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diesel07
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 10:54
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Hello. I am new here. I recently purchased a cabin on 3 acres that had been left to my cousins from my great aunt and uncle 17 years ago. It has been greatly neglected and untouched for those 17 years. I used to spend my summers here as a child and the first time I walked in after 17 years everything was exactly the same. The newspapers and magazines dated 17 years ago down to the board games I played as a kid. Instantly I said I would take it... Asside from the tree laying on the roof and the 17 years of neglect I never doubted my decision. Below is some pictures of when we started the work to restore. We worked all summer and did a ton of work to it for really no money yet. In the end this will be a great retreat for my family as it was when I was a child. I will post pictures of how it looks now and my plans for the future. We have come a long ways but yet would like to go a long ways more.
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diesel07
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 11:01
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Here it is after a summer of cleaning up downed trees, opening up the front porch and starting to paint it. It actually took all summer to clean up the downed trees and take down a couple other trees leaning towards the cabin. This is a two bedroom cabin and a room in the back for a bathroom. I will try to get more pictures of the inside. Now that winter is coming I plan to do more work on the inside.
yard cleaned up and cabin getting painted
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The creek the runs past the cabin
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bugs
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 12:00
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Diesel
What a great job you are doing. Must be very satisfying. And a creek to boot. Wonderful.
Good luck with the restoration.
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MikeOnBike
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 12:13
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It's really great to see an older cabin get renovated. I wish we were renovating instead of building but our land was structure free.
We have bunch of cow-camp cabins around here that really need some TLC. I stayed in many of them in my youth but the reality is most of them are too far gone to resurrect. Looks like you got yours in time.
Looks great! I really like your sink!
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diesel07
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 12:53
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Bugs: Thanks
Mike: One thing about renovating and having a large family with many resources is the cost factor. We are saving a lot of money plus we bought the property at a good price from family who were just seeing it neglected year after year. So they were excited to see it restored.
Funny about the sink. That is the first thing my wife said after walking into it... after the disgust left her face at the appearance of the property.
Below is a sketch (not to scale) of some of my plans for the inside.
As you look at the drawing you would be looking from inside the front door down the length of the cabin. A supporting wall runs the length and seperates the bedrooms from the kitchen/livingroom. I would extend that wall up to the ridge of the roof leaving a flat ceiling over the bedrooms and cathedral on the oposite side over the livingroom area. Not sure if I would make it cathedral all the way down over the kitchen also or not... Still to be determined. Estimating cost is always difficult but I don't think this would cost very much to do. I hope to put Tongue and Groove on the ceiling and I think that would be the most expensive part. Let me know your thoughts and ideas. I usually find a way to pull off what I want to do for very little money... my wife calls me cheap. I think of it as resourceful!
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hattie
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 14:05
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A storage loft is a good idea....It doesn't matter how much storage space you plan, you never seem to have enough. I just LOVE this cabin. Keep the sink - beautiful!!!!! Looks like an old fridge - does it still work? I bet it does. *S* Those old fridges never seemed to quit. I'd keep it too. *S* And the stream!! Heaven! This is a great place. I can't wait to see more pictures as you progress. Hey - keep those board games too.....*grin* Oh heck, who's kidding who...I'd keep the magazines and newspapers too - just for nostalgia. *S*
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diesel07
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 15:04
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Hattie, yes the fridge still works. I had a newer energy star fridge I took up to cut down on the electric usage but did keep the old fridge in the back room to have as backup in order to keep the frosty drinks nice and cold for when guests are up. It works great. plus has the freezer inside for frosty drinks. We will be keeping most of the magazines and newspapers along with all the pictures on the wall. These are the things that remind me of when I was a kid. And that is the reason I could not resist buying it in the first place. There is a picture of a cat on the wall. I don't remember my aunt and uncle ever having that cat however the picture has been there since I could ever remember. I asked family members and they couldn't remember the cat either. Regardless we left the picture there and it will probably never come down along with the hubcap on the wall.
We have a long way to go but we aren't in a hurry since this is where we go to relax. The good part is that it is located within 10 miles from most of my extended family and now they all come here on weekends to see grandkids, neices, nephews and cousins. This was the first summer that everyone was able to hang out so much. We moved 2.5 hours away so it wasn't too comfortable to visit with most of my family except for holidays. Not anymore.
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MikeOnBike
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 15:30
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Is it this cat?
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diesel07
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 15:38
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Haha. nope not that cat. It is a black and brown cat laying on its side. It looks like a family pet picture. next time I am up I will take a picture.
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bobrok
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 15:46
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diesel07,
What a great purchase! I don't know where you are located, but where I am that would be considered equivalent to finding a pot of gold AND a rainbow. Neglected for 17 years and no one made a move to aquire it? I'm assuming that the taxes were kept up on it.
All I can say is WOW. Congratulations.
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 20:24
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That is just a sweet find, and a sweeter aquisition.
Congrats to you and family, diesel07!
And yes, the sink. Unspeakable prices for those these days.
I know the kids will enjoy the creek. Sends me back, for sure.
Got fish?
Up here in the PNW it'd have cut throat trout...........
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dabones
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2010 22:14
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awesome score on the place!!! Great work you've done this year... :)
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diesel07
Member
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# Posted: 15 Nov 2010 10:47
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Quoting: bobrok diesel07, What a great purchase! I don't know where you are located, but where I am that would be considered equivalent to finding a pot of gold AND a rainbow. Neglected for 17 years and no one made a move to aquire it? I'm assuming that the taxes were kept up on it. All I can say is WOW. Congratulations.
Bobrok, This was in my family since it was built and surrounded by more properties by other members of my family. When my great aunt and uncle passed away it was too hard for my cousins to sell it so they just kept it around even though no one had a use for it and lived too far away to use it. I actually approched them and with some kind nudging was able to persuade them to part with it. They like the fact that is stayed in the family. Many other people over the years tried to buy it from them but they stood firm. It was just the right time for them I think when I approached them.
We are loving it and with another summer of work I think it will be an amazing little getaway. Unfortunately the weather there is getting too cold to do much more until spring. I will keep you posted. Also I love seeing everyone else's projects on this forum. Great ideas and motivation for me.
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