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Tarmetto
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2015 10:18pm
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Our plan "A" was/is to build a 20 x 30 1.5 story with a loft. Our plan "B" was to have a large shed delivered and convert it to a cabin.
Our plan "B" is becoming more attractive due to the mess that has taken months for us to close on the property, and the unexpectedly high quotes that we've received for getting the 20 x 30 dried in.
We've found a repo 14 x 40 cabin/shed shell that looks new...for $7k delivered.
Just wondering how many builders have gone with their "plan B".
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Malamute
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 02:56am - Edited by: Malamute
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I'm on plan B or C. The little cabin I'm in was supposed to be temporary, and be a guest cabin later, but things sort of changed. After my Adventure in Matrimony! didnt go quite as I thought it should, followed not long after by the housing market crash, I havent been able to afford building my "real house". I'm planning on adding on to the the little cabin, doubling the main footprint, then adding two small rooms, an office/reading room on one end, and a small greenhouse/sunroom on the other end. It can be a nice little house with that stuff. Living full time in a 14x18 cabin sounds cute or interesting, but after several years, it can also drive you up the wall because its so small.
If life doesnt agree with your plan A, be flexible enough to figure out whats realistic for plan B, C or whatever.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 03:17am
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Well, without getting into any big details... We are on Plan-D and possibly edging onto Plan-E. Curves, twists, turns, a pinch of Murphy's Laws (boy he's at the top of my hit list) and life in general. We are calling it "Organic Planning" but it is happening regardless (read as Hell or High water) and moving forward. Trick is to adapt, overcome & go with the flow of changes without letting it get ya down...
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Pookie129
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 03:45am
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As the others have indicated, we are on plan b, or c, 2.0
Steve S said it - Cabin Living, Murphy's Law and Life, means always having a plan B, C, D, E, F, etc....lol.
As the saying goes - it is not the strong that survive, it is the most adaptable  Cabin Dwellers are adaptable people
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 06:03am
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Haha, already there! I was planning -- and got my quote -- on a 16 X 20 with an additional mudroom on the front. I was going to have a bedroom on the first floor and use a half-loft for storage (and makeshift sleeping for guests, if need be).
But, now, I just want to get to Oregon and begin the life so I've altered the plan to a simpler 16 X 16 design, full loft for my bedroom, no mudroom on the front. It will better lend itself to improvements and a mudroom will go on the side in the near future.
It dawned on me that I don't have to get planning approval to add on rooms that don't increase the size of the place hugely or change the use. So, ha! Getting a smaller place inspected and approved will go much faster and easier.
And this, too, could change.
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rmak
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 08:01am
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Exactly, Julie. Don't leave out plans C-through-Z. As my wife and I approach retirement, and impending mobility issues, we are looking at all kinds of options. Yesterday we were talking about the possibility of buying a ranch style log home kit and building it right next to our small cabin so we don't have to negotiate the stairs in our old farmhouse. Sometimes I wish that there weren't so many options.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 09:28am
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You can also included plan A of s signed contract to purchase one property far from home only to have his ex wife nix the deal on the 11th hour after waiting over 6 months .
Plan B is a fixer upper much closer to home.
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creeky
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 11:03am
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Malamute your story made me lol. probably because it so completely captures my adventures.
things worked out for me tho. I built a solar shed. a washroom. converted a 12x20 cabin and when that got to small I added a summer tent and then this fall built the chalet my winter bedroom.
plan B rules.
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beachman
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 11:26am
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We went with plan A and after getting the sticker shock later (nevermind all the humping to our remote spot) might have gone with plan B. Now that it's done, happy with plan A but no where near finished. Solar is a whole new world to me and just starting to get my head around it - very exciting tho. Thanks for the great info on this site.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 11:35am - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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I ended up with plan B. I was going to built an upstairs on my place (Whitehorse II VS Whitehorse) . I had the plans already. But time was a factor. Now I'm glad I didn't. I utilized the entire attic for storage, its fully sheeted on top with plywood (NO OSB, illegal in anything I build) and went with a 16X18 footprint. But the way the gables are, I can easily extend right off the back to add a full bedroom, bathroom etc. The kicker here, I did frame with the 2X6, so I could still add the full bedroom upstairs if I wanted to later.
So original footprint somewhat small, but extendable.
I would have to frame in a door for the back bedroom access if I extended out the back. If you wanted it fully opened, build in a large header on the smaller design, then you can open up the wall at another day, avoid running any wire through the area to be removed later etc.
If you want to grow old at your place, think again about the loft and stairs for bedroom. Stairs are bad enough with age, loft stairs could be much harder.
Just saying.
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Malamute
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 12:55pm - Edited by: Malamute
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I'm not geezerly,...yet, but have no interest in lofts at all. I'm stiff and sore enough I simply dont care to deal with a ladder or steep stairs, not to mention the dog cant get up a ladder or steep stairs easily, and theres no way in the world I'm carrying her up.
In my "real house" concept, it has a full basement, but also has planned, or installed, an elevator.
Both my folks have stairs in their houses they need to deal with, and its a problem for them.
If I want whatever extra space a loft implies, I'll add on to the cabin for living space, or do a crawl space or basement for storage.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 04:31pm
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Well, initially, I didn't want a loft bedroom and stairs, either, because I have Lupus and wonky joints. HOWEVER, the more I thought about it, I think it will be psychologically important for me to have that other "living" space. It will make cabin living feel bigger, especially during the winters. I've never lived in a small space 24/7, 365. And I'd already planned to have a good futon downstairs for guests. I can sleep there when I'm not feeling so great.
