More power to these guys I guess. I probably wouldn't have went the direction they did, and instead: Buy land Put a septic system and well in Buy a prefab cabin Spend a lot less time building it...
More power to these guys I guess. I probably wouldn't have went the direction they did, and instead:
Spend a lot less time building it and then actually be able to sell it through a bank
I definitely don't think I would choose a .25 acre plot of land either for a remote area like this. The Encyclopedia on Country Living recommends various plots, depending on what you want to do:
Half acre - This would allow you to keep a couple hives of bees, plant a fruit orchard, and keep a few grazing animals, such as 2 milk goats, 2 weaner pigs, 3–12 hens, and some rabbits. If you have water, you could add a few ducks or geese. Put your orchard around the perimeter of your land, so you can have a permanent grass pasture in the center of it. If you divide up the pasture with electric fence and rotate at intervals of 3 weeks or less, you can get more out of it. You’ll need housing and yarding for all your animals, so they can be confined when the grass shows signs of failing under the onslaught. On just a half acre, you’ll have to compromise with livestock between a confined lifestyle and some opportunities to get out on pasture. But a half acre is really very small.
1 acre - Remember, we’re not counting the house, lawn, etc. An acre is twice as good, of course, as a half. You could consider keeping a breed sow in place of the two weaner pigs and profiting by her piglets. If you hate goat milk, you might keep a small breed of cow instead, although this is still rather small for a cow. You could raise a half-dozen goslings as well as chickens and rabbits. Your animals will be able to get a greater part of their diet from grazing.
2 acres - This would be enough to comfortably pasture a cow and grow a sizable garden and orchard, if all the soil is good and there’s plenty of water to irrigate it. Three, four, or five acres would be better
10 acres - This is a mini-farm. You can install one or more ponds for raising fish and have numerous waterfowl too. You have enough land to have a nice grain patch or other field crop in rotation, in addition to your pasture and pond
20 acres - With twenty acres of good garden land, you could probably make your family’s living by growing something. Here we are talking about acres of fertile, irrigable ground. But they’re hard to find, and costly. You’re more likely to be offered wooded areas, steep hillsides, swamps, or shallow soils. But much depends on the skill of the gardener: the one before you, and the one you are. There are people who have made lush garden spots in the arctic and in the tropics, on salt soil and on bare rock, and in abandoned gravel pits.
You can't do really anything with a quarter acre of land except build a cabin. Someone could buy all the land around you and cut it for timber.
No, I got the point. My whole comment is stating that I think they went the wrong way of doing it, which to an extent they can see they did as well. I'm going further and saying that a hand built...
With that said I think you kind of missed the point of what they did.
No, I got the point. My whole comment is stating that I think they went the wrong way of doing it, which to an extent they can see they did as well. I'm going further and saying that a hand built cabin that you are going to turn around and flip, but can't actually sell via bank nor can you live off the land comfortably or securely or likely with insurance at all, is a waste. That's just my opinion, and I provided context to why I felt that way. Its a cool cabin, and I'm sure it takes a nice picture for the instagram account, but its not practical.
This is a pretty good analysis, but for smaller holdings I'd strongly recommend growing food crops instead of raising animals. Even if you are scything hay for chickens, the food return is...
This is a pretty good analysis, but for smaller holdings I'd strongly recommend growing food crops instead of raising animals. Even if you are scything hay for chickens, the food return is significantly worse per square foot then just rotating beans and corn. Personally also wouldn't want to gamble with a cow even on a larger property either. Feels like too much risk tied into one investment. It's also worth noting that for .5/1/2 acres, improving the soil is a fairly reasonable task for a single person.
Having looked at buying some land in Oregon and building a cabin on it, I'm shocked that the word "permit" doesn't appear once in this story. Getting permits would have been by far the hardest...
Having looked at buying some land in Oregon and building a cabin on it, I'm shocked that the word "permit" doesn't appear once in this story. Getting permits would have been by far the hardest part if I had gone that route.
Given their total inexperience and the lack of apparent permits, I'm doubly shocked that they sold the cabin to some probably unsuspecting buyer. I hope for their sake that there isn't a followup article to this one titled "We sold a cabin we built with no experience and sold it—the liability lawsuit bankrupted us".
They do mention reading books about construction codes, and it seems like something they put a lot of planning overall into, even if they weren't experienced in the actual building process. It...
They do mention reading books about construction codes, and it seems like something they put a lot of planning overall into, even if they weren't experienced in the actual building process. It seems strange and overly cynical to jump to the evidence-less conclusion that they must have built and sold it illegally. Maybe it was just that talking about permits and other bureaucracy is boring and wouldn't have added anything to the story at all.
I can read a book too. That doesn't mean I'd trust myself to do electrical work for a house. Isn't that why there's essentially an electrician's guild who ensure that people working on this sort...
They do mention reading books about construction codes, and it seems like something they put a lot of planning overall into, even if they weren't experienced in the actual building process.
