Have you ever dreamed of buying a plot of land and building a wooden cabin with your own two hands? Fortunately, dreams can be reality if you have about $20,000 CAD and a bit of spare time on your hands.
This New Brunswick off-grid cabin was built over two years by a seasonal worker from out-of-province. When asked about how long it took to build, he remarked "It's been 2 years, but that's probably because I live 14 hours away. Not a weekend getaway for me, that's for sure."
The 10' by 10' cabin is about an hour from Fredericton and was built from a kit from a Canadian company, Bunkie Life, that sells for $18,000 CAD. The kit arrived in a "surprisingly compact" bundle of about 5' by 5' by 16'; approximately $3,000 in other materials were used for construction.
Getting It Built
The cabin was built entirely from Northern Spruce with an American Chestnut stain, and metal roofing. The walls aren't insulated but are a double tongue and groove construction, cutting down on any drafts.
Construction was done over a few weeks spanning across two years, including site prep; the kit itself was 'quite easy' to assemble. The owner had a couple of extra sets of hands for getting the main roof beams in place which he remarked as being the most difficult part.
"The roof was pretty steep, but I bought a harness and made do."
Permits? Not too bad.
The kit came with an "engineer stamped drawing" which made permitting much easier, as it could be submitted directly to the county via email. Otherwise, it only took a $50 development permit and a quick check-in from the county during construction to get everything squared away.
Buildings under 625 square feet in New Brunswick intended for overnight accommodation are exempt from a building permit provincially, though local rules may vary.
Looking Inside
The interior features the main level with a couch and TV, powered by a portable power bank that powers the setup for about 30 hours.
Upstairs features roomy sleeping quarters, twinkle lights and a pair of windows that open to the forest outside.
What's Next?
Future plans include adding insulation to the roof and a wood-burning stove in the fall. A truly off-grid cabin, there's no plumbing or power but it would be possible if desired.
"You could frame the interior, or even just one interior wall if you planned for all plumbing and wiring to go in one area."
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