So, anyone who regularly reads the Minor Rants thread has probably heard way too much about this topic since I regularly vent there about the issues with it, so I thought it might be nice to make its own thread so those who don't care about it didn't have to hear about it all the time.
Some background: The Dancer (my wife) and I have for most of the time we've been married enjoyed getting away to a national forest/state park about an hour from where we live and staying in rental cabins there. It's the perfect place to get away, and one of the only times when she really puts aside most of her work for her non-profit. About 2 1/2 years ago we thought about it and realized that we were spending a lot of money renting the cabins when we went there and got the bright idea of buying our building our own place so we could have a place to stay and possibly make some money on it.
So almost 2 years ago we found and bought an absolutely beautiful piece of property in an area that hadn't been open to buy lots in a while, and our agent (who also owns the main cabin company in the area that we rented from) recommended a builder that had built a number of the other cabins we'd stayed at, and about 13 months ago we got all of the things in line to be able to get the builder going on building the cabin. He claimed it would be a 90-day build.
A bit over a year later, after multiple stretches where nothing got done on the cabin and a dozen promised completion dates missed, we finally fired the original builder with the cabin ~70% or so done. We honestly should have done so 6-8 months ago, but were concerned that we would not be able to find a builder to pick up finishing someone else's structure, but we've found that likely would not have been a problem- and if we'd done so back then we'd have been enjoying the cabin for a while now instead of having to wait another month or two (hopefully) and possibly not have to go significantly over budget to try and get it finished and all the things the fired builder screwed up fixed.
So, we're now getting started on hopefully the final stretch with a new builder that at least so far has been almost infinitely better about communicating that the fired one was. When I'm at home later this afternoon I'll see about posting some pictures of where things are, and will be updating and adding more as things (hopefully quickly) progress.
UNfortunately, the weather is not looking like it's going to make things easy on us, with the next 10 days looking like rain- which is annoying when one of the first things they're looking to do is staining and sealing the wood siding, and I can't imagine that working well in the pouring rain...
Looking forward to your progress.
Would you mind linking the cabin rentals, as I am always looking for a new place to get away to.
I am just starting the process of a house addition, so this story fills me with dread. Hope it all works out for you!
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Sure thing- the main company in the area and where we'll likely have our listed with is Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals. Their selection has had some turnover in the last year (several of our favorite cabins were sold to a different owner who took them out of the pool to rent and manage themselves through AirBNB) but is still pretty much the best of the area. Many of their cabins have hot tubs, something we really enjoy in the winter. There's a wide variety of locations too, from ones in Cliffview which are on a paved road and more traditional utilities to some that are more off the beaten path (the two in the Cave Hollow area are in the same 'development' as our cabin is located in).
In reply to pinchvalve :
Definitely get multiple bids, and if possible talk to another builder who is not bidding about the builders you're considering to get their opinion on them. If we'd done either or both of those things from the get-go we'd likely have dodged the bullet we've been trying to repair the damage from.
Ashyukun (Robert) said:
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Sure thing- the main company in the area and where we'll likely have our listed with is Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals. Their selection has had some turnover in the last year (several of our favorite cabins were sold to a different owner who took them out of the pool to rent and manage themselves through AirBNB) but is still pretty much the best of the area. Many of their cabins have hot tubs, something we really enjoy in the winter. There's a wide variety of locations too, from ones in Cliffview which are on a paved road and more traditional utilities to some that are more off the beaten path (the two in the Cave Hollow area are in the same 'development' as our cabin is located in).
Thank you kindly. We go to Raleigh few times a year. For our next trip out to RDU, would like to book one of these ones you suggested for a few days. Thank you
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
Glad to help! Red River Gorge is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL place with lots of good hiking. If you stay in the area and are there over a weekend (Th-Su) definitely try and eat at the Red River Rockhouse, it's our favorite restaurant in the area (and is literally down the road from our cabin site).
Haven't posted about this in a week or so, at least in part because there hasn't really been anything that new to report. The new builder is working on things, but the weather wasn't the most conducive last week. We're expecting that when we go out there Friday that the powerwashing inside and out will be finished, the floor panels that needed replacing taken care of, the exterior staining done, and possibly a start on getting the windows and doors installed (can't finish it, we haven't gotten him the final door yet that the old builder somehow didn't get).
With some (OK, a LOT) of luck we'll also be finished with things with the old builder after this week. I'm far from confident that this will actually work out- but there's still a chance that things will be resolved remotely peaceably without having to involve lawyers, which would be good.
*sigh* Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I've been trying to track down who the plumber was that did the work that had been started and as such have been trying to connect with the plumbing inspector to see who pulled the permit (which is how we figured out who the electrician was). Aaaand... to absolutely nobody's surprise (including the inspector when he heard who the old contractor was) they didn't pull a plumbing permit for the site, so it's technically illegal work.