I can read a book too. That doesn't mean I'd trust myself to do electrical work for a house. Isn't that why there's essentially an electrician's guild who ensure that people working on this sort of stuff are doing their thing properly?
It seems strange to jump to the evidence-less conclusion that they must have done it without permits and sold it illegally.
It's mentioned in the article that banks refused to finance anyone buying the house/cabin because it lacked a "traditional" septic system or running water in general. Which is followed up by with basically "we found someone to pay with a suitcase full of cash, lol".
I don't know a whole lot about finance/accounting/tax liabilities, but I'm pretty sure cash purchases of >$10,000 tends to flag our Uncle Sam to situations. Maybe they did things above board, but the tone of the article seems a bit flippant to me in that regard.
Thats because it is a flippant piece on how two friends did something many have dreamed about. Its an adventure story not a manual. Mentioning how it is technically a shed so they dont need...
Maybe they did things above board, but the tone of the article seems a bit flippant to me in that regard.
Thats because it is a flippant piece on how two friends did something many have dreamed about. Its an adventure story not a manual. Mentioning how it is technically a shed so they dont need planning permission or that their contractor dad went over everything to make sure it's up to code or one of the other million technicalities that will give you piece of mind that they did everything up to moral and legal standards hurts the story of two lads having an adventure building a cabin in the woods.
Really? In addition to rabbit's points, sentences like do not leave me with the impression that much truly thoughtful planning went into this project at all. Whether you're legally required to...
Really? In addition to rabbit's points, sentences like
When we had nothing but the floor, we were still sketching and debating ridiculous design ideas over our morning coffee—curved, pagoda-style rooflines; walls that folded down into decks; a spiral staircase wrapping around a tree trunk to the loft—as if we were made of money and time.
do not leave me with the impression that much truly thoughtful planning went into this project at all. Whether you're legally required to pull permits or not, those are not things that you should be whimsically deciding on after construction has already started.
I don't know enough about their project or Washington state law to decide if they did anything illegal, and I wouldn't have a problem with what they did at all if it was for their own personal use, but I have no problem at all condemning the selling of this cabin to an uninvolved third party as deeply immoral unless it came with a whole suitcase full of disclaimers that they make no mention of.
Person here from Washington state, and also person who has stayed in in many primitive cabins around the US that have been bought and sold because they are primitive cabins. Often cabins like...
Person here from Washington state, and also person who has stayed in in many primitive cabins around the US that have been bought and sold because they are primitive cabins. Often cabins like these are built as glorified campsites so one can inexpensively own and enjoy the wilderness that surrounds it be it hunting, skiing, fishing, kayaking, or just getting away from the city. A lot of these cabins you have to bring your own water or be willing to fetch water from nearby rivers or springs. Quarter of an acre is perfect for just having a home base to do other things. They are often shared among friends and family as a get-away, and no one has an expectation of it being anything other than what it is, a cozy place to get away from it all on a budget. The cabin these friends built is beautiful, and personally I would love to stay in it.
I'm well aware of what this kind of cabin is and how it's used. I don't know what the laws are in Washington state, but if this story had occurred in Oregon there is no way that it could have...
I'm well aware of what this kind of cabin is and how it's used. I don't know what the laws are in Washington state, but if this story had occurred in Oregon there is no way that it could have occurred as told and complied with the law.
I'll repeat for emphasis: If they had built this for themselves and their family and friends I would have no issue with it. I specifically take issue with the fact that it was sold to a third party.
More power to these guys I guess. I probably wouldn't have went the direction they did, and instead:
I definitely don't think I would choose a .25 acre plot of land either for a remote area like this. The Encyclopedia on Country Living recommends various plots, depending on what you want to do:
Half acre - This would allow you to keep a couple hives of bees, plant a fruit orchard, and keep a few grazing animals, such as 2 milk goats, 2 weaner pigs, 3–12 hens, and some rabbits. If you have water, you could add a few ducks or geese. Put your orchard around the perimeter of your land, so you can have a permanent grass pasture in the center of it. If you divide up the pasture with electric fence and rotate at intervals of 3 weeks or less, you can get more out of it. You’ll need housing and yarding for all your animals, so they can be confined when the grass shows signs of failing under the onslaught. On just a half acre, you’ll have to compromise with livestock between a confined lifestyle and some opportunities to get out on pasture. But a half acre is really very small.
1 acre - Remember, we’re not counting the house, lawn, etc. An acre is twice as good, of course, as a half. You could consider keeping a breed sow in place of the two weaner pigs and profiting by her piglets. If you hate goat milk, you might keep a small breed of cow instead, although this is still rather small for a cow. You could raise a half-dozen goslings as well as chickens and rabbits. Your animals will be able to get a greater part of their diet from grazing.
