Rehabbing a summer cabin built in 1972

[Keim]

I bought a cabin in the woods. Nice little place on 0.5 acres, with a stream. Located in the Blue Mountains. Built in 1972, it was owned by one owner until it went into foreclosure about ten years ago. Unused since.

Plan is to fix the outside this year, and update the interior next year. Outside shows 20 years of neglect. Inside is near mint condition ca1972. Right down to the wallpaper and faux wood paneling.

I'll be doing lots of work on it over the next few months. Some I will hire out, most I'll do myself. I'll post here if anyone is interested. Let me know.

Pics show what it looked like at time of purchase.

 

[Ronstar]

Looks like a great place and a fun project! Keep us posted with your progress.

 

[Keim]

Interior is in great shape for a place in foreclosure or closed about 10 years. Looks like the set of That 70s Show. This is what it looked like on purchase. Have since replaced the door, fixed the window, and removed the wallpaper. Also brought in some furniture.

 

[MRG]

I look forward to seeing your progress. Place looks great for the lack of care over the last years.

Good luck.

 

[Major Tom]

Please do post from time to time about your progress (with pictures), so that I can live vicariously through you

The cabin and setting look great. Congratulations!

 

[pjigar]

I tried to rehab such project. My advise:
a. Do minimal fixes to keep out the elements, or
b. Destroy it and build a brand new structure from scratch.

DON'T try to upgrade to make it fancy. You will spend a lot of money and still end up with an old structure.

 

[Keim]

I tried to rehab such project. My advise:
a. Do minimal fixes to keep out the elements, or
b. Destroy it and build a brand new structure from scratch.

DON'T try to upgrade to make it fancy. You will spend a lot of money and still end up with an old structure.

Agreed. No fancy plans here. It's a part time use cabin. Not my house.

For the price I got it, about 1/3 off appraised value, its worth a rehab.

 

[Keim]

A few pictures of work so far. First to be repaired was the plumbing. I'm fortunate to have a friend that is a plumber. He gave me a good deal on replacing the old, and set it up for easy draining. I was happy to hire that out.

Next was the front door. The old was delaminating. I did the door.

 

[Keim]

Cheap 1970s windows are a good do it yourself project. This was what a past owner had jerry-rigged. I put in real glass.

Also took out the rotten front deck. We'll salvage the cedar top boards. But the supports were completely rotten.

 

[Keim]

I'm fortunate to also have a friend that is a professional forester. He came up and helped me develop a forest plan. The forest was a little thick, with some unhealthy trees near the cabin.

 

[Keim]

He also helped cut them down. That same day another friend helped me remove the rotten safety rails on the back deck, and pressure wash the place.

Pictured is the best of the 5 exposed deck supports. I'll be replacing those...

Also pictured is the oldest daughter helping me fabricate some metal supports for the replacement deck.

 

[ncbill]

Friends painted their very dark faux wood paneling white to lighten up the basement.

You can still see the 'grain' - looks good, better than I would have thought.

I assume keeping the paneling meant fewer moisture problems than if it was taken down & replaced with standard Sheetrock.

 

[Keim]

Friends painted their very dark faux wood paneling white to lighten up the basement.

You can still see the 'grain' - looks good, better than I would have thought.

That's the plan! Ought to really brighten up the place. It's dark now.

 

[ncbill]

That's the plan! Ought to really brighten up the place. It's dark now.

But just the faux paneling on the first floor, right?

Looks like it's real wood above that...which I wouldn't paint.

Because of water problems we had to rip out genuine wood paneling on the walk-in level of our place in the mountains (sob!) - replaced with Sheetrock painted off-white.

But it's still the original wood paneling above.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Love this thread--please do keep posting as the work progresses so we can, as Major Tom said, enjoy the final product vicariously along with you!

 

[Keim]

The only real wood is the big beam you see. Won't mess with that!

Must've hurt to pull yours!

 

[Keim]

I tried to rehab such project. My advise:
a. Do minimal fixes to keep out the elements, or
b. Destroy it and build a brand new structure from scratch.

DON'T try to upgrade to make it fancy. You will spend a lot of money and still end up with an old structure.

Out of curiosity, what problems did you run into?

 

[Breedlove]

Nice cabin , I built a small metal building and went through this for a retirement home . Home Depot is my friend . The only problem I had was I can do some things and most I can't so contractors in rural areas are hard to find . But consider this I have about 60.00 per sq foot in my metal building home built on a 4" concrete slab . Just west of Houston there is a builder building rural pier and beam homes starting at 178.00 per sq foot . Enjoy what you got there .

 

[pjigar]

Out of curiosity, what problems did you run into?

Like I said, too much money spent fixing. It would have been cheaper to rebuild.

 

[Keim]

Nice cabin , I built a small metal building and went through this for a retirement home . Home Depot is my friend . The only problem I had was I can do some things and most I can't so contractors in rural areas are hard to find . But consider this I have about 60.00 per sq foot in my metal building home built on a 4" concrete slab . Just west of Houston there is a builder building rural pier and beam homes starting at 178.00 per sq foot . Enjoy what you got there .

This one comes in about $60sf, and is pier and beam. The piers under the house are in good shape, tho. It seems well made for what it is.

 

[michelek]

How did you find this cabin? How much land is available? Are you on well and septic? Does it perc in other places?
If it was my place I’d add a few more cabins around if there’s room- you could always rent them out to city slickers

 

[ugeauxgirl]

we're closing on our 70's cabin by the lake tomorrow. It has been remodeled more recently than yours but we are going to update and fix gradually. Whoever owned it before us loved blue and EVERYTHING in this cabin is blue. I do not love blue. Some of it is pretty easily fixable, some is not. Every horizontal surface is covered with blue formica. the counter can stay but the kitchen table is getting a coat of paint, the coffee table and end tables will be replaced or modified, etc.

We love that its quirky- its got brass name plates on some of the doors! But some of it- someone put exterior siding (blue of course) on the inside of the bathroom. Eventually, we'll tackle that, but we want to enjoy it so not doing that this week.

The first things to go are the upholstered blue dining room chairs that look ridiculously out of place. A friend donated some that fit better. And I can't live with the blue formica backsplash, so we'll put up black chalkboard contact paper for now, and corrugated tin later. Shopping for replacement items on craigslist as we want to keep the comfy- well loved look it has.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

There are some things to address outside too- pipes that froze this winter, the breaker kicks off when you turn the heater on, and some boards in the pier need to be replaced immediately, but it is going to be a load of fun this summer!

 

[ugeauxgirl]

Keep posting- I am interested to see your progress

 

[meierlde]

There are some things to address outside too- pipes that froze this winter, the breaker kicks off when you turn the heater on, and some boards in the pier need to be replaced immediately, but it is going to be a load of fun this summer!

At 45+ years old you might want to think about changing all the breakers out as they do age. Also at that age you might check to be sure the wiring is copper.