Tips on Building a Rural Home or Cabin in Ferry County

Ferry County, Washington’s relatively affordable land and building costs tempt many into building or purchasing a retirement or vacation home in the area. With its pleasant views, numerous lakes and rivers, and quiet and relaxed atmosphere, it’s easy to find land or homes here that will fit your interests and lifestyle.

Once you’re decided on Ferry County, your next decision may be whether to buy an existing house or build your own on raw or partially developed property. Your decision will likely be influenced by your personal preferences, the availability of the type of property you are interested in, your budget, and the time you have to devote to the project (which may span many months or years).

Having just finished building a vacation cabin for myself and my wife, I’ve learned a few lessons that may aide you in your decision.

Buying an Existing House or Cabin

Buying an existing home has distinct advantages. Most of us have a hard time imaging what it will be like to live in a home, when all we have are building plans to work from. If you are lucky enough to find an existing home or cabin that appeals to you, you can see for yourself if the house is a good fit for you and your family, and you’ll know up front if the home’s price is within your budget. And, because the home’s purchase can be concluded in a few weeks, you can quickly begin enjoying the use of your cabin or home.

Keep in mind, if the house, out buildings, or surrounding grounds need work or remodeling to get them in the condition you want them, some of the cost benefits of buying a ready-made home may be lost. Upgrades and fixes will likely cost you more than you expect, and remodels often uncover other problems, which can be very expensive to deal with even when you are able to do the work yourself.

Building a Home or Cabin on Raw Property

Buying property and building your own home or cabin allows you to design and build the waterfront, view, or farm home you’ve dreamed of; however, before you make your decision, there are many issues and variables to consider.

“…you’re going to need patience, substantial savings or credit, and a project manager’s personality.”

Whether you build a home yourself or hire a contractor, you’re going to need patience, substantial savings or credit, and a project manager’s personality. Most of all, you need to enjoy hard work. For a variety of reasons, most building projects overrun their original estimates. When planning your building budget, a general rule of thumb is to expect cost overruns of 10% to 30% over your bid. Plan and budget accordingly.

If you anticipate that several years will elapse between the purchase of your land and the building of your home, be forewarned that building codes, zoning, and permitting rules can and do change between the time you buy and when you build. This is particularly true if your property borders a lake, river, or stream, or if you have an unconventional house plan. If you have the budget, it often pays to take advantage of current prices and regulations by clearing building areas, and installing wells and septic systems as soon as you are financially able. Also consider buying improved land that already has a septic system or well on it.

Wells and Water

If the property you are considering doesn’t have an existing well or potable water access, then you’re looking at a potentially expensive unknown. Ask your realtor or check with neighboring property owners to learn the depth and flow (gallons per minute) of nearby wells to get a better understanding of your odds of finding water or how much water you can plan on. Check into local well drilling costs. Typical well drilling runs from $25 to $35 per foot or more, plus set up fees, and additional costs for pump and pump controls, a vault or pump house, and so on. Wells can run from 50 feet to 1000 feet in depth or more and there is no guarantee you’ll hit water.

Electricity

When land doesn’t have electricity installed, check to see how far it is to the nearest power source and what it will take to bring power to the property. You’ll pay by the foot to bring power to your land. If bringing electricity to your home requires crossing your land, you will need to consider whether to run overhead or underground lines. Don’t forget that, depending on where you place them, installing overhead lines can spoil your view and reduce the value of your property.

Phone Lines

Phone lines raise issues similar to those associated with electricity. If possible, it makes good financial sense to bring phone and electricity in at the same time as much of the work and cost can be shared, particularly if you’ll be digging a ditch to bury your electricity underground.

Heating Your House or Cabin

Please note that this article is not meant to discuss the costs or merits of any particular heating fuel, but rather to help you plan for whatever type of fuel you have or are considering installing. You’ll need to consider the type of heating fuel you want if you’re building new, although some of this advice may apply if you plan to change or add a heating system to an existing house or cabin. The most commonly used and readily available heating sources in Ferry County (in no particular order) are: wood (cord or pellet), fuel oil, electricity, and propane. Fuel oil and propane tanks can be installed above ground but can also be buried, which makes them much less of a visual distraction to your home.

Also consider placement of storage tanks. They need to be easily accessed for refilling by delivery trucks, and by you, to monitor fill level. If you plan to use wood in any form you’ll need a place for storage of several cords of wood or bulk bags of pellets (usually on pallets). Dry storage away from rain and snow is helpful for cord wood, and necessary for pellets. Closer to your house means an easier haul when carrying wood to your stove. Some pellet stoves can have large exterior hoppers that are powered by electricity and automatically carry the pellets to the stove. As you can imagine, this will require more planning if building new, and possible modification if installing in an existing home.

One piece of advice, if like us, you plan to use your second home seasonally but want to keep it minimally heated during the winter to avoid serious freeze damage, you’ll have to use an oil, electricity, or propane heating system. If you choose to burn wood, when you’re away from home, you’ll require a very accommodating neighbor or family member to constantly monitor your heat, which is usually not practicable. Although more expensive to run, we went with a propane heating stove largely because it is thermostatically controlled and will run even if the power goes off (the controls run on simple AA batteries which last a year or two).

