Cost to build a cabin?

[Tree Spud]

Evaluate the following ... they will drive your decision ...
- What is your absolute max budget, less 20% to give you a buffer?
- How long do you envision staying on this property?
- Area to securely store toys & tools?
- How important are running water, a hot shower, and a warm toilet?
- Will you have wife there?

The wife thing is important. The more comfortable she is, the more time you can spend on the property.

 

[SD51555]

So I figure there are 4 ways to skin this hunting land shelter thing out.

1) $150k. Cabin with electrical, water and sewer.
Cons: Most money. Long wait. Dealing with inflated lumber and contractor prices. High maintenance. Be ready to open your wallet. And at 7% interest get ready to feel sick. Taxes are going up significantly.
Pros: You probably get your money back. All the comforts of home.

2) $5k - $50k. Camper with some services
Cons: Sucks in winter. They all leak. High maintenance. Tough to fix and work on. You won’t get your money back EVER.
Pros: Keeps your taxes way down. Keeps the state of your back if you show pumping receipts. Ready to go. Can build a roof over it and not worry about leaking.

3) $15k - $50k. Amish Shed/Cabin with some services.
Cons: It sucks to run a generator. It sucks to crap in an outhouse. Might not get your money back. Taxes might go up.
Pros: Much better to work on and insulate than a camper. Quick to install.

4) $60k - $150k. Gambrel or Cape Garage with upstairs area”.
Cons: Taxes will go up, but usually not as much as a dwelling. Cost - still less than a cabin
Pros: You will get your money back. Place to store all you stuff. Don’t need to make it a dwelling - taxes could be lower. If you build a cabin - you’ll still want a garage. If you want it to stay rawish land - it could still be or if you want to put in electrical, sewer and a well you can do this over time. Possibly have an income generating apartment if you did build a house.

Have you jotted down what you really need/want in terms of right now, and 5-20 years down the road?

When I started designing mine, I had my costs up over $200,000 and that would have left me with a bunch of DIY work to finish it. I did the hard exercise of figuring out what I needed and didn't need. By the time I finished that exercise, I got my total construction cost (dirt work, building, finishing, appliances) down to $46,000 in 2018 and I can unplug all of it in an hour and have it hauled away to a new home, building, powerplant and all.

If this is just a hunting camp, on #3, you don't have to run a generator. I don't think anyone is closer to the center pole than I am, and solar works great for me all year. I've stayed for a cloudy week in December and never ran out of power. Now, you've also got to adapt to less power, so no microwave, toaster, air conditioning, crock pots, WELDERs, paint booth, 400" TV, grain dryer, walk-in freezer, etc. If toast, crappy popcorn, and big hi-def TV watching are important to you, put a proper cost to it, and ask yourself if you wanna spend that extra money for it.

If it means getting in the game now or at least faster without breaking the bank, you'd be amazed how quickly you can figure out how to leave the city in the city and enjoy being in the country. Also, don't build it for visitors. Unless those visitors are going to kick in an extra $25,000-$75,000 for you to have a bigger building, they can put a cot on the floor or pull their own camper up for the weekend.

 

[Foggy47]

Have you jotted down what you really need/want in terms of right now, and 5-20 years down the road?

When I started designing mine, I had my costs up over $200,000 and that would have left me with a bunch of DIY work to finish it. I did the hard exercise of figuring out what I needed and didn't need. By the time I finished that exercise, I got my total construction cost (dirt work, building, finishing, appliances) down to $46,000 in 2018 and I can unplug all of it in an hour and have it hauled away to a new home, building, powerplant and all.

If this is just a hunting camp, on #3, you don't have to run a generator. I don't think anyone is closer to the center pole than I am, and solar works great for me all year. I've stayed for a cloudy week in December and never ran out of power. Now, you've also got to adapt to less power, so no microwave, toaster, air conditioning, crock pots, WELDERs, paint booth, 400" TV, grain dryer, walk-in freezer, etc. If toast, crappy popcorn, and big hi-def TV watching are important to you, put a proper cost to it, and ask yourself if you wanna spend that extra money for it.

If it means getting in the game now or at least faster without breaking the bank, you'd be amazed how quickly you can figure out how to leave the city in the city and enjoy being in the country. Also, don't build it for visitors. Unless those visitors are going to kick in an extra $25,000-$75,000 for you to have a bigger building, they can put a cot on the floor or pull their own camper up for the weekend.

