I lucked out as this is the only finished out cabin on their lot or for that matter in their current inventory. The guy was still putting the finishing touches on it and invited me to tour it.
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| I took this picture from the lot next door. You can see a small door to the right of the cabin. That is where the water heater goes. |
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| Carpenter is putting finishing touches |
I know there are many DIY (do it yourselfers) out there who are very handy and knowledgeable about construction and have the tools necessary to go about undertaking a project of this magnitude. Alas, that is not the case at least for me.
Living room
It is a beautiful one bedroom cabin with a large closet, a decent size living room, small kitchen, and full size bathroom.
Kitchen
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| Pantry |
It is 16 x 32 and sells for $35,995.00 while I know that is not cheap...it is very doable perhaps even more so if you go through a bank or lending institution and get a mortgage loan. You would do away with the $9,998.75 security deposit Derksen requires and get a more favorable interest rate thus a lower monthly payment depending on the length of time you choose to repay your loan.
It comes fully insulated, is wired for electricity, plumbing, has an A/C unit in the living room, ceiling fans, decorative lighting, flooring, water heater and a lot of other things that I am probably leaving out.
Bedroom
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| Closet doors, love the hardware. |
I went to talk to the lady who operates the lot and whom I believe is the wife of the owner. She was on the phone to a very interested customer...that is how I found out the details of this new line of cabins. I got a business card and was planning on contacting her later but I misplaced her card!
Bathroom
I do recall her name is Leah. As soon as I find her card, I will update this post. Mention my blog and you will get a discount of....absolutely nothing....jajajaja! Maybe I should have a talk with her as all the Derksen posts garnish a decent number of readers and e-mails. In particular the solar cabin post http://terlinguadreams.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-solar-cabin.html
If you are not handy like myself or just want to avoid the hassle of hiring someone to finish out your cabin...this is certainly an option you could consider.
Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
I love it, and it has everything you need in the way of space - I subscribe to a tiny house blog and many of them have a bed in the loft, or no pantry space, etc. I think this looks very liveable with lots of nice touches. I'm like you - I couldn't do any of the work myself but those who can would save a bunch of money.
ReplyDeleteI am not very good about visualizing what can be done when looking at an empty cabin. I was so surprised how much space is available to configure to your liking after seeing this set-up.
DeleteBTW thank you for having recommended the Tiny House Newsletter. I just love reading what creative people have done with very limited spaces and budgets.
Can't believe the discount available just for mentioning your name. I wouldn't have expected half that. That is a pretty neat set up though.
ReplyDeleteAs you can see my name carries...no weight whatsoever... :-(
DeleteI just love this cabin but in Terlingua I will have no water or electricity. Well hopefully electricity.
The shower and the sinks could be hooked up by 12volt pump (like an RV or Boat) but the fjush toilet would use an enormous amount of water and require a septic tank. There are better ways to get rid of poo and pee anyway. Perhaps you can order one with just the necessary features. 12 volt lighting, 12 volt car stereo, a couple of large solar panels, a water pump, maybe a small propane water heater, Rv refrigerator runs a long time on a little bit of propane. Could maybe find some of that stuff used by buying an old travel trailer or 5th wheel trailer. Composting toilets are expensive as hell but I am sure there are folks in those parts that would show you how to get around that. Folks in the desert will help you!
ReplyDeleteI will not be having something this luxurious and expensive out at my future Terlingua place Mr. Rat.
DeleteLike I mentioned to Gypsy, it is good to visualize what can be done within this space. I will have a composting toilet but I will be going the same route most people in the desert go...a homemade composting toilet.
This cabin would be great in a location that has access to electricity, sewer and water.
Dang!! That is over $70.00 a square foot!! Seems a little high to me. It is, how ever, cute.
ReplyDeleteI have not done the math on the square footage cost. However, you have to take into account that it is not easy finding qualified help in the desert that will show up when they say they will. They don't call it being on "Terlingua Time " for nothing.
DeleteYou need a pick-up and trailer to haul in stuff from Alpine or pay to have it delivered...that is if they even have it in stock. Prices for items in the area are high in comparision to urban areas.
I would not want the hassle and would pay for the convenience of a finished out cabin. However, as in my reply to Mohave Rat...I do not plan to go this route.
Just saw one yesterday, here in town. Looked like it might be a used one, but still neat. Made like your picture, with the front porch.
ReplyDeleteI just love these cabins and sometimes you can pick up a good deal on used ones. It sure beats having to set up a tent.
DeleteI'd definitely get solar panels and you can save a whole lot on electricity costs. Propane can run a fridge for a long time and of course, the kitchen stove. Oh, there is so much you can do with a place like this, and the great thing is that you can get the basics in and then do a little at a time with the rest of it, while still being able to live in it. How I would love to have something like this!
