| << . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . >> |
| Author |
Message |
Hermid
Member
|
# Posted: 25 May 2011 15:47
Reply
Hi, Quick questions
How much did 2 acres run for around lake Huron?
2nd is you property located in a incorporated township?
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 25 May 2011 17:48
Reply
Hi Hermid....
2 acre bush lots run from $20,000 - $40,000 and up...there are always deals to be had though.
Lake Huron is at the end of our road...5 min walk....access, but not the taxes!
Yes, it's in an incorporated township.
|
|
KoTLiFe
Member
|
# Posted: 30 May 2011 15:07
Reply
Hi Bushbunkie,
I'm thinking of getting a under 1 acre lot around the tobermory area, so it's quite close to your area, I think.
My wife loves the area as we did some camping there and the hikes near the water are breath-taking.
We looked at a site with a Viceroy, but it needs a lot of work and there was no foundation laid yet. We were told we had to lay the foundation, and the Viceroy was about 880 sq. ft, so the Building inspector wanted another 120 sq. ft to meet the minimal requirement of 1000sq. ft. Then there was the septic that needs to be in placed before the foundation is laid and the Viceroy to be lowered onto it. Also, it will cost extra for a drilled well. All this added to be an extra $23,000+ BEFORE we even purchased the land and Viceroy of $50,000.
All these costs had scared my wife and I away from the area and away from any dreams of having a piece of heaven out in the woods.
My question to you, since I've been following this website and in particular, I really like your setup and I think it's within our budget to have something similar to yours, is if I buy land, can I just go ahead and put a bunkie similar to yours on the lot? Also, my question is, if you require a building permit if anything is over 100sq. ft, why did you build it so that you could remove it?
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 30 May 2011 18:02
Reply
Hey KoTLife...another Bruce Peninsula groupie!
Like you, my wife and I fell in love with the area camping with our boys...we love the landscape.
Technically...they only want you building a 100 sq. ft. structure if there is already a residence on site. They don't like people building "stand alone Bunkies"...because it means they may now stay overnight on their own land (god forbid!)...and the municipality won't be able to collect extra taxes, like they would if you had built that minimum 1000 sq. ft structure (We're not in that $$ zone right now...I have two kids!).
So...we got to know our neighbors ...great people...and found that many others had started the way we wanted too...with a bunkie.
Basically, our neighbors said that we're more interested in having "good family people" as neighbors, then running to the municipality and complaining about you. So we went ahead...keep a low profile...the neighbors have been great...we also access local contractors and hardware stores for all our needs to bring some $$ into the community.
In a worst case scenario, the bunkie...actually most 10 x 10 structures...could be forklifted onto a flatbed and removed if things turned sour.
My wife and I went through the exact same thing you're going thru...either the dream dies (bylaws are the same everywhere in Ontario), or you take a "reasonable risk" and go for it.
No regrets...my boys love it and the lake...my wife loves the small communities around us...and I have deadfall to cut and a forest to nurture!
|
|
neb
Member
|
# Posted: 30 May 2011 19:01
Reply
I really like the looks and really all you need. Great job.
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 30 May 2011 21:45
Reply
Hey, Thanks Neb...a work in progress, like a lot of our other cabin folks on this site!
|
|
KoTLiFe
Member
|
# Posted: 31 May 2011 10:17
Reply
Hi Bushbunkie,
Thanks for the information, it will really help us in our decision. Yes, the Bruce Peninsula area is a beauty. I guess that's the reason why the township/municipality is so strict. I wonder if there's a bylaw or something in writing that says you cannot have a bunkie/shed like structure BEFORE an actual residence structure is in place. If there is, I cannot find it, but I read up on you don't require a building permit if the structure you're building is under 100 sq. ft.
I want to risk it but, I need to survey the lots that I'm looking into purchasing, especially if the neighbours will be okay with it and that they don't go running to the municipality to inform them that we're building a bunkie :) I guess it's a minimal price to pay that if things do get sour, you remove your bunkie...but then what do you do with the lot you purchased, the well you dug, etc...sell it? Did you find out how your neighbours were like prior to purchasing your land?
