The perfect cabin is the one where you feel most at home. There’s no reason to expand your space if you’re comfortable in a one-room, cottage-style cabin. Equally, there’s nothing wrong with a multi-story, modern cabin with all the luxuries of modern life.
If you decide to expand your cabin, you’ll need to make a few tactful changes to how you design the space. Resist the temptation to fell a few trees and stick them onto the end of your existing structure without any forward planning. Instead, plan your floor space carefully to prioritize factors like natural light, wind protection and structural soundness.
You’ll likely need to gain a building permit before building an extension for your cabin. You may be out in the woods, but government agencies are beholden to protecting the natural environment around your cabin and won’t take kindly to unauthorized building projects.
Concrete Logs
The idea of felling trees and building your own cabin may be alluring if you consider yourself an outdoors person. However, if you’ve ever tried chopping firewood or clearing a bush, you’ll know that working with lumber is tough. You can’t just fell any tree on your property, either, as most states protect trees by law.
Instead, consider opting for concrete logs. Concrete logs may seem like a non-natural option at first, but they could be an eco-friendlier option than lumber. The benefits of concrete logs include:
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Minimal/no upkeep costs
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Reduced risk of pests entering your cabin
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Resistant to wildfire
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Longer lasting than wooden logs
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Lower costs over the long term
These benefits are hard to overlook if you’re serious about expanding your cabin and adding some extra living space. Opting for concrete will also pay dividends in the future, as you won’t need to worry about wildfires setting your cabin ablaze or pests getting into your home when you’re away for months on end.
Consider Modular
Off-site modular construction is on the rise — and for good reason. Modular construction building plans offer reduced waste, shorter project timelines, minimal risk of weather delays and safer job sites for workers. They can lower costs and may speed up build time.
However, modular construction does not offer a lot of variety. As such, you’ll need to find a set of plans and prints that already align with your aesthetic and work well with your existing designs. You’ll also need to speak with construction specialists to ascertain whether your modular plans are compatible with the structure that you already own. You don’t want to order a modular building just to find it won’t fit on your site.
If you do opt for modular, be sure to check that you can get the structure to your site effectively. You may need wider roads than first anticipated, and you should make it very clear that you are adding to your cabin in the woods rather than ordering a structure for your backyard. This will save you money, help you navigate any potential hurdles and ensure that you settle on a design that you’re happy with.
Raising Some Funds
The idea of expanding your cabin is appealing to many. However, you may be put off by the prospect of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new bedroom, porch, patio or pool room. Reluctance is entirely understandable — particularly if you only visit the cabin a few times a year.
Alleviate some of the financial pressures associated with expanding your cabin by exploring lines of credit. You can quickly raise secured funds by putting up money from savings as collateral and may be able to raise cash for essential modifications. Lines of credit are an effective way to pay for home improvements, but you must be aware of drawbacks like:
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High interest rates
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Extra fees
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Failure to budget for variable rates
If you don’t want to raise funds via a secured line of credit, you may want to explore a few methods to raise extra funds for your cabin. You can turn your cabin into a profitable venture by:
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Preparing to rent your cabin by purchasing decors, scheduling cleaning and buying amenities for guests
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Investing in marketing to increase your appeal (e.g. high-quality photos, video tours and compelling descriptions)
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Setting competitive pricing that will maximize occupancy while protecting your income
Renting your space out will quickly raise some much-needed funding and incentivize you to carry out expansions. Once you do raise some funding, consider profit-boosting expansions like:
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Pools and hot tub areas
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En suites for guest rooms
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Patios and wrap-around porches
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Increased driveway space for extra guests
Of course, these expansions should align with your overall goals for the space and should primarily serve your and your family's needs. That said, it’s unlikely anyone will grumble about a new bathroom, a bigger hot tub or an outdoor space to roast some smores.
Conclusion
Expanding your cabin can be as straightforward as ordering a modular design from a trusted firm and paying an architect to carry out the installation. Now is the time to invest, too, as reports show an increase in revenue spending. You can get ahead of the rental competition by installing a few cost-effective, profit-boosting upgrades that make your cabin into a profitable venture and ensure that you’re able to fund future expansions to serve your needs.