ReplyDeleteThat is why I fell in love with the solar cabin they offered when they had a Derksen Del Rio lot. I put the link in this post. For those interested that cabin is still available and can be seen in their Cotulla, Texas location.
DeleteI also liked the idea that the panels were in the roof and not so easy to steal. The guy that lived in it was running his a/c at 70 in the Del Rio heat which sounded great to me.
Not too concerned about a stove or a refrigerator as I hate to cook. I think I can make do with a good ice chest as when I go to the chili cook-off. As long as I have access to ice I should be fine.
MsB, Ron has different people to contract out finishing the buildings he sells down here. Of course as you say you run in to the Terlingua Time factor though. Also you have to pay out of pocket for that which could be pretty expensive.
ReplyDeleteI imagine Derksen is doing the same thing and if they are doing it for that company they are probably doing it for Ron now and they are probably footing the bill to have it done and adding it to the price of the building. Maybe they would even do it to the repos and you can save a bundle on those.
You could do like a lot of the single women do down here and get a boyfriend that's good at one thing and get them to add what ever. Then they break up with that guy and get another boyfriend that can do something else. Kind of under handed if you ask me, but it happens all the time down here.
OR, you can have construction parties and have your friends do it and all you do is supply beer / booze and food. Not so underhanded and it could get you where you want to be.
The idea of buying an old RV to cannibalize is a good one because the RV toilets use far less water than the residential ones do. Of course you'd have to get a septic system or sneak in a cesspool. You could also get one of the portable septic tanks from an RV dealer and take it to BBMI when it fills and dump it there for x amount of bucks.
As for the fridge, Propane fridges down here don't work worth a darn in the summer time after they get older and they are expensive as hell on top of that. For what you would pay for a GOOD propane fridge you could get one of the small Kenmore 3.1 cu ft 2 door compact refrigerators, a hundred watt solar panel and two batteries and it would run 24 hours a day without you having to buy propane. I think they only pull 23 watts and have plenty of room in the freezer unlike most small fridges. They freeze well so you could make your own ice without shelling out money for that every day to. You can see one of them at http://www.sears.com/kenmore-3.1-cu-ft-2-door-compact-refrigerator/p-04695693000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&kpid=04695693000&kispla=04695693000P&mktRedirect=y and I think they are only about 150 bucks. Keep the dream going and get here as soon as you can. ;)
This is a relative new concept for Derksen. I think most of their dealers will be offering this option soon. When I spoke to Ron about two years ago he did mention he had people who could finish it out for me...though I did not inquire about the cost.
DeleteLove that Kenmore refrigerator and you are right the freezer is large for one this size and on top of that $150.00 for a new one is a bargain price though at this time shipping is temporarily unavailable.
Thank you for all the options you offer especially because you have first hand knowledge of this and you live there full-time.
I was laughing like a mad woman when I read "the boyfriends option"...mom asked me what was so funny and I told her. She told me to tell you "Belinda can't even get a boyfriend in Del Rio to help her with the yard work much less in Terlingua and involving construction." I sure do have a comical mother...jajajaja :D
MsB, just get more Beer & Booze and it will get done. Of course no telling how well it will be done. ;)
ReplyDeleteThat is the problem...no telling what the end result would be :D
DeleteA very cute cabin indeed. But, as everyone has pointed out - you need to carefully consider your basic needs and go for those first. Any "luxuries" can come later - if, and when, you have the power to run them :)
ReplyDeleteHi Dani!
DeleteI believe there is a misunderstanding...while I think this cabin would be great for a person like myself who has no building skills...this particular cabin is too luxurious and pricey for my budget.
I would much prefer the solar cabin I featured last year on this blog. I guess we discussed it in the comments, when I should of clarified it on my post.
Either way I am still a couple of years from being able to make my move to Terlingua. Thanks for stopping by :)
The price seems really high to me for such a small cabin. That's more than I've paid for any of my real estate, 6 acres w/house in MN, 5 acres with mobile home in TN and 18 acres with house and outbuildings in MN. No way would I shell out that kind of money for a pre-built cabin no matter how cute it is. When I leave the northern area of the country this fall I plan to head to West Texas and start looking for a piece of land there. Time will tell if I can actually build my own house, but I've been scavenging materials for years, so I have a lot of the materials and tools I think I would need.
ReplyDeleteYou are right the cabin is on the high side but it would be a good option for a person looking for ready built housing that does have the skills and or the time to build one of their own.
DeleteThe Derksen buildings in Uvalde move fast because the oil boom in the area has resulted in a housing shortage. These guys get paid pretty good salaries so I don't think the price of this pre-built cabin would be an issue.
I am looking forward to following your trip to West Texas as you search for your ideal property.