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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Larger Cabin
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Sheila
Member
# Posted: 20 Apr 2009 02:47
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Hi There, I am new to the website, and although I find it really interesting, are there any of you who have built larger cabins?
I am talking maybe in the 1200 sq. ft. range. We have some beautiful property on the Nehalem River in Oregon. It is only about an hour away from our home. I am so excited to get things started on a roomy cabin that will accomodate our two daughters, their spouses and 3 grandchildren, in addition to my husband and I. Does anyone out there have pictures of a large cabin to share ideas?
Thanks, Sheila

Jerry
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2009 09:47
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Sheila,

Welcome to the forum. If you search through some of the posts in the general forum you'll find pictures and discussions of cabins such as you want to build. And if you ask more specific questions, for example about foundations, I'm sure you'll get good response. Do you have a cabin plan? Size, foundation, interior layout, etc? It sounds like you'd need at least two bedrooms and maybe a loft? Do you plan on building it yourselves, or hiring it out? And if you can post pictures of anything related it always helps. A picture of your building site would be a great beginning. Good luck to you.

Sheila
Member
# Posted: 21 Apr 2009 21:50
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Thank you Jerry, I will do some searching. I am getting a little ahead of the game here, as we haven't made any decisions yet on what exactly we want or if we will attempt to build it ourselves. We are in the process at this time of trying to line up a logger to take out approximately 30 alder trees. Unfortunately there is no way to build around them, plus alder is a brittle tree that easily snaps with the slightest wind. But there will be a whole forest left, untouched.
I was so excited to find this website in order to start getting ideas, and advice ahead of time. It makes me that much more excited to move ahead!
Thanks again,
Sheila

Vince P
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2009 10:01
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Hi Sheila,
It sounds like you are looking for more of a vacation home rather than cabin, since 1200 sq ft sounds more like a house. I guess what you call it differs from person to person.
If you are looking for a simplistic back-to-nature type getaway that can still accomodate extended family/friends, try starting small and add on as time/money allows. Consider what I did. My cabin is 24x16, which is only 384 sq ft. This space is divided into a main living area with kitchen, a 10x9 bedroom that fits a queen sized bed and a 6x9 bunk room with 4 built-in bunks. Add to this a 14 ft loft on one end of the cabin for another 224 sq ft. A wrap around deck increases the living area by another 276 sq ft. I am currently adding an 8x12 storage area under the cabin since the structure is 5 ft above ground to accomodate the deep snow as well as a 8x4 bathroom. These areas add 96 and 32 sq ft respectively.
The total when adding all of these small areas together is 1012 sq ft. We are a family of 5 and had friends stay with us without ever feeling cramped

Moontreeranch
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2009 10:55
Reply 


Yes cabin size is dependant on one's perception...I have a client here in colorado who bought a house a few years ago, they live mostly in the city of Denver and the place in the mountains they call the "cabin" at 5000 sf with 5 bdrm and 4 baths...I have not been to their city place but I am a little familair with the neighboorhood they describe...My guess is that their full time home is a little smaller. Its the mind set of the the "place in the mountains" that the cabin origin stems from.

For our land in NM we are planning a starter cabin of 200 sf that we can vacation to, and live in while we build the retirement house down the road a piece. 200 sf is as big as you can build with out pulling a permit..provide there is no electric and plumbing...we are great rustic campers so we dont see a problem with this as temporary condtion while the big house is built...the big house will be 1200 -1500 Earth sheltered Rastra...After thebig house is built we can use the "cabin" as a guest house.

