Build this Cabin for Under $5,000

When I came across this article/guide, I knew that I had to share it.  Most of you probably don’t have a chunk of land to build something like this on, but for those who do, you will love this simple cabin plan.  The plans come for free from Mother Earth News.  I am not sure of the year that the $5,000 figure comes from, but hey, a simple cabin plan is always worth a look.  

There are some construction techniques that are a little more old school that what you would typically see in new construction today.  The floor is tongue and groove (T&G) instead of plywood and many of the joints call for techniques that add a lot of strength, but can probably be sidestepped.  The top of the porch posts are notched, mitered, and lag bolted, the sill framework has a half lap joint at the corners and there are rafter supports that are notched in where you might see simple blocking today.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/print.aspx?id={01269B31-2863-4866-913E-7147CF196A34}

The plan includes a complete material list that you can utilize to price your items and see how close you are able to get to the $5,000 figure.  There are areas where you can probably replace the material with other items to save a bit.  These areas will give you an opportunity to make this your own.

Good luck with this project should you choose to move forward.  If you don’t build with this, it couldn’t hurt to review the plans for future consideration.  A technique picked up here and there will often lead to a better project in the future and might even give you the knowledge to build something properly when the time comes.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/cozy-cabin-zmaz06jjzraw.aspx?PageId=1