cabin kits

[lubahunter]

Just wondering if any here on the forum bought one of those cabin kits. Im thinking of buying a piece of land and purchase one of cabin kits. Any feed back would be appreciated.

Hope this link works. http://www.cabinkits.ca/sample1.htm

Luba

[MikePal]

There's a group here that bought one of these Amish Cabins for their camp....they said it has worked out great. All in I think it was around $5K ( with transport). It's 10x10 and they added a lean-to etc.

[Pat32rf]

Some of the bigger ones are appealing to the "bigger is better" crowd. The huge hard to clean inefficient windows, high hard to heat ceilings etc. Summer big buck homes only.
Ones like the Oriole blend into the landscape, are easy to heat or cool, work well in snow or rain with the covered front porch.
Too bad that so many townships have minimum square footage rules to get that building permit.

[Bushmoose]

I'm pretty sure all the big players out there, Home Hardware, Lowes, HD, etc. will put together a package for you also?
You will also have to consider what the local building codes are in whatever township you buy land. Before getting any permit to build, it may be necessary to have a well and septic system installed? The 10'x10' cabin Mikepal mentioned will probably fall under the radar due to it size. Many local codes allow a building up to 100 sq. ft. without a permit.

[Rugger]

Pat, depending on the acreage you can sometimes get around the minimum sq'age by submitting your building plans as "hunt camp" as opposed to cottage or house.

[Birdbuff]

My friends discovered a loophole. As long as the dwelling has wheels it is not deemed permanent and therefore is not governed by square footage restrictions. At my buddies hunt camp, they bought an 18 wheeler trailer (just the bed, not enclosure). They built a floor on it (cantilevered the floor joists). The floor is 53x14. It looks nice once they finished it.

Just an idea.


birdbuff

[Pat32rf]

Pat, depending on the acreage you can sometimes get around the minimum sq'age by submitting your building plans as "hunt camp" as opposed to cottage or house.

That's right, "sleeping accommodations" such as bunkies that don't have cooking facilities fall under different rules. Study the rules, then add the sink, stove after the assessor leaves

[Bluebulldog]

My friends discovered a loophole. As long as the dwelling has wheels it is not deemed permanent and therefore is not governed by square footage restrictions. At my buddies hunt camp, they bought an 18 wheeler trailer (just the bed, not enclosure). They built a floor on it (cantilevered the floor joists). The floor is 53x14. It looks nice once they finished it.

Just an idea.


birdbuff

Most townships and municipalities South of the French and Mattawa rivers now have pretty stiff regs on trailers. Campers, or otherwise. Precisely because of this. They aren't allowed, period, unless as temp accomodation, but a building permit has to be completed first. I'm going through the same thing in Haliburton right now.

[Pat32rf]

The building inspector from a nearby township tried to crack down on people living in illegal "trailers" a few years ago. Tried to have a tow truck haul them away. None of the local trucks would go along so he hired one from the GTA.
His plan failed and the township got stuck with the charge for the truck. This was only one of his escapades before he was fired. He was following the letter of the law so the lawsuits are complicated...

Right now things around here are like BBD is finding in Haliburton.

[Oddmott]

No idea what the OP's situation is like, but a few folks have mentioned the "camp" scenario. And in that I'm assuming you're talking about a group of hunters and outdoor adventurers who are looking to share some land and exploits.

If so... meeting the minimum sq ft requirements shouldn't be difficult or overly expensive. Our family just finished getting a 20'x22' sugar shack "ready enough" for the upcoming syrup season. Cost so far for a very sturdy floor, framed & sheeted walls, rafters and steel roof, windows and a 22'x5' front deck is just $560 - because we sourced a lot of supplies free or nearly free and recycled a couple of other outbuildings that weren't being used for much.

Over the next few years we'll add cedar planking to the exterior walls and possibly insulation if we consider using it as a hunt cabin. We considered cutting and curing cedar timber to do our entire frame with it, but were too impatient to wait the 2 or 3 years that would require. But it's another way to save money, if you have access to the free timber.

Other than that, someone is always tearing down an old machine shed, garage, fire damaged building, etc... and they're happy to give away the scrap as it saves them $$$ having to haul it away to the dump, wreckers and recyclers.