arbutus room)
- Green external trimming to all windows
- Gold fascias to gable end walls
- Repair to siding outside office after electrical alterations
- Finishing of siding around Fir room bay window and rear entrance
- Curved bridge over front ditch
Internally:
- Additional vent to attic/loft space
- Additional insulation to attic door and above bedroom
- Installation of eaves cupboard doors to private suite lounge- 600% complete
- Completion of external laundry building and surrounding deck- 90% complete
- Completion of wood fired sauna and sauna deck and disabled access ramp- 80% complete
- Replacement of glass panel to sun room
- Renewal of guest kitchen units with open slatted shelf design
- Replacement of dining table light
Any work not completed prior to exchange would be adjusted in the overall price, by deducting the agreed labour cost only.
The front cedar shake roof is approximately 25 years old. Renewal of the front main roof is NOT included. A price for the material and labour will be sought and added if required as a requisite to purchase.
Included within the price will be all white goods (2 main fridge/freezers, one under-counter bar fridge) one chest freezer (garage), one gas cook top, one gas oven, one gas-fired heating stove, one wood fired heating stove and 2 outside barbeques.
Firewood will be left with a minimum of 3 dry cords.
Up The Creek has been assessed in two parts:
- Real Estate valuation:
The 2025 Property Assessment of 1261 Roberts Creek Road is currently $1,073,000. This assessment will not have taken account of the upgrades and improvements made to the property (New metal roof to rear slopes, 200 Amp electrical service upgrade, Cherry Cabin building, woodwork and mechanics workshops, sauna and laundry building, 4.5 bathrooms etc).
Real Estate values can be obtained by consulting an approved appraiser. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to get their own valuation. Real Estate valuations are often 25-30% above assessed value.
Our asking price for the Real Estate portion is therefore $1,395,000
Many photos of Up The Creek’s business/common areas can be found on Google here
The interior of the private suite as follows is not shown on Google:
Lounge:
Main Bedroom:
Second Bedroom:
Bathroom:
- Business valuation:
Up The Creek Consulting Inc. operates two businesses, Up The Creek Backpackers Lodge, and Creek Consulting, the latter a small building renovation company. Although operating under one name and one set of accounts, only the Backpackers Lodge is being sold.
Interested purchasers will be given a 3 year bookkeeping comparison (2022, 23 & 24), upon request. There will be a need to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Gross figures for 2024 remained equal to 2023 even given the recent downtown in the tourism economy, as a direct result of UTC price increases in Jan 2024. Revenues are expected to rebound in the short term.
Valuation of the business has been assessed using the multiplier 5-6 x profit (including shareholders personal salary, which is considered part of profit)
Although an outright sale would be preferred, Up The Creek are willing to discuss creative financing for potential purchasers, such as ‘rent to buy’ or ‘vendor take back’ mortgage options.
The sale of Up The Creek Backpackers Lodge as a lifestyle business will be a turnkey opportunity allowing seamless continuous operation of the lodge, with the sale to include the following:
Intangible:
- Domain name ownership www.upthecreek.ca This alone has significant value.
- Business Registration with Govt/CRA etc
- Transfer of corporation ownership
- Accounts set up for GST, PST, MRDT, taxes, OTA’s etc
- Exchange of 604 837 5943 telephone number listed on multiple websites
- Website design, support and hosting through DotEasy
- Booking engine operation through Little Hotelier
- Payment system through SquareUp
- Marketing plan
- Historical support with backed up Gdrive documentation
- GetResponse customer relationship management with 2,000 contacts
- Tech & back-up support over 6 months after exchange, average 4 hours per week = 104 hours, valued at $6,240 (Martin)
- Possible assistance with future rezoning if required, at cost (Marina- Town Planner at DoS)
Physical:
- All furniture and fixtures throughout the common parts of the property used for running of the business (ie beds, linens, towels, chests, chairs, tables, curtains, wall pictures, office desk, hammocks, oil filled radiators, barbecues, etc)
- Office desks (2),shelves and filing cabinet
- All books, most maps and games
- Loaner guitar and wall mounted guitar
- Christmas and Halloween house decorations (stored in Arbutus room cupboards)
- Overflow camping equipment for customers (ditto)
- All guest kitchen equipment, pots, pans, crockery etc
- Most staff kitchen equipment (to be detailed)
- Plants
- T-shirt inventory (small quantity remaining)
- All loaner bicycles (about 25) and Mexican trike
- Gardening tools EXCEPT Ego lawnmower, hedge trimmer, weed-whacker & batteries
- 2nd stage recycling bins
- 14’ travel trailer for use as volunteer accommodation
Excluded from the sale will be:
- 2 hanging bicycles
- Tour de France framed photo
- Tall bike
- bicycle seat art piece
- Bike chain hanging framed wall pictures on stair wall
- Framed band photos within lower corridor
- Office iMac computer
- Vintage snowshoes
- Map chest & maps
- Tools and workshop equipment (to be discussed)
- TraC road clearing equipment
- All vehicles.
- Canoe
- Ego lawnmower, hedge trimmer, weed-whacker & batteries
- All furniture within the private suite
The business of Up The Creek Backpackers Lodge is offered at $375,000
Total Sale Price: $1,770,000
Condition of Sale: Exchange date near 1st September 2025
Is running a Backpacker Lodge for you?
Up The Creek has been successfully run by owner Martin Prestage for 20 years, most of it solo, with volunteer support since 2010. This season will be only the third year with an assistant manager in place for the summer months.
Although a hugely ‘romantic’ idea for many, it is very clear that doing so is not everyone’s idea of the perfect work-life balance. However it does have huge benefits and rewards, provided you have the requisite skill sets. Here’s our guideline:
To succeed at running Up The Creek, your skill sets will be:
- Above all, be a people person, accepting of all types, regardless of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, political viewpoint etc
- Be able to share, pretty much everything!
- Have the ability to create firm boundaries in a polite and courteous manner, for example: maintaining simple house rules around smoking, toking, noise, fire use, recycling etc
- Be ok with interruptions, day and night.
- Good with recognizing building defects and required maintained to the property, and then fixing anything, be it carpentry, electrical, plumbing, landscaping,, roofing, etc
- Have a solid interest in environmental sustainability.
- Willingness to volunteer for community events and organizations.
- Proven knowledge of the Sunshine Coast regionâl tourism assets
- Proven experience within the hospitality industry.
- Preferred qualification in social sciences, recreation management or tourism.
- Full car license, with the ability to pull a trailer for green waste and other loaded runs
- Fluent in English, and a preferred second language- French or Spanish
- Non-smoker, no drug use, no pet ownership.
- Able to be clear and concise in communication with customers, with enthusiasm and understanding.
- Familiarity with multiple online booking engines (OTA”s like Expedia, Air B&B, Hostelworld etc) and their use on desktop and mobile devices, inter-connected with a Property Management System like Little Hotelier.
- Familiarity with Internet technology and the use of Apps such as Whats App, SMS, Quickbooks, Google Maps, Facebook, Instagram, Google Drive, Skype, online banking, TrailMapps, Excel/Pages, Word and many more.
- Engagement in existing and new marketing opportunities, particularly with the local DMO (Destination Marketing Organisation) and Chambers of Commerce, incentive programs, community engagement and support.
- Managing all financial aspects of the business including issue of receipts, invoicing, paying bills, collation of Accounts Payable receipts for submission to bookkeeper, banking (online).
- Overseeing WorkStay volunteers providing 20 hours of janitorial and maintenance services, year ‘round.