The good news is that since I'm not on city water but on a well as long as a permit is pulled going forward it's all good with the inspector, and of course we will be having whoever does the plumbing work do that... but it's just another piece of evidence that the previous builder was a real piece of work.
Wow. Ive been watching this dumpster fire for that long now? Hopefully it will be all be solved with the new general contractor
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
Over a year now (though it didn't really start off on fire, that took a month or two). We're definitely more hopeful with the new contractor, but things haven't gotten off to the greatest start with the weather last week being a problem and apparently his wife had a minor heart attack yesterday so he may be out looking after her for a bit (which can't be helped and we have no real complaints about). We're hoping though that some of the things to be done (like staining the exterior) won't require his being there and will still get moved forward while his wife recovers.
OK, so hasn't been that long since the last post... but WOW has there been a lot done. The new builder is certainly not cheap, but DOES get. E36 M3. done. In the last week the following have happened:
- Power washed interior (they left the roof beams filthy- including footprints on them- when they installed them) and exterior
- Stained entire exterior
- Replaced damaged floor panels
- Installed windows and doors (apparently required re-framing ALL of them as none of them fit properly in the openings the fired builder had cut- something else to add on to the pile if we sue the old builder)
- Finished most of the fixes to the roof (didn't have the materials to do everything, getting them today)
- Started on the exterior railing
- Started building stairs to the loft
If all goes well, by the time we're out there this weekend the roof should be totally finished, the railing outside done, the stairs to the loft done, the electrical rough-in completed, and possibly the plumbing rough-in finished. With some luck we'll be able to work out getting the rigging up to haul the hot tub up to the deck as well and have that out of the way (and my garage!) as well. Will add some pics to this thread from my phone in a bit.
So, when you go out there this weekend, can you get some pictures? I know i can't be alone in wanting to see the cabin, and the land/view that has y'all taken hostage.
These are a few the builder sent yesterday of the progress they made- I have some someplace of the property but can’t hunt them down at the moment and will at worst take more this weekend...
I just realized what the structure under the cabin reminds me of. A wooden roller coaster frame.
In reply to eastsideTim :
I can't say I wholly disagree. There's bracing that will be on it in the end that isn't now because of access to the underside during construction as well.
wae
SuperDork
7/1/19 2:42 p.m.
Wow, that is really... stilted. I'm getting vertigo just thinking about those pictures!
In reply to wae :
Yeah- the front of the main platform is 25 feet off the ground. I've largely refused to set foot on the front deck, now that it has a railling I may actually venture out there...
Ashyukun (Robert) said:
In reply to wae :
Yeah- the front of the main platform is 25 feet off the ground. I've largely refused to set foot on the front deck, now that it has a railling I may actually venture out there...
I suspect if we get to hang out with you there, Lori will be staying inside away from the deck...
Cotton
PowerDork
7/1/19 8:44 p.m.
Okay, I’m no builder, but is the bottom supposed to look like that?
It does look like a nice location.
Cotton said:
Okay, I’m no builder, but is the bottom supposed to look like that?
It does look like a nice location.
Supposed to look like what? Have all the braces? Have the pipes visible? When completed the whole bottom will be enclosed so you won't see the braces or any of the stuff under the cabin...
In reply to eastsideTim :
You guys will definitely be welcome to join us sometime, you'll just have to put up with Marley (though he's generally pretty chill when out there, it relaxes him too). The front deck and the deck forward of the screened porch are the only places kind of scary, the back deck should be safe for her.
Cotton
PowerDork
7/2/19 12:45 p.m.
Ashyukun (Robert) said:
Cotton said:
Okay, I’m no builder, but is the bottom supposed to look like that?
It does look like a nice location.
Supposed to look like what? Have all the braces? Have the pipes visible? When completed the whole bottom will be enclosed so you won't see the braces or any of the stuff under the cabin...
My comment was directed at the bracing. It wasn’t intended to be negative. I had just never seen a mountain cabin “naked” like that during the build process, so was curious. I thought some of it might be additional bracing during the build process, similar to how you brace up a car to do extensive structural work.
My wife and I rented from them in 2011 for our honey moon. Are you on the same road system as the zip lines? Have you driven the "4x4 only" off road trail? We did the whole thing in my slammed focus on accident while looking for a hiking trial head.
Good luck that's a beautiful part of the country. We will definitely be back there some day.
In reply to Shawneedawg :
The ziplines are part of the Cliffview Resort which is a few minutes further down the road. Our road is not nearly as nice (and, well- paved...) as (most of) the ones in Cliffview are. We've stayed at a number in that area though, and will be staying in one in a week and a half for the few days after the show when our family are in town.
