Don't you hate delays?

[Swamphunter]

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!

[considerations]

Almost as bad as being pregnant.....at least you can put the load down while you are waiting.  I was out here 3 years before I got to start building...and I'm still working on it.  Its a journey rather than a destination.  Only thing that has really changed is my outlook. 

[hhbartlett]

Yup, we're thinking the same thing here - delay by 1 year. Our problem is it's an all or nothing deal; if we start, we can't stop otherwise we'll be homeless in the dead of winter, living in a camper (in Eastern Canada, not far from you). It would be OK if it was just me or me & the wife, but we have 2 girls too. I won't do that to them. Our place is 3 1/2 hours away, but we plan to move to the area permanently (this is where we are moving to forever). Plus, our current house hasn't sold yet, still some work to do on it to get it ready. We need the money from the house sale for the new place.

So, I think our plan is to get the house on the market, stay at the new place and fix up some stuff like water, septic, (already there), until the house sells, and then maybe buy another old house in town close to our new place and renovate - something we have done a couple of times before. Hopefully we can make a little money on the house and establish ourselves in the area a little bit, and have the site better prepared (and time to do more planning).