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KelVarnsen
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# Posted: 13 Aug 2020 09:38am
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Well I'm coming up on the 5th anniversary of me owning my 350 sq. foot off grid cabin so I thought I'd share some progress. It's been a slog but I've loved most of the process. Although there were many times when I questioned my sanity and dedication. I've attached some before and after pictures. Here are the broad strokes of what my wife and I have done on the cabin, not including an equal amount of work on the grounds (tree felling, brush clearing, etc.).
Dejunking from previous hoarders.
Replace failing piers.
Reframe interior.
Install ceiling.
Fully insulate (floors, walls, ceiling).
New roof, soffit, fascia.
Interior wiring, lighting.
Create interior bathroom.
Custom pantry, closet, doors.
New sheathing, exterior insulation, siding.
New windows.
Interior window trimming, shiplap paneling.
I love looking at everyone's progress pictures. I hope that you enjoy mine.
Old Exterior
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New Exterior
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Old Interior
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New Interior
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KelVarnsen
Member
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# Posted: 13 Aug 2020 09:56am
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A few more pictures. I still have 5 more years of projects. Next year is deck and gazebo rebuild. Probably a bunkie the year after.
Bedroom
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Outdoor Shower
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Shed
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Waterfront
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hunt_camper
Member
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# Posted: 13 Aug 2020 10:35am
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KelVarnsen
Looks great, amazing work. What's the next project?
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jsahara24
Member
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# Posted: 13 Aug 2020 01:33pm
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Looks like a wonderful place to hang out. Nice work!
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 13 Aug 2020 09:01pm
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Absolutely awesome. I think I could drink a few beers there
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KelVarnsen
Member
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# Posted: 14 Aug 2020 08:14am
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Quoting: jsahara24 Looks like a wonderful place to hang out. Nice work!
It is a wonderful place to hang out and thanks!
Quoting: FishHog I think I could drink a few beers there
Maybe a few less next time. Lol.
Quoting: hunt_camper Looks great, amazing work. What's the next project?
Thanks hunt_camper. Next up: rebuild deck, replace crappy fabric canopy gazebo with a new properly built screened in room, build a 9 x 12 bunkie as the current cabin is only one bedroom.
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 14 Aug 2020 09:22am
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Your place is looking great
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CabinBuilder
Admin
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# Posted: 16 Aug 2020 10:31pm
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Quoting: KelVarnsen Old Exterior -> New Exterior Old Interior -> New Interior
What a transformation!
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KelVarnsen
Member
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# Posted: 17 Aug 2020 01:49pm - Edited by: KelVarnsen
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Here a couple of short videos of my favourite features.
Pantry Barn Door
Bookcase Bathroom Door
I used a Murphy door hardware kit from here (https://murphydoor.com/) and built the bookcase myself.
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KelVarnsen
Member
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2026 08:31am
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Over 5 years have passed since I posted my progress. I see looking back that the projects that I had schedule next didn't get accomplished. I tackled some different projects instead. We also had several severe ice and snow years that took down a lot of trees so that was a big job to clean up.
I'm retiring in 5 days!! So hopefully I'll have the time get around to updating this post with some more progress pics and the time to tackle some new projects. I can't wait to be able to finally spend as much time as I want at the cabin without a schedule.
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Fanman
Member
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2026 08:47am
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Congrats on the retirement, I did the same last spring and did what I was waiting for for 25 years, i.e. spend the entire summer at the cabin, May through October. Got a lot of old projects done.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2026 10:48am
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Wha Hoo! On the cusp of retirement and a cabin ready for you. Sure sounds great to me 
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rpe
Member
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2026 11:11am
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Congrats! I just entered semi-retirement, working 2 days/week at most. It's been great so far. Hoping for lots more cabin time this coming year. I have a slew of projects between 50% and 90% complete that need to be pushed closer to the 100% mark!
Nice work on the restoration and brightening of the interior. How are the piers holding up? We're in Muskoka area as well, with a mix of bedrock, silt, and clay around the property. Foundations/piers are common issue.
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KelVarnsen
Member
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2026 11:43am
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Quoting: rpe How are the piers holding up?
The piers are holding up great. The old ones were just hollow cinder blocks and were crumbling after 50 years. These ones are a bit more substantial and filled with concrete and rebar. Additionally, the bedrock was flattened so the blocks could sit flat, where necessary.
Quoting: rpe I have a slew of projects between 50% and 90% complete
My wife gives me a hard time for taking everything to 90%. I think she's going to be expecting 100% complete projects once I'm retired.
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