Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

(Not sure if this is the right place for this, Mods feel free to move it)

I think I posted here awhile back about looking for a peice of land in Rual Missouri...

This weekend I was doing some looking and I found a small plot of land for a few grand and I think we're going to pick it up...

I was wondering what is the cheapest/best solution (bang for the Buck I guess) for a Cabin or something to put on it to stay in....

Nothing really elaborate, just something comfy, mostly for weekends and a week or two during the summer... Also, this would hopefully, be someplace to run away too if it gets too ugly here and we need someplace to go...

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Find a larger outbuilding that someone wants removed and tear it down in exchange for the materials.

If you can find a 5th wheel camper for a good price, it might be cheaper if you want some indoor plumbing and cooking. A neighbor of mine one rigged up a 55 gallon barrel on a short tower for pressure, and did a few more barrels as a simple septic system at some land they camped on. There wasn't any hot water, but otherwise it worked.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Might even look for an older motorhome. Often people will keep up the maintenance for years after they quit using them, finally sell at ridiculously low price. An RV has advantage of not adding property tax value to your land. Look on Ebay, craigslist.com, autotrader, and trader/greensheet papers. For about $2500 you should be able to find one in pretty good running condition.

If you are going to be building something on the cheap you will really need a pickup truck. You might find one with an old cabover camper that would give you a decent running 3/4 ton truck and a place to live. Just make a decent foundation pad for the camper and detach it from the truck.

A pole barn kit might also work for you. Shop the farm/ranch supply and independent hardware stores out in the country for this one. You could pour a slab with plumbing electric routing and then put up your pole barn, finishing the interior as you want. Some of the metal building firms offer kits also.

Mobile homes are always for sale on a repo basis at dealers. You might find someone who has one they just want hauled off, if its a junker you could renovate, etc.

You might also consider a US Army surplus canvas tent, tipi, or a Yurt. Some of these are almost huge; 16x20, 36 feet in diameter. And they go up relatively fast, in a days time or a few hours with lots of help. If you build an insulated platform to erect it on, adding a liner and wood burning or surplus oil stove, could make it very comfortable in Winter.

Lots of books in your library, back issues of MotherEarth News to see for ideas. Maybe somebody local has a barn they want removed you could buy or get for salvage? Look at log cabin building books if you have timber on your place. Seems like TMEN had an article from a guy who used those cheap 4x6 landscaping timbers to make a cabin. Well, they used to be cheap a dollar or two. Maybe there is a custom sawyer in your area that could bring his portable sawmill to your land and cut your timbers over a day or two?

All sorts of ways to build or get shelter.
Wish you all the best with your project.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Great info all.... Thank you...

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

OK -

BEST WAY to get a log cabin - call the company who makes them and have them do the work for you

Least expensive way is to get a REALLY SHARP AXE... you can figure the rest out.

Finally, while you guys were hitting all around it with the RV/Fifth wheel/mobile home you missed WHERE to put it.

Have youse guys ever heard of a quonset hut? Dig down about four feet, pour concrete slab of AT LEAST six inches. Use either poured concrete walls of a minimum of one foot tall or use concrete blocks. Quonset hut goes on top of that. Enclose one end. Put RV/Fifth wheel/motor home inside. Enclose the other end with an entrance. COVER THE WHOLE THING WITH DIRT. Seed for native grasses and flowers.

Warm, safe, dry and it only looks like another hilly grass mound. You can even leave a roll up door so you can drive in and out if that is your wish.

This works EXTREMELY WELL where climates are hot or cold. And if you ever decide to actually build the log cabin, when you have it completed, you have a 'guest cottage'. With parking if you want.

Hope that helps...

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

EIGHT OUTSIDE CORNERS??? OUCH!!! :bawling:

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

This tent is used for the desert camps and it comes from the family of Single pole tent. This is a Round tent with extended roof tale to cover the rope. This look appeals in the tent.

The Whit "Desert":rolleyes: tent is pretty bad ass imo.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

If it doesn't get too cold, I'd recommend cob.

Here's a good guide:
http://www.weblife.org/cob/

It'll take time, but it can be a lot of fun.

Some pictures of cob structures:

http://www.alternatives.com/cob-building/what.html
http://www.alternatives.com/cob-buil.../oregoncob.gif

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

The plus side of a cheap 5th wheel is that most of them come with a shower and indoor toilet.

I desire indoor plumbing, and am willing to pay more to get it. The original poster may not.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

I can get you hooked up with the Amish group that makes these cabins. They'll make them bigger (longer) and customize them any way you would like. They start at $4800, not including delivery. Anybody who wants more info can PM me. They are actually pretty nice...

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Those are exactly what I was thinking too. I can't remember the name of the distributor though. You are in East PA right? I'm in Ohio Amish country right now.

Those are well built and reasonable.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Get a map of PA. Throw a dart into the middle, dead center. You probably just put a hole in my roof.

The Amish actually build these in a "factory" about 2 miles from where I'm sitting right now. It's a pretty impressive set-up. They can make any style of shed, small barn, or cabin. They ship them all over the country, under several different distributor's names. There are probably 150 sheds and cabins sitting, waiting for shipment at any given time. I have a run-in shed at the house, I use it for the tractor and 4-wheeler if I don't feel like taking them the whole way to the barn. Whose idea was it to put the barn waaaaay over there, anyway? That was dumb!

Anyway, these are pretty reasonable, especially considering the price of lumber these days. With oil skyrocketing, I have to assume delivery costs will be on the rise, though.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

What part of Ohio is Amish country, anyway? I have to drive to Cincinnati tomorrow for supplies for the business the wife and I own. I hate that drive, especially pulling a trailer. Including stops, it will be an 18 hour day. I'm getting too old for that. But it's cheaper than getting it shipped!

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Look into Yurts. They are winterized tents. Cheap, easy, comfortable.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Knox County. Columbus is probably the only direction I can go without going through some farms. Nice time of year here. The distributor I'm familiar with is over by the Ohio/PA border not far from East Liverpool. My brother is looking at one of their buildings for his bike and mower, etc. I think he's looking at mid 3k's delivered.

I grew up in Western PA and have spent time out your way in the younger days, just pokin' around.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

I had this worshop (the small one) which is 12X18 for $2,850 and they do everything for you all you do is pay them.

I added a sun roof for summer, water proof and it works great.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

When the oil shock really hits hard motorhomes and fifthwheel trailers will be much cheaper. I am planning on buying one when they are cheap cheap.

Where I live there is an abundance of ponderosa pine. We had a micro burst come through and blow the trees down in rows a couple years ago. I brought truck loads of logs home. Many more than I needed for fire wood.

I always wanted to build a log cabin.

Using a chain saw I built a log wood shed 14' x 14' in just a couple days. Not suitable for living in.
I put a sod roof on it. Looks interesting in the spring but rains cold mud inside in the winter.
The wood has been stacked on the deck by then so I will just let it stay the way it is.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

We're thinking 2nd hand RV when the toy sale starts too.

Really great ideas here.

Wall.. how do you get the dirt not to slide off the quonset? Aren't they curved? That sounds like a wonderful idea, but I can't figure out keeping the dirt on it unless you buried it entirely and then I'd worry about weight. Got any more details?

I expect you'd need to use something to enhance the water barrier features too. Maybe I'm misidentifing quonsets, but I think of them as curved metal, and keeping that wet with the sod roofing... Maybe a tarry coating or plastic sealant before the sod goes on.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

I know they are Amish, so probably not, but are there any links to those prebuilt cabins or Cabin Kits?

We saw one down there that we liked, look simmilar to the one pictured above, but bigger and it had a loft over the covered front Porch... Talking to my daughter, she loves the loft idea for some reason...

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Let me add some more info for the Yurt, take a look at www.yurts.com.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Smullen, I own land in Northern Ar. and we have scads of rocks/stones in them thar hills. Our property is about 10 miles from Mo. as the crow flies.

I just purchased a book " Slipform Stone Masonry- House" by Tomm Stanley.
Got it from here. http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/index.html

This site has lot of alternative building methods. If interested, the stone building is under the Stone, Cement, Concrete, Masonry section. These folks sell books and videos. Check em out.

I first got interested in the slipform method of stone building after reading an article by the same author of the above book. It was in Mother Earth News back in the 90's. Later.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Smullen,
No, there is no link that I know of. Must be a problem with the "Amish Internet"!

It's funny that you would mention the loft thing. I just looked at one last week with that same feature, and I thought it was kind of neat. It makes good use of a lot of formerly unused space. If you want, I can mail you a handful of their flyers or furnish the phone number. Yeah, they have a phone, but only at work.

Re: Best/Cheapest Way to build a Cabin
 

Heh, just in the local paper today: 5 room, 1920s house: Free to whoever tears it down and removes it from the property.