You lost me at WELDER and BIG SCREEN TV.....and things like a toaster and electric fridge. Sorry. ;)

 

[SD51555]

You lost me at WELDER and BIG SCREEN TV.....and things like a toaster and electric fridge. Sorry. ;)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[buckdeer1]

What kind of solar did you do?I have a 100 watt panel and 1 battery right now and have another 100 w and battery to hook up,my issue is that my controller is inside building and it gets warm in there so the controller fan runs alot.Is your controller inside?Really solar isn't that bad and have you checked into compost or electric toilets.I would do the big shed thing but I'm only 5 minutes from farm.I do have an old 24ft trailer that was stripped out on the inside and wood paneling put up so it's fine with a wood stove and cots

 

[SD51555]

What kind of solar did you do?I have a 100 watt panel and 1 battery right now and have another 100 w and battery to hook up,my issue is that my controller is inside building and it gets warm in there so the controller fan runs alot.Is your controller inside?Really solar isn't that bad and have you checked into compost or electric toilets.I would do the big shed thing but I'm only 5 minutes from farm.I do have an old 24ft trailer that was stripped out on the inside and wood paneling put up so it's fine with a wood stove and cots

I've got 3 - 150 watt panels. My controller is on the wall in the garage. I don't even think mine has a fan, just cooling fins. It gets warm enough in there in the summer, but I haven't had any trouble with it. I also put in a shutoff switch at my battery bank, so when i'm not there, there is no draw of any kind other than the display on the charge controller.

My toilet situation isn't complex. I got a twice retired mini biff with a hole cut in the floor so it all goes straight back to the earth. Every time someone makes a deposit, I have them throw a single fist of saw dust in the hole with it, using the science of the C:N ratio to eliminate the smell. The pit is also open to the outside air. Between that and the sawdust, you could blindfold someone and put them in there, and they wouldnt' even know it's an outhouse. If it weren't for the mosquitoes, I'd take a book in there with me in the summer.

 

[roymunson]

If I ever build new at the farm, I'm going morton style steel building. living quarters w/ a shop/garage side to it. On a slab. But I'll be saving forever to do that and I already have a cabin, so as long as that's standing, I doubt I'll be doing too much.

 

[bjseiler]

If I ever build new at the farm, I'm going morton style steel building. living quarters w/ a shop/garage side to it. On a slab. But I'll be saving forever to do that and I already have a cabin, so as long as that's standing, I doubt I'll be doing too much.

My Morton quote a few months ago was >$1M. Not kidding.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

My Morton quote a few months ago was >$1M. Not kidding.

For what size?

Stayed at a farmer buddies place a couple weeks ago who is the process of building a new shop. I think he told me the morton quote was $400k above the vendor he ended up hiring, but its a real big shop.

 

[bjseiler]

48x80 and 18 side walls with a 30’ L. Raised loft area. Still did not include a lot of interior work. It had a lot of covered porch that added a ton. They basically said it would have been half price a few years ago. It would have looked great but not at that price.

 

[Tree Spud]

My Morton quote a few months ago was >$1M. Not kidding.

Morton in my opinion has always been over priced. You may want to consider a panelized structure. Ours was 48'x90' with 16' high ceiling. With 2nd floor living quarters on one end with workshop below.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I’ve done “rustic” with generator power, running water and gas heat. I also had bugs, mice and one time a snake in a glue trap. It would suffice for you and a buddy, but no way was the family staying there. And now I’ve done nice, new and permanent power. Obviously the differences are night and day. I will say even you go small and rustic…make it tight. Nothing worse than spending an hour when you get there vacuuming up ladybugs or hearing mice run through the walls at night.
Cost of the new place I’m not sure cause I bought it with it. Maybe $150 in “normal” times?

 

[hunts_with_stick]

Thanks! Yup, potentially a place the wife and I would retire to…

 

[buckdeer1]

I saw the 14x24 shed cabins today for 14K,You can usually add what you want such as insulation and wire for electric.

 

[yoderjac]

Thanks! Yup, potentially a place the wife and I would retire to…

I'm i the middle of a retirement transition. Here is what I did. I had a 40x64 pole barn built (now wish I had gone even bigger). We then finished off 550 sq ft as a living space. We put a mini-split in for heating and cooling the living space. It ended up being so tight inside that barn (which has 1" of spray foam) that the AC did not cycle enough. I ended up buying a small whole house dehumidifier to augment the mini-split. It is great now.

