Hello, A few questions on this one. Who here has a cabin? What did you wish you knew before you bought or built? Did you set some limits ahead of time? Example: no street power, or something else? How close to home? Wife and I are a couple steps from 40, thinking long term. Do we buy a specific getaway place? What do we want in it? Looking for any input. I’ve seen a few folks on here casually mention having one. We’d want something on water or with it close by for kayaking. Trying to avoid recreating a house in the scope. We tent camp now, so not afraid to rough it. Fire away. Earl
Our family has a camp.. 2 car garage on mountain with 250 acre pond down road.. Simple 2 car garage.. 1 overhead door, for storing camper and canoes etc.. T1-11 siding, metal roof, no power.. 1200$ to add but dad said no.. then kids live there.. Spring 100 yards away gallon minute 365, concrete floating slab..
I don't have a cabin yet, but I do have the land it will soon be on so I'll add my thoughts and experience. Like you, I'm wanted close to a nice lake, and state rec areas (hunting land was my main priority) in case I want to venture off my little tract of ground. I didn't buy land adjoining state land due to soooooo many trespassers in hunting season . I learned that from a guy who borders state forest. All he does is run off hunters during gun season. Literally everyday. I specifically bought land you can't see from the county road. I'm not there to police it, and the way I see it, if they don't know it's there, the thieves won't break in. Even with no leaves on the trees, you can't see my place due to a couple nice s curves in the driveway. Meet the neighbors before you buy the land. They will be your eyes and ears when you aren't there. It's also nice to know if they are decent people or drug addicts BEFORE making an offer. They will also be the people to plow you out or cut your grass if you can't get there to do it. Stay close to home. I'm a little over an hour from my house. It's easy to make a day trip and have plenty of time there.....and not have half the day in the truck. Even if you tent camp for a while, build a small storage shed to store tools and equipment in. Nothing sucks more than having to load a trailer full of mowers, sp!itters, saws, weedeater, sprayer, fuel cans etc everytime you go camp. Be prepared to work everytime you go. Unattended property has its own set of ways to completely change what you thought you were gonna do that weekend you thought you were just gonna camp and relax. It may be a roof leak. Mouse intrusions, frozen pipes, trees down in your driveway, grass a foot high when you thought it was only a few inches, blowing leaves, etc. There is always something unplanned and you rarely have the needed tools to complete said surprise task....which leads to my last point. Stay within 30 minutes of a decent town with hardware store, lumber store, and grocery store. Most importantly, have fun and don't rush it. I've had my land for 7 years now and just now getting to the building stage. I've had campers on site for years, and a shed, but it's soon to be a pole barn half finished for living, and half barn.
We're in the process of building a little cabin out at the other farm where I grew up. It's on 45 acres about 4 miles away from home here. It's just a little place to get away for the weekend. It's got a river that I can fish and trap in and I plan to use the cabin as a base for deer hunting. Spent the first night in it last weekend. Still have to get a roof over the porch and some other finishing touches but it's coming along.
Here’s a link to his incredible cabin build thread... Our little cabin in the woods... pics of the build
Many years ago I wanted a camp. We went to a camp with a friend as kids and fished and hunted. Then I got into snowmobiling and thought I'd find a camp in the mountains so we could ride right from camp. Started looking into it then soon gave up. We didn't have the funds needed and the time to work on it every weekend...and thankfully we didn't get it cause it quit snowing here... since then I got into camping...and now I'm glad I didn't buy the camp! I've decided I don't want to be in the same place every weekend. Or for that matter, more than 2-3 times per year. So now we have a toy hauler and we can camp anywhere. We've been as far as Mi, Va, Oh and upstate NY. So I guess what I'm saying here, decide if this is going to be your best decision, or your favorite place. Ask yourself, do I want to keep up and maintain a second property? Do I want to go to the same place every weekend? For the next thirty years?
I love the idea of a camp/lake house, but then I think that the last thing I want to do is maintenance on two properties on my weekends. So for now, I'll just sit and wait. Hoping that in time one of the larger property waterfront homes in my neighborhood will go up for sale when I am financially able to make a jump.
Our cabin is 500 yards from the house down by the river . Having it close we are down there everyday . Always wanted a cabin and had the cabin in mind when we bought this property. When friends come it is a guest house. If any of you FHC friends are in central Ohio and need a place to stay let me know..
walt has the best of both worlds, according to your post above. A beautiful cabin on their land, far enough from the house that you actually feel like you’re on a different property (to me at least), and so simply and properly amazing in both construction and finish that it’s easy to maintain- and still transports your mind and soul to restfulness..... Unless there’s a GTG.... then, there’s work all day (the funnest kind) and the R & R starts at 5 pm.... unless you’re will711 or eatonpcat
Thanks for the kind words Jack Straw & Eric VW ... it was a fun summer and fall building our cabin, 7 years ago. Unfortunately, it gets very little use by us or our kids. It won't surprise me if it ends up on the market (4 owners), the way things seem to be going... ... did I I really just type that...
Ah... it is what it is Rotti. Thanks though. Besides, if the place isn't going to get used, we could use our investment back again.