Stair location is negotiable. As I've done at my current home, you can adjust the angle of the slope and the size of the steps to some degree.
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Snuffy
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2015 05:02pm
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I already went to plan "B" but that's not working too well either. I was going to do the build myself but due my mother's medical problems and the fact that our property is 8.5 hours away, I decided to sub out a lot of it. Last thing I want is to get a load of materials on site and have to come home for an emergency. They won't be there when I get back. All I want is a dried in shell that will enable me to store materials under lock and key and now the cold weather is holding that up! Yikes!
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Jim in NB
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2015 05:52am
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Started with plan A - a 20'x24' camp - bought the land in the fall with plans to build the next summer. That winter an inheritance came my way so went to plan B - 32'x24. The main camp has been completed for several years and I am piddling away at the other little things - dock, sheds, walkways, etc - should be finished this summer (I've been saying that for three years now!) Other than the main building things have kind of evolved based on some general ideas and no fixed plans - that has been very enjoyable and relaxing.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2015 01:43pm
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Geez, Plan C might be in the works. I just discovered that the guy I bought my land from has another parcel in the same area that came available with power and phone on it. I could do a solar grid tie and qualify for a cash grant to help pay for my PV system if I could switch my equity to that land. Beautiful parcel, with better major road access, too. I've got a call in.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2015 09:44pm
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Can you have them both? Are they butting up to each other? I had another 20 come up right next to mine last summer. Needless to say, I own 40+ acres now. 
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RiverCabin
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# Posted: 14 Jan 2015 08:39am
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Steve_S hit the nail on the head with, "Organic Planning".
I purchased my property with a mobile home on it and repairing that was my Plan A. My wife didn't join in Plan A so a few years later I moved on to plan B.
Plan B was like the OPs. I found a repoed 12x30 shed delivered for 4,500 so we went that route. A few years and a couple kids later and we realized that the shed wasn't big enough. On to Plan C.
We are at Plan C now and have completed closing in part of the porch for a separate bedroom. We would be on to Plan D (A completely separate new cabin) except for the fact that an adjacent piece came up for sale and it had to be for cash. That has left my expansion plans (and funds) in a bit of a slump.
Likewise my power plans have changed over 13-14 years of ownership. Originally we were on grid (Plan A). I purchased a Honda EU2000 in 06 and we went off grid with the plans of a solar system (Plan B). The solar never materialized as I was afraid of theft so in 2014 we went back on grid (Plan C).
I have actually come to enjoy the constant change in plans as the cabin has become one of my primary hobbies over the years. Just the other night my wife said, "I can't wait to see what you have in store for the cabin this year". I haven't decided yet but I'm thinking I could make a pretty slick waterslide to the river for not a whole lot of money.
Feel free to check out my profile to see how we finished out our repo shed.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2015 09:55pm
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Can you have them both? Are they butting up to each other? I had another 20 come up right next to mine last summer. Needless to say, I own 40+ acres now.
Hi Toyota,
No, they're about a mile or so apart. But the point is moot now, anyway, since grid-tie is SO not an option! I went to Pacific Power's website to get an estimate on the cost of taking power from the road to the cabin and YIKES! It costs a bloody fortune! I'll stick with off-the-grid solar!
With my health issues, I don't want to be thoroughly isolated but I was a bit bummed to see that the parcel next to mine sold recently. Hopefully, there will be enough of a buffer with all of the trees and the fact that both parcels are 2.5 acres. Maybe they won't build for a while.
I hope they enjoy the chatter of guinea fowl!
Julie
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2015 11:05pm
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Julie, borrow some old cars, refrigerators, set them up around the place, hog pens, chickens, especially roosters. It will drive them away.
They may have just bought it for an investment too. May do nothing with it.
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Julie2Oregon
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2015 11:10pm
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Oh, I DO plan to have some laying hens in time, Toyota! Along with the aforementioned guinea fowl -- four dudes that I plan to name after The Ramones!
As for the rest, I think that would drive ME away, hahahahaha!
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SandyR
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# Posted: 17 Jan 2015 06:12pm
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We have hens and a rooster. I adore them.
We went with plan B and I am glad that we did. Plan A was a shed on skids. Plan B was a pole barn cabin. It's bigger than we thought we could do.
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moregon
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 09:47pm
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I haven't actually gotten far enough in my quest.
My plan A was to pay off the property by the end of 2014. Did that....
Now I have to settle on a cabin/cottage. There are way to many options for a chick, IMO. Just when I think I have one picked out, I see a different one that I like better! I'm so friggen indecisive, I can't sand it! Jeez!!!!
Its like when I have an idea for a quilt....then I get to the fabric store and there are literally hundreds of fabric color schemes. I end up walking around the damn store for a few hours, totally confused, and end up leaving with nothing.....so dumb.
Anywho........
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Just
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 10:41pm
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If I have one regret in life it's procrastination . Pic a road and go down it , there will be a fork in the trail ahead and you must choose again '
plan A,B,C,D ECT.
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deryk
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# Posted: 16 May 2015 11:01pm
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yeah I procrastinate on ideas a lot myself. It's just for 1, but want something that could be expanded on.
I kind of like this idea, dormer on each roof side for some more loft room, but with an 8' wide porch that i could pull in and enclose for a downstairs bedroom for when I get old. URL
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