We will be building a retirement home next to the barn eventually. We designed the living space in the barn so that it will become guest bedrooms after we build. That let us put fewer bedrooms in the house design. We laid out the building locations so we could put in a single drain field and septic tank that both barn and home will eventually use. For now, it is a weekend get-away that is 20 minutes from our pine farm where I hunt. If I had just built a barn, I would have had to pay for power. Since I put in a "dwelling", the power company gave me a 1/4 mile of wire free.

When we are ready to retire, we plant to sell our current house so we have money in hand to build and don't need a high interest construction loan. We will then use the barn for storage of our belongings and live in the 550 sq ft living space while the house is built. Once the house is built, the barn becomes my shop and storage for my tractor and toys. Well, that is the current plan anyway.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I'm i the middle of a retirement transition. Here is what I did. I had a 40x64 pole barn built (now wish I had gone even bigger). We then finished off 550 sq ft as a living space. We put a mini-split in for heating and cooling the living space. It ended up being so tight inside that barn (which has 1" of spray foam) that the AC did not cycle enough. I ended up buying a small whole house dehumidifier to augment the mini-split. It is great now.

We will be building a retirement home next to the barn eventually. We designed the living space in the barn so that it will become guest bedrooms after we build. That let us put fewer bedrooms in the house design. We laid out the building locations so we could put in a single drain field and septic tank that both barn and home will eventually use. For now, it is a weekend get-away that is 20 minutes from our pine farm where I hunt. If I had just built a barn, I would have had to pay for power. Since I put in a "dwelling", the power company gave me a 1/4 mile of wire free.

When we are ready to retire, we plant to sell our current house so we have money in hand to build and don't need a high interest construction loan. We will then use the barn for storage of our belongings and live in the 550 sq ft living space while the house is built. Once the house is built, the barn becomes my shop and storage for my tractor and toys. Well, that is the current plan anyway.

Question for you, this is pretty close to what I did, but I moved into mine last summer. I built the shop, and built a living quarters in it, with the plans to build the house in the near future. The septic was planned ahead to accommodate both, knowing that permitting would be an issue for the house, if it wasn’t. But now the county is saying the property is only zoned for 1 residence, and the shop/house is considered the residence, so I am fighting them to get the permits for the second residence.

Just wondering if you have checked into that? The county had basically told me I need to rip the kitchen and bedrooms out of the current place before they allow a permit for the main house. I was told I could just build it without the permits, and just pay the fines, but with the risk of them telling me I may have to tear it down, but I was told they have never done that, but it is a possibility.

 

[yoderjac]

Question for you, this is pretty close to what I did, but I moved into mine last summer. I built the shop, and built a living quarters in it, with the plans to build the house in the near future. The septic was planned ahead to accommodate both, knowing that permitting would be an issue for the house, if it wasn’t. But now the county is saying the property is only zoned for 1 residence, and the shop/house is considered the residence, so I am fighting them to get the permits for the second residence.

Just wondering if you have checked into that? The county had basically told me I need to rip the kitchen and bedrooms out of the current place before they allow a permit for the main house. I was told I could just build it without the permits, and just pay the fines, but with the risk of them telling me I may have to tear it down, but I was told they have never done that, but it is a possibility.

Yes, I checked our zoning first and there are requirements. You can build a second detached dwelling on on property here if it meets certain criteria, primarily size. This is intended to accommodate things like a mother-in-law suite above the garage and things like that. They only compare the sizes of the living spaces, not unfinished space, so my house must be large enough so that it becomes the primary dwelling and the living space in my barn becomes the secondary dwelling. Basically, they want to allow for things like a mother-in-law apartment but disallow two homes on one lot.

Good point that things like zoning need to be explored before you make a plan!

Thanks,

Jack

 

[bjseiler]

If they don't allow what Jack is saying......I suppose you could try and subdivide the property into two PINs so you can have a home on each. Waste of money on lawyers, surveyors and extra taxes...at that point it might be cheaper to rip out what you have in the barn and then rebuild it when the house is done.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I havent gotten any lawyers involved yet, but my wife has already came up with a new plan, of buying a winter home in the US Virgin Islands, while this may sound like a great idea, it really isnt financially practical. I wouldnt appose a winter rental to try it out, but I am a northerner, and I dont mind winters in the north, but they do tend to drag on at times.

 

[H20fwler]

I would like to have a winter house in the Keys for about two months a year….but it doesn’t look to great during hurricane season!

The wife and I love it down there just chilling out, every day is a Saturday.