The Hunting Cabin – 5 Things You Should Consider Before Buying
October 29, 2021 Shed Blog
Are you dreaming of returning from your long and vigorous day of hunting to a warm and inviting cabin of your very own?
Instead of sleeping in your truck, traveling into town, or camping out in the cold, imagine driving up to your very own cabin. As you unlock its front door, warm air lingers and greets you from the wood stove in your rustic living room.
Then with a mug of hot chocolate or cider, you kick back on your favorite recliner, close your eyes, and relax!
You deserve it.
If you are longing for a similar experience and ready to tackle the beginning steps of research, this blog will help answer some of the common questions surrounding hunting cabins.
Now let’s stop shooting the breeze and get to it!
5 Things You Should Consider Before Buying a Hunting Cabin
Let’s go over 5 questions that are highly searched by people seriously considering a hunting cabin.
1. What is a Good Size for a Hunting Cabin?
The ideal size for a hunting cabin would range between 200 – 600 square feet of space. Basically, either a one, two-, or three-room hunting cabin. Often, most avid hunters are satisfied with a small one to two-room cabin with the basic and rugged necessities
Ideal Hunting Cabin Sizes Broken Down
200 Square Feet Hunting Cabin – This allows you to have a small bathroom, tiny kitchenette, and living room/bedroom (of course if you choose a lofted cabin, you can put your bed up there and use the first floor for more living room space).
400 Square Feet Hunting Cabin– Allows you to enjoy a bit more expanded version of the above…a small bathroom, tiny kitchenette, living room/bedroom.
600 Square Feet Hunting Cabin – Allows you to enjoy space for a separate bedroom, cozy living room area, small dining room space, small kitchenette, and bathroom.
What Size of Hunting Cabin Do Timberline Barns Recommend?
Our recommendation is 360 or 460 square feet, which is either a 12×30 or 12×34 sized hunting cabin. Also, we highly recommend the lofted hunting cabin style for maximizing your available space to the fullest.
Why?
Well, based upon hunters’ popular sediment, a good size for a hunting cabin basically includes enough space for a bed, a couch and/or recliner, a small table, wood stove, small kitchen area, and bathroom (an outhouse works too).
Oh, and of course, sufficient wall space for your rustic cabin paraphernalia aka… a deer head or two. 😊
Sometimes, small and cozy goes farther than large and luxurious when it comes to hunting cabins. Just check out My Self Reliance’s Shawn James and his small off-grid hunting cabin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vIYNt78Ddc&list=PL-UbUksm4nPlS04-okqRIN1GOMaky6UGh&index=4
However, you know yourself best, so pick the size that will fit your expectations for a cozy and enjoyable hunting cabin.
Oops, getting ahead of the questions a bit, let’s discuss next, what all does a hunting cabin need.
2. What does a Hunting Cabin Need?
All a hunting cabin needs is a comfortable space to sleep, eat, and chill out. In other words, a bed, a space for a wood stove, a minimalist kitchenette, a comfy chair or two, and a table. Walls, or underneath your bed, offers a great place to store hunting gear and weapons.
There are three ways of determining for yourself what all you want to include inside your hunting cabin.
Which category does your personal hunting cabin style most closely fall into?
- The Off-Grid Cabin w/ Necessities
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- Outhouse
- Wood stove for heating and cooking
- Space for a bed, comfy chairs, and table
- No plumbing
- Solar Powered or generator-powered
- The Fully Functional Cabin w/ Basic Necessities
-
- Plumbing
- Electricity
- Bathroom
- Tiny Kitchenette – Sink, fridge, counter
- Space for sleeping, comfy chairs, and a table
- The Luxurious Cabin w/ all the Works
-
- Extra bedroom(s) for sleeping
- Functional kitchen – sink, fridge, microwave, dishwasher, counter, cupboards
- Living room and dining area
- Bathroom
- Plumbing
- Electricity
- AC & Heating system
A hunting cabin does not require piles of money or effort to effectively and comfortably provide you with a space for sleeping, eating, and chilling before hitting the woods or water.
However, as the saying goes, …” one man’s dream is another man’s nightmare.” Make sure you chose what is right for you!
3. How Much Does It Cost to Build a Small Hunting Cabin?
The cost for building a small hunting cabin varies depending upon the building route you take (DIY, stick-built, or prefab), its size, the intricacy of design, special additions or customizations, level of interior remodel, etc. However, prices usually range on average from $7,000 – $150,000.
Breaking Down the Average Costs by the Building Routes
DIY – Cost can range from $7,000 to $60,000
Custom Stick Built – Cost can range from $90,000 – $150,000
Prefab– Cost can range from $8,000 – $100,000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_u6AT7dRfw&t=4s
Check out Prefab Cabin Cost Explained to learn more detailed pricing of prefab cabins.
Final Cabin Cost Considerations
A key consideration to keep in mind with the above costs of a small hunting cabin is that the prices range based on desired interior design, plumbing, electricity, etc.
An off-grid small hunting cabin will fall on the cheaper side $7,000 – $90,000, while a fully functional hunting cabin will fall closer to $15,000 – $100,000. Obviously, if you are wishing for a small luxurious hunting cabin with all the works, expect to hit $60,000 – $150,000.
View Prefab Small Hunting Cabins
4. What Makes a Hunting Cabin a Cabin?
It is really you, the hunter, who makes a hunting cabin a cabin. Yes, you, your hunting equipment, and the outdoor adventures you share around your cabin’s supper table. It does not matter whether your cabin is a small prefab shed, a small stick-built shack, an RV, or a tiny house.
Camouflage, pocketknives, hunting weapons, and beef jerky will make any space feel like a hunter’s domain.
Traditionally, though, a hunting cabin is considered a cabin if it is rustic looking and filled with hunting décor and rugged touches. Location matters little if you have a wooden structure filled with hunting gear and décor.
1. Do You Need to Own the Property for Your Hunting Cabin?
Yes, most of the time you will need to own the property on which you hope to add your hunting cabin. Another possible option would be to set your cabin on leased land. Some landowners who lease hunting or regular land might be flexible, especially if your cabin is portable if necessary.
Check out 4 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Portable Storage Building to better understand the benefits of choosing a portable cabin (especially if you are considering the prefab cabin route, since prefab sheds and cabins fall into the portable category).
However, it makes sense if you are going to have a permanent structure to own the land. Purchasing land, especially hunting land, can be quite pricey especially in Virginia but check out these 12 Benefits of Owning Recreational Land that May Surprise You.
Also, you might find Top Tips on Buying Recreational or Hunting Land in Virginia helpful as well.
Plus, when thinking about the expense of buying hunting land, building or buying a small hunting cabin helps cut back on the overall cost as well. Not to mention the pleasant fact that you do not have to pay to hunt on private land, since you own it.
Pretty sweet thoughts, eh?
Check out hunting land for sale in Virginia to begin some serious dreaming.
Whether you wish to add a hunting cabin to hunting land or to a regular plot of vacant forest, for further land buying empowerment, check out A Guide for Buying Vacant Land for Sale for Your Cabin.
Get Your Very Own Small Prefab Hunting Cabin Today!
It is time to take your hunting excursions to the next level!
No more sleeping out in the cold or wasting precious time and money finding the nearest hotel. Your very own small hunting cabin will be your best catch yet!
You have the hunting skills down. No sweat now with finding your trophy hunting cabin!
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