Sheila
Member
# Posted: 22 Apr 2009 12:31
Reply 


Thank you for your responses Vince and Moontreeranch,
I guess I am thinking more of a vacation home, but rustic. haha.... We do have a small wood structure that came with the property, that was labeled as the bunk house. As soon as we aquired it my husband proceeded to fill it with garden tools, mower etc. The property also came with a 5th wheel RV. So, that is what we use for sleeping, cooking etc. However, when we are not there on a regular basis, it always smells moldy, and is just not real inviting.
And it isn't something we can haul back and forth with us because we don't have a 5th wheel hitch.
I have tried to talk my husband into just buying a small garden shed, so we could set up housekeeping in the bunk house for now.
The more I read in this forum, the more convinced I am that I need to work on him harder, to get his "stuff outa there!" It is insulated, completely finished, has a little attic, windows and even a covered front porch.
Thanks again,
Sheila

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 26 Sep 2009 09:37
Reply 


hey Shelia,i live in oregon too.we live in portland but have our cabin just built this summer in crater lake area.it s good to see an oregonain on here.hugs cabingal3
p.s.~the area i always have wanted to live in is vernonia.we use to have a teeny tiny cabin we built up at fishhawk lake.they had too many regulations for us and a membership dues of 500$ a year added on.seems they had algae in the lake and had to purchase a dredge and then they had to have a shed for the dredge.we were so happy to sell and get out.your place sounds beautiful.

Sheila
Member
# Posted: 26 Sep 2009 14:18
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2009 14:13
Reply Quote

Hi Cabingal3,
It was good hearing from another Oregonian! Yes, I am familiar with Fishhawk lake. For the same reasons you stated we decided it wasn't for us. Our place is on the Lower Nehalem River on the way to Spruce Run Park, if you are familiar with that area. It actually has a Seaside address. I would love to see pictures of your place at Crater Lake. What a beautiful area that is. Tell me more about the cabin. Thanks for responding.
Sheila

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 26 Sep 2009 15:14
Reply 


hey gal.i saw your name as Sheila...well-are place is 15 minutes from crater lake as the crow flies. i just say that so as not to just have people hone in on it...here is our teeny tiny cabin.its so good to hear of all your wonderful plans. what towns are close to your place-so i can place about where??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdruKyrTYvI
copy and paste this and u can see our place.it is the future guest cabin.right now it keeps us from paying for motels.also it is for storage of us and all the tools.we build our home in the spring.remember i and hubby are old and fat.and did i say old??

Sheila
Member
# Posted: 27 Sep 2009 13:58
Reply 


Thank you for letting me view your video. That is a very cute cabin.
And what a wonderful idea of the "future outdoor kitchen". I don't know your ages, but I wouldn't say you are old and fat! Just a nice couple.
As you head out highway 26, Lower Nehalem River Rd. is on the L hand side (about 20 miles before Seaside). Our little getaway is a few miles down, on the river. We chose that area because we didn't want anything too far from our home. It only takes us about an hour to get there. So we spend a lot of weekends over there, and sometimes just go for the day.
The people out there are so friendly. They just seem to live a much slower paced lifestyle, and it's a refreshing getaway. I am sure you know what I mean.

cabingal3
Member
# Posted: 27 Sep 2009 14:21
Reply 


DEAREST SHEILA.TY.HEY THERE GAL-U HAVE SOME REALLY PRETTY LAND I AM SURE.THAT IS A SUPREME AREA AND ANY LAND IS COSTLY.THE LAND UP IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS IS-5000$ FOR AN ACRE...BUT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH FIRES GETTING STARTED AND SNOW.THE CHEMULT AREA WHERE WE ARE HAS ITS YEARLY IDITAROD HELD THERE.
I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT BEING UP THERE. IT IS LIKE THE WILD WEST.THE LAST TRIP UP THERE IS A TIN Y TOWN CALLED CRESENT LAKE.TENTS WERE SET UP ALL ALONG THE HI-WAY.IT WAS MUSHROOM PICKING TIME THERE.IN 1999-THE MUSHROOM THEY WERE PICKING UP THERE WAS GOING FOR 500 $ A POUND AND CALLED THE NEW WHITE GOLD.NOW I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PRICE PER POUND WAS THIS YEAR.
ALL THE OWNERS OF MOTELS AND ALOT OF BUSINESSES UP THERE ALL SIT OUT IN FRONT OF THERE MOTELS OR SHOPS AND SIT AND WATCH PEOPLE GO BY.U WOULD NEVER SEE THIS IN PORTLAND.
YOUR LAND MUST BE SO PRETTY AND TO HAVE A BUILDING ON IT IS PRETTY MAJOR.HUGS AND LOVE TALKING TO U.CABINGAL3

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