2 acres - This would be enough to comfortably pasture a cow and grow a sizable garden and orchard, if all the soil is good and there’s plenty of water to irrigate it. Three, four, or five acres would be better
10 acres - This is a mini-farm. You can install one or more ponds for raising fish and have numerous waterfowl too. You have enough land to have a nice grain patch or other field crop in rotation, in addition to your pasture and pond
20 acres - With twenty acres of good garden land, you could probably make your family’s living by growing something. Here we are talking about acres of fertile, irrigable ground. But they’re hard to find, and costly. You’re more likely to be offered wooded areas, steep hillsides, swamps, or shallow soils. But much depends on the skill of the gardener: the one before you, and the one you are. There are people who have made lush garden spots in the arctic and in the tropics, on salt soil and on bare rock, and in abandoned gravel pits.
You can't do really anything with a quarter acre of land except build a cabin. Someone could buy all the land around you and cut it for timber.
No, I got the point. My whole comment is stating that I think they went the wrong way of doing it, which to an extent they can see they did as well. I'm going further and saying that a hand built cabin that you are going to turn around and flip, but can't actually sell via bank nor can you live off the land comfortably or securely or likely with insurance at all, is a waste. That's just my opinion, and I provided context to why I felt that way. Its a cool cabin, and I'm sure it takes a nice picture for the instagram account, but its not practical.
This is a pretty good analysis, but for smaller holdings I'd strongly recommend growing food crops instead of raising animals. Even if you are scything hay for chickens, the food return is significantly worse per square foot then just rotating beans and corn. Personally also wouldn't want to gamble with a cow even on a larger property either. Feels like too much risk tied into one investment. It's also worth noting that for .5/1/2 acres, improving the soil is a fairly reasonable task for a single person.
Having looked at buying some land in Oregon and building a cabin on it, I'm shocked that the word "permit" doesn't appear once in this story. Getting permits would have been by far the hardest part if I had gone that route.
Given their total inexperience and the lack of apparent permits, I'm doubly shocked that they sold the cabin to some probably unsuspecting buyer. I hope for their sake that there isn't a followup article to this one titled "We sold a cabin we built with no experience and sold it—the liability lawsuit bankrupted us".
They do mention reading books about construction codes, and it seems like something they put a lot of planning overall into, even if they weren't experienced in the actual building process. It seems strange and overly cynical to jump to the evidence-less conclusion that they must have built and sold it illegally. Maybe it was just that talking about permits and other bureaucracy is boring and wouldn't have added anything to the story at all.
I can read a book too. That doesn't mean I'd trust myself to do electrical work for a house. Isn't that why there's essentially an electrician's guild who ensure that people working on this sort of stuff are doing their thing properly?
It's mentioned in the article that banks refused to finance anyone buying the house/cabin because it lacked a "traditional" septic system or running water in general. Which is followed up by with basically "we found someone to pay with a suitcase full of cash, lol".
I don't know a whole lot about finance/accounting/tax liabilities, but I'm pretty sure cash purchases of >$10,000 tends to flag our Uncle Sam to situations. Maybe they did things above board, but the tone of the article seems a bit flippant to me in that regard.
Thats because it is a flippant piece on how two friends did something many have dreamed about. Its an adventure story not a manual. Mentioning how it is technically a shed so they dont need planning permission or that their contractor dad went over everything to make sure it's up to code or one of the other million technicalities that will give you piece of mind that they did everything up to moral and legal standards hurts the story of two lads having an adventure building a cabin in the woods.
Really? In addition to rabbit's points, sentences like
do not leave me with the impression that much truly thoughtful planning went into this project at all. Whether you're legally required to pull permits or not, those are not things that you should be whimsically deciding on after construction has already started.
I don't know enough about their project or Washington state law to decide if they did anything illegal, and I wouldn't have a problem with what they did at all if it was for their own personal use, but I have no problem at all condemning the selling of this cabin to an uninvolved third party as deeply immoral unless it came with a whole suitcase full of disclaimers that they make no mention of.
Person here from Washington state, and also person who has stayed in in many primitive cabins around the US that have been bought and sold because they are primitive cabins. Often cabins like these are built as glorified campsites so one can inexpensively own and enjoy the wilderness that surrounds it be it hunting, skiing, fishing, kayaking, or just getting away from the city. A lot of these cabins you have to bring your own water or be willing to fetch water from nearby rivers or springs. Quarter of an acre is perfect for just having a home base to do other things. They are often shared among friends and family as a get-away, and no one has an expectation of it being anything other than what it is, a cozy place to get away from it all on a budget. The cabin these friends built is beautiful, and personally I would love to stay in it.
I'm well aware of what this kind of cabin is and how it's used. I don't know what the laws are in Washington state, but if this story had occurred in Oregon there is no way that it could have occurred as told and complied with the law.
I'll repeat for emphasis: If they had built this for themselves and their family and friends I would have no issue with it. I specifically take issue with the fact that it was sold to a third party.