Back to nature

Hayley Mitchell has worked in all facets of property management for more than 25 years. She’s now managing two businesses, Mitchell PT her property management training and events company, and BnB Property Managers for short term rentals.

Your dream location?

I love what I do and want to keep doing it, so my dream location would be 20 acres on the Bellarine Peninsula with grape vines, horses and water views. I do love Palm Cove too, the warmth and beauty, but for the sake of my horses it needs to be the Bellarine Peninsula.

What is your ultimate interiors aesthetic?

I have a real mix. I love watching house renovation shows and love ultra-modern interiors, but I also really love the cosiness of a log cabin feel. So, I don’t really have a set view of what I love. It depends on the styling and the vibe and the view. I am all about the view.

An extra bathroom or an extra bedroom?

Extra bedroom – because then maybe my kids wouldn’t sleep with me so much. It used to be that I’d get one night off a week but now it’s pretty much every night that one or the other is rostered to have a sleepover with mum.

Walk the dog or downward dog?

So, I have 7 horses, 3 cats, 1 dog (who is a little bit annoying – a puppy) and 2 chickens. I also foster kittens for GAWS (Geelong Animal Welfare Society) and over the last two years I have fostered 36 kittens.

I’m more of a cat than a dog person but my relaxing time is actually with my horses, feeding them morning and night. Walking around and having that half hour at the start of the day and again in the evening to just stop and be is my special time. My farm is my happy place even with Nickel the naughty pony causing a bit of havoc every now and then.

What's one thing that makes your home feel like home?

All my dependents, but most importantly my kids.

When my kids are with me, I try to do things closer to home, or have webinars or zoom meetings from home. When they are not with me, I try to hit the road and do my away work. So, I have a good balance, but when they are with me my home feels most like a home.

I also love keeping busy on my property in Little River. In 2023 while on the Hands Across the Water bike ride, I decided to add to my business by purchasing a large bus. I spent 12 months renovating it and now it’s in my forested paddock, and proving to be a popular Airbnb rental property known as Bussie McBusFace. It helps pay for all the horse feed and it’s something different – not camping, not a hotel, just very peaceful and comfortable accommodation in a secluded spot with the odd kangaroo dropping by for a visit.

One thing to change in the world of renting?

The one thing I would want to change is to resolve the divide we have between renters and property owners. I’ve been in real estate for 25 years and feel the divide has grown.

Owners need renters and renters need properties to live in, so with a common goal I’d like to bring owners and renters closer together. And property managers should treat owners and renters equally, most do but not all, so I’d like to change that too.

Keeping owners in the market along with government investment in housing is important for housing affordability and availability so I’d like to make that happen in the world of renting.