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 31 May 2011 19:21
Reply
KoTLife,
Hope it helps. No, we didn't know the neighbors before we moved in.
If you call local bylaw folks (I don't recommend it) , they will tell you that there has to be a principal building on the lot...before you add 100 sq. ft shed/bunkie.
You can camp on your lot up to six weeks?, but must remove the trailer when you leave, etc.
One of the threads here has the complete definition, because there has been a lot of discussion amongst Ontarians about this...a few guys in your position are in the same predicament.
You'll notice that none of us say exactly where we are :) !!
Your comment about removing your bunkie...if you put in a well, driveway, etc. you have added value to your property if you do have to sell it...that's how I look at it.
Let me know if you have any questions...happy to help someone find the dream!
|
|
|
RCamp
|
# Posted: 11 Jun 2011 00:48
Reply
I'm quite interested in this forum. Just having a 100 sq. ft. cabin built in B.C. Trying to figure out heating for staying over a few winter weekends. I've been looking at the Jotul602CB, but it is likely too much stove for the cabin size. Does anyone have any ideas what would be a good stove? The LIttle Cod (boat stove) seems great but is quite expensive.
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 12 Jun 2011 09:22
Reply
Hey RC....check ou the thead on here called" small cabin woodstove set up". Lots of great information and feedback.
I'm installing a used propane stove that vents outside...pullled from an RV.
It's gravity...needs no electricity.
I searched far and wide...but any woodstove was overkill.
Looked at the little Cod...but you're right...major expense!!!
Also...was wondering if they are alomost too small....didn't want to get up in the night all the time to add wood.
Good luck and check out the thread in the forum!
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 3 Sep 2011 14:26
Reply
Hi Folks,
My next project is to build a simple log Trapper's cabin with / for my two boys. Always wanted to build one...so I'm starting small with the cedar logs on my property. It's all cedar bush, so I have lots of trees that need to come down anyway to manage the forest.
I have about 40 cut and will cut a bunch more this Fall.
I've stacked them...lots of air flow to dry for next summer.
I'm thinking a 12 x 12 simple cabin.
For the base, I was going to build a 12 x 12 platform with pressure treated 2x8's and plywood.
Then use bolts or rebar to pin the first layer of logs onto the platform and start from there.
Any advice, words of wisdom or video clips I could access? If anyone would know, its the folks here!
Cheers.
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 17 Nov 2014 20:34
Reply
Hi Folks,
Well the cabin dream was on hold for a while because of all the changes we've seen in Ontario over the last few years. I bought 2.2 acres of bush just down the road from beautiful Lake Huron on the Bruce Peninsula and put up a bunkie, even though it was technically not allowed since there is not a principal property on the building.
In this part of the province, you cannot just build your own 16 x 24 dream cabin anymore which is very very sad...even though we are surrounded by cottages and 2.2 to 20 acre bush lots (with lots of bear visitors). Everything now has to be done to residential code. This means permits, septic system, designer drawings, 4 ft. block foundations and 1000 min sq. ft. Your insulation, wiring, plumbing, etc. all has to be inspected and to code. Even though you may want to hook up to solar or use a Genny...you are still required to wire the place like you are going to hook up to hydro.The real kicker is that they also want it completed in two years.....sigh.
Now I realize that there are some parts in Ontario that you can still build off the radar, but I was not prepared to drive 8 - 9 hours to my cabin...really...I would rarely get there which would defeat the purpose.My wife also has rheumatoid arthritis, so long car rides are out. We needed to be within 3 - 4 hours drive max. So the decision was either lose the dream ...or bite the bullet and see if we could do something...pray a lot...and hope family and friends want to pitch in and give us a hand...for free use of our place for thier families  .
Anyway, last December we had a local guy (two man local operation / excellent quality and price) put up a shell on a foundation and we have begun to pick away at the insides. We are not rich by any means...are sacrificing things...wait for insulation to come on sale....go cross border shopping at Menards...but are going to give it our best shot and see what the future holds. Great to read so many folks are livin their dreams...we could not be happier for everyone.
The Original Bunkie
| 
Clearing the site
| 
The Cabin Shell
| 
The stove...and we're broke till spring!!
|
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 17 Nov 2014 20:48
Reply
A few more pics...
IMG_4735.jpg
| 
IMG_4823.jpg
| 
Found this in the garabage and refinished it.
| 
IMG_4347.jpg
|
|
|
Just
Member
|
# Posted: 17 Nov 2014 20:51
Reply
nice job ,, dreams can happen !!
|
|
Steve_S
Member
|
# Posted: 18 Nov 2014 08:25
Reply
Looks good Bushbunkie.
I dunno where the 1000 sq foot thing comes from... That isn't anywhere on the books that I am aware of. Counties can have provisions for certain things but... Sounds like someone made some arbitrary decisions.
Hopefully you get to keep the original Bunkie as a "guest room" or something along those lines. (Hmmm the "Man Hut") where smoking & drinking are allowed LMAO... Next a big screen and a beer cooler and your all set....
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 19 Nov 2014 07:35
Reply
Hi Steve,
The 1000 sq. ft minimum and all the other rules are clearly set out by the municipalities that govern the Bruce Penninsula and other communities in southwestern Ontario it seems. A few years ago when they started amalgamating townships is when it really got worse.I had property around Balsam Lake in Lindsay and the rules were the same. You were not allowed to put up a bunkie unless you had a principal building on the lot already. You were not allowed to put up a building until your septic system was installed and inspected, etc, etc. They get more complex as you get closer to "cottage communities" until you begin moving southeast to more rural areas like Bancroft, Kaladar or go north to Timmins, Cochrane, Hearst. There are still some unorganized townships in the area that don"t have all these rules...yet! They are coming because it is a way for communities to boost their tax revenues and the environmental push will (already has in many areas) make outhouses a thing of the past.
I looked at buying an older cabin (cheaper)...it is easier to fix up a smaller existing cabin if you don't enlarge the footprint and outhouses, etc. get grandfathered in but for the money I would spend on a 40 year old fixer upper compared to building new didn't make any sense.You certainly have more economical options as you move away from the city core....sounds like you found a great spot!
|
|
Steve_S
Member
|
# Posted: 19 Nov 2014 08:41
Reply
We got lucky and found a really sweet spot, only thing missing is water (lake or so) on our property but they are so close it matters not... Horse & Deer flies than can carry off VW Camper Buses mind you.... None of these 1000 square foot minimum shenanigans either.
The old "renovate existing structure" dealio is a pain... Being forced to build a Septic System as opposed to composting & Grey Water all because of "City Slickers" makes you wanna grrrrrrr.............
Soon they'll tell you what kind of siding and what the acceptable colours are for the "neighbourhood" and what you can park on "your" rural property.... (Happening in the City I am escaping from for the last time)...
I grew up on a farm, had 100's of acres as my playground, been forced to urbanize 3 times in my life and hated every single second of it each time. So happy to be going "back to the land" and shedding the Urban Travesty forever. I like seeing my closest neighbour about 1" tall at a distance standing at his driveway and even that is too close IMO.
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 20 Nov 2014 17:47
Reply
Good for you! Sounds awesome and I totally agree. I lived in Yellowknife for a couple years in a cabin 25 km outside of town and loved it...water from the lake, shower water collection system, oil stove and propane lighting....those were the days!
You move back to an urban setting and it's like you changed planets.
Have a great adventure.
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 30 Nov 2015 21:13
Reply
Well, it's been about a year since the last update, but have been a constant lurker...happy to see so many doing so well. It certainly has kept me motivated! We got the electrical roughed in pretty well. Staying off grid (genie) but gotta follow that wonderful building code and wire anyway. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
Getting ready for inspection #1
| 
The Bunkie (left) and new cabin
| 
Wrapped RV fridge in insulation..it works!
| 
Watchin Lake Huron sun set at the end of the day
|
|
|
OutdoorFanatic
Member
|
# Posted: 2 Dec 2015 20:18
Reply
Awesome! Its not just the cabins, it's where they are.