If you’re new to choosing between heating fuels, there are numerous online calculators that will compare costs of each based on your home size, quality of insulation, and desired temperature you wish to maintain.

Site Placement

When planning the placement of your home, be certain to visit the property during different times of the day and year and note how the extremes of sun or shade will affect your building plans. Consider whether your bedroom or living room windows will be drenched with sun in the morning or evening. A sunset view may seem romantic, but the late afternoon sun will also bake the interior of your home at the close of every day. This isn’t a reason to avoid buying a western-facing view home…but recognizing the potential issues will allow you to minimize its affects when looking to buy an existing house or during the design phase of home building.

Considerations When Building or Buying a Home

Communal Water

If the house or property you’re thinking about buying has water, but its source is communal, make sure you understand and agree to the terms and conditions of its use. Some community agreements have myriad rules and restrictions, monthly costs, and other fees, so read contracts carefully and ask questions if something is not clear.

Access to Your Home or Land

Don’t dismiss the effort it takes to access your property. Steep or winding dirt roads can seem easy to traverse in the summer, but become difficult or treacherous when covered with winter snow or ice. Also, consider what it will take to get large trucks (for wells and construction) up the road to the property. Roadwork can be expensive and in some areas restricted. Fortunately, rural builders and contractors are typically more comfortable delivering supplies to out-of-the-way building sites. If you hope, someday, to use your vacation home as a fulltime residence, easy access to your land is even more essential. For example can a fire, UPS, or USPS truck reach your home easily?

If the drive or road to the property is shared with your neighbors (see Easements) make sure its legal description is clear and that you understand and agree with the terms. Ask how often the roads are improved or maintained and, if there’s a cost, how much you’ll be expected to shoulder of the road you’ll be expected to pay for.  If you’ll be dealing with snowy conditions, remember to ask if your road is plowed regularly, and if so, by whom and whether there there’s a cost involved.  If it’s not, don’t panic; invariably you’ll find multiple local businesses that specialize in snow plowing for a fee.

“One particularly nice view lot we considered buying was crisscrossed by four easements, which effectively eliminated any viable building site.”

Easements

Always check for easements and land use restrictions BEFORE you buy. Insist on seeing the plot plan or plat. If the realtor you are working with can’t provide you with this information, the local planning department will help you. Be aware that easements can involve more than a road or driveway through your property. There are also utility easements for power or telephone lines, or buried gas or water pipes. One particularly nice view lot we considered buying was crisscrossed by four easements, which effectively eliminated the best building sites.

The Surrounding Neighborhood

If the land surrounding your property is open or undeveloped, consider how it will be developed years from now or how it will affect your property values, views, etc. Factor the possibilities in your plans.

To make certain your home will have quiet, privacy, or quality most important to you, consider your future neighbors. Everyone’s idea of recreation is different and may not fit with yours. No one wants to spend lots of money on a home or cabin, only to end up next to neighbors who raise early-rising roosters or who run an amateur motocross course on their land. Find out what the zoning allows in your area.

Sun, Shade, and Weather

Often overlooked is the weather in the area. How hot is it in the summer or cold in the winter? Will your home always be exposed to the sun or will it always be shaded? Will your land enjoy light breezes or steady gale-force winds? A friend of mine wound up selling his retirement home in Western Washington, because the wind in the area never let up and it made it nearly impossible for him to get any outdoor projects done or enjoy a relaxing moment on his deck.

So, before you build or buy, consider how your expectations for your future home are supported by the layout and location of the land. First, walk the property. The larger the property the more important this becomes. This allows you to get a better feel for the place, check for suitable building sites, and see what borders the property. Look for evidence of standing water or wet areas, old or unused septic systems, water erosion, or areas where hillsides have slid, and so on. Be aware of neighbors who may be using the property for storing, dumping, or road access to their own property without having a proper easement. Look for well-worn roads, trails or paths that don’t appear to be part of the property. All these can lead to bigger problems if not understood or planned for. Sometimes if the problem is severe, it can make the property worth avoiding.

Financing

Getting financing for raw or recreational property is generally more difficult than home financing in that it requires larger down payments and higher interest rates. Fewer lenders are willing to give you loans on raw property. This is why you see “owner will finance or carry” on many advertisements for undeveloped properties. Most owner-financing arrangements are advantageous for both owner and buyer, but always be mindful of the terms of the contract, particularly interest rate, early payoff penalties, hidden fees or terms.

Legal Advice

If you’re using owner provided financing, or if there are easements or communal services involved in the purchase of your property, I’d recommend you spend some time with an independent real estate lawyer to review the contract. A few bucks spent with a lawyer could save you major headaches and money in the future.

Building Permits

Every big city dweller I know who’s tried to build or modify a home has a tale of woe to tell about unhelpful, urban planning departments with their incomprehensible and arbitrary permitting processes. Speaking from experience, the folks at the Ferry County Planning Department are a pleasure to work with. They’re up to date on current building practices, willing to provide good advice, and easy to work with when scheduling inspections.

Where to start

Typically, the first step in finding the ideal vacation or retirement home is to form a good relationship with an area realtor who understands your goals, and won’t waste your time asking you to drive or fly in to see land or homes that don’t fit your needs or budget. They will also be able to recommend local contractors, electricians, well drilling companies, etc.

Ask lots of questions, