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Swamphunter
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2012 03:17
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Well after saving and waiting all winter to get started this spring, I've been met with an unfortunate postponing of the construction of the actual cabin itself for probably 12 more months. Here is the story..
Since I had cleared the entire area for the road in which is approximately 1/3 mile, and it crosses a small brook runoff which is quite soft ground, I had to hire someone to put my road in and make it passable by truck. Without the road, building supplies can not make it back there. Not even by ATV and trailer due to the brook runoff that I need to cross. So I put the job out to bids and got three, very close bids for the work, but due to the brook runoff, I needed to check with DEC and get a permit if needed. I checked with DEC, got the clearance for the job and the road work and gravel pad is between $3000 - $4000 dollars and ready to begin.
Thats not too bad, but when added in with the materials cost being higher than expected, and the labor being a bit higher, its all added up. I am only hiring for help with building the dried in shell and will follow up with the insulation, interior wall boards and trim work and heating all on my own. These are on top of the cost of the original building materials. Not too mention I want to add two more windows than what was originally quoted.
Now I could save and start the cabin late this summer or fall, but due to the fact of northern NY winters can be harsh, insulation and woodstove is a must.
I think I am instead going to spend my time cutting firewood and stacking for next season, dressing up the future camp location and working OT when I can. If it wasnt for winter, I could start this November or December for sure, but in my neck of the woods, that isnt an option.
Delays suck, but I remember one post I had read on what you had learned while building your own cabin that said "when you put a timeline on building your cabin, it is no longer any fun"....
This past winter came and went very quickly... I can get through one more. I also spend my time collecting stuff that I dont need to buy... I have a line on some TYVEK, have received my drainage pipes for free, have some road fabric that I got for real cheap and am now looking for a nice used woodstove, and my cabin foundation cinder blocks that I will store until next season....
The best part is... this is still exciting and fun and something to look forward to!
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exsailor
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:24
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You have heard it before housing for habitat resale stores, scrounge, and use craigslist to find bargains and free stuff. Anything you need for design changes and building that you can store safely will help keep costs down and help the build. Since the winters are so bad is it possible to build panels at home and assemble the cabin when you get the chance? These are just a thought to help you keep the momentum, Good luck
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2012 10:46
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Swamphunter....delays do suck but I think you have the right attitude about it. There are benefits to having to wait. At our place we have been plugging along for 5+ years now and the only deadlines we have had to meet were the 'outside be done within 2 years' per building codes, and even the building inspector was way laid back about that. We are paying as we go and for a long time we collected everything we could find that we were going to be needing and stored it away. Our whole cabin has practically sat unassembled in our garage. We have paid full price for nothing. I would collect every Sunday ad that came out for the building supply stores around us and see what was on sale-figure out how much was needed and go buy it, bring it home, unload and stack it in the garage. Same with Craigslist and the reuse center....frequently keep tuned in to these if you want to find the good deals! The best feeling is when we go to do some part of our project and we can just load up what we need and not have to go spend more money buying it at that time...ya know what I mean? Best of luck to you in your search for cabin supplies and before you know it you'll be getting started!!!!
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Swamphunter
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2012 12:13
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Thanks guys.. I guess the only real reason I hoped to have it done this year is my son is turning 12 in May and I feel in a few more years he wont be able to spend as much time with Dad out there as he can now. Once college years start and all... plus I'm nervous about spending that amount of money on a road into the woods and waiting a year. A lot can change in a year and I'm nervous something could shut the cabin plan down entirely and I've wasted that money with nothing to show for it..... 
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2012 13:19 - Edited by: trollbridge
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Ahhhh,I see your concerns..........what about taking a short term loan for the road work and going ahead with your plans? In the end that might be the best option...
Who knows what gravel prices and quotes for next year might be-if it goes up then you would have been better off just starting. Also are your permits good for that long or do they have a time limit imposed?
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rayyy
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2012 18:32
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I feel your pain,swamphunter.I had to hack a driveway through the woods too.I would drive the old ford 8N out to the road and carry what I could back in on it.Took for ever to get the materials back in there.I had tire ruts nearly up to my axils.I just had a load of bank run gravel dumped at the end of the driveway,I smoothened it all out with the tractor than another load,than another load just kep adding to it till I finally was back to the building site.Like a load every two weeks or so.It's true that down time is very handy for planning and building small stuff and ordering materials.I built my composting toilet,bought the frig,gas stove,gas heater,woodstove,12 volt lighting,12 volt outlets,bathyub,washer,hot water heater,solor panelkit,12 volt windmill kit,fixtures,cupboards,sinks,generator,,,all this stuff long befor the cabin ever existed.I had to wait about a year too to get started.
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Swamphunter
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2012 18:56
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My permits are good as the one from the DEC for the road work is being completed in a couple of weeks... I wont get a building permit until just before the contruction starts... as for as far as a loan, I'm trying to pay for this minus interest fees and such as it is much more presentable to my wife if I am not ringing up debt. Even though the cabin is VERY affordable to us with our resources... I'd prefer to pay for it little by little without dipping into the bank....
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trollbridge
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# Posted: 17 Apr 2012 23:08 - Edited by: trollbridge
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I hear ya on the bank loan and wanting to get by without it but weighing the pros and cons didn't know how the scale would tip. We are paying as we go too but we did take a 18 month loan out to cover the extra unexpected cost of needing a hydro-logical study to determine the 100 year flood levels. We were given quotes up to 20,000 for this and when an engineering firm that was already doing a study really close to our land offered to do it for 4000.00 we figured we should take advantage of their offer. I'm glad it worked out that way and that there are good people running the township who were so willing to try to help us cause the county zoning folks were very difficult to deal with. Weigh all your options and listen to your gut feeling and you'll know what is the better way to go. Good luck!
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