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Dec 2015 08:57
Reply
You got it, OutdoorFanatic!
My pup loves it even more than I do!
Chloe in her cart.
| 
Outhouse still passes wife's annual inspection!
| 
had 10 of these guys lined up layin eggs down our road...wild.
|  |
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Apr 2016 17:40
Reply
Spring is coming! Last Easter Monday I surprised my wife with her dream 50th Birthday present...a 2005 Yamaha golf cart to cruise down to the lake with her girlfriends and the kids. Didn't want jewellery...wanted a used golfcart..that's my girl!
Annie has rheumatoid arthritis bad..Her hips, elbows and back aren't great...lotsa surgeries...so cabin life was getting hard...even the 3.5 hour drive up to Lions Head, where the cabin is. Now she is already thinking about a lift kit and 22" tires....I've created a monster.
IMG_20160328_182854..jpg
| 
IMG_20160328_183106..jpg
| | |
|
|
Rowjr
Member
|
# Posted: 14 Apr 2016 15:11
Reply
looking good
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 18 Apr 2016 20:04
Reply
Thanks Rowjr...just plunkin away at the dream!
|
|
Gary O
Member
|
# Posted: 19 Apr 2016 22:24
Reply
Keep a fire, bush
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 23 Apr 2016 08:40
Reply
Thanks Gary. Think your set-up is awesome...much more the direction I wanted to go originally. Believe me...If I didn't have to go 1000
sq ft and wire the damn place, etc. I wouldn't be doing it. All I wanted was a 14 x 16 cabin with a loft, genie for power and small woodstove. My joy is being outside doin projects...don't need much more than a shelter and good bed and oil lamp at night.
But...the rules here are out of control...so you either pick away or drop the dream...not prepared to do that.
We may give up at some point, but right now my wife is into the dream with me...so we're pluggin away together. My youngest son is turned out to be an outdoorsy guy like his dad, so I don't want to rob him of the adventure if I can help it...more fresh air, less screens!
Good luck with the new build project!
Working on a project round the fire
| | | |
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 6 May 2016 08:10
Reply
So my boys and I bought my wife a golfcart to get around better at the cabin, but I didn't think far enough about how I would store it there...so next project is now a shed.
Most of you have already probably already thought of this, being the resourceful group you are, but I've managed to pick up three loads (@ $35.00 a load) of "seconds" 2x4s, 2x6s, 2x8's and 5/8 planks for siding (all pressure treated) at our local deck building company. He said I was doing him a favour by cleaning up the yard and to come back when I wanted more! The 8 x 12 shed (recycled red tin roof) will cost about 150.00
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 15 Jun 2016 20:08 - Edited by: bushbunkie
Reply
...and the generator / golf cart shed is in production with a little help from a buddy. With all the "seconds" in wood I've found, I should be able to complete the 8 x 12 shed for under $200. including the recycled red tin roof.
The bones...
| 
Holy crap, it's level!
| | |
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Sep 2016 08:35
Reply
Almost done...great to have friends!just the transom window for light. Sides are 9 ft. high...all pressure treated wood seconds that would have gone to the dump...prob have 180.00 into the shed...works for my budget!
cuttin tin
| 
laughs up top...
| 
almost there
| 
startin dinner and cold beer!
|
|
|
bushbunkie
Member
|
# Posted: 11 Dec 2016 10:53 - Edited by: bushbunkie
Reply
The saddest part of the year...close up.
Drove up at 3:30 a.m. (3.5 hour drive) starting in rain, than hail and snow....tried to stretch out this chore as long as I could, but winter is coming! Got all the valuables home to my garage like the genny, ol' Big red and a few other things.
Love the ruggedness of the Bruce Peninsula! I'm sure others can relate to the sadness of close up for another season!
last meal before close up...
| 
This sucker really pumps it out
| 
Wood ready for a few winter visits...
| 
good ol girl!
|
|
|
| << . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . >> |
