Log cabins

[Mervyn]

has any body put any log cabins up for holiday let am currently looking into it pros and cons thanks

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Yup done 2.

can you get planning? What expected rents can you get? Ours our let on ast's so slightly different but paid for them selves in just over 6 yrs

 

[foxbox]

Yep, we're really pleased with ours!
http://www.meadowviewcottages.co.uk/log-cabin
http://www.meadowviewcottages.co.uk/log-cabin
http://www.meadowviewcottages.co.uk/log-cabin

 

[Mervyn]

Looking into planning now I can't see a reason not to give but you never know with planners picking the right spot on the farm to maximise views and to keep far enough away from farm buildings but not too far as it will make it more expensive for services going to see a planning consultant through farming connect so they will hopefully give me some useful info

 

[wilber]

Yep, we're really pleased with ours!
http://www.meadowviewcottages.co.uk/log-cabin

Very nice. How much of an investment was that cabin if you dont mind me asking?

 

[foxbox]

Very nice. How much of an investment was that cabin if you dont mind me asking?

I can't give a straight forward answer I'm afraid; we opened it in 2011 and had planning at the time for 3 so services etc went in accordingly and therefore are included in the figure. Obviously if we add the other two at some stage costs will be lower as some elements are already in place.

However; the entire build from services, ground works (footings 3m deep at one point until some sense arrived at council HQ as we were building near a tree ), construction, heat recovery system, fitting out and furnishing came in under £100k with part of that coming from the RDA. Rental income has already paid for the remainder.

It was supplied with a ridiculous amount of insulation and triple glazed windows (we've had to put forced ventilation in as a result) with a heat demand of only 4kw which proved tricky to satisfy at the time as most boilers (beyond caravan ones) were way too big. Air source heat pumps solve the problem really well now and add a huge amount of brownie points with the council too.

 

[bobk]

Yep, we're really pleased with ours!
http://www.meadowviewcottages.co.uk/log-cabin

Do you have to pay full council tax on the cabins ?

 

[foxbox]

Do you have to pay full council tax on the cabins ?

We pay business rates on them based on the number of bed spaces available. I think next year they qualify for Small Business Rate Relief though so it's not too onerous.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Did you have to fit sliders for the plastered walls? How much have the eaves dropped?

Looks lovely, in a great setting too

 

[foxbox]

Did you have to fit sliders for the plastered walls? How much have the eaves dropped?

Looks lovely, in a great setting too

Thanks!

Yes the cabin is effectively two buildings with glide rails in the cavity. The outside skin expands and contracts about 1-1.5" between a dry summer and the damper air of winter so the roof lifts up and down accordingly. The windows are attached to the inner skin so don't move, instead the outer moves around them. Obviously this isn't ideal for plaster board either so the inner skin is attached to the outer via glide rails so they can behave independently. Haven't checked with the planners to see if we're over or under height during the winter....

 

[lloyd]

Hi what is the life expectancy of the cabin?
Looks very nice by the way

 

[Doing it for the kids]

We have been told indefinitely, wood is thick enough to last so long as it gets treated every few years

Thanks!

Yes the cabin is effectively two buildings with glide rails in the cavity. The outside skin expands and contracts about 1-1.5" between a dry summer and the damper air of winter so the roof lifts up and down accordingly. The windows are attached to the inner skin so don't move, instead the outer moves around them. Obviously this isn't ideal for plaster board either so the inner skin is attached to the outer via glide rails so they can behave independently. Haven't checked with the planners to see if we're over or under height during the winter....

I didn't like the amount of timber about so we plastered most of the walls which has worked v well. The sliders are crucial though as you said, same goes for kitchen wall units, need to get it right else everything cracks!

 

[foxbox]

Hi what is the life expectancy of the cabin?
Looks very nice by the way

Urrrm....

I think as long as we look after it then it should last a very long time. The suppliers will tell you that there are timber built buildings in Scandinavia that are well over 100 years old, I wouldn't think they use the same building methods or grade of timber though. Having said that we've always considered it to be a permanent building on the farm rather than of limited life.

We're re-painting every 3-4 years as routine and the outer skin is the obvious point of weakness from both a rot and pest entry point of view. The newel posts have already shown a bit of deterioration on the ball tops but when you see the construction method it's easy to see why it has occurred. The rest of the cabin looks as good as the day we put it up as you'd hope with it only being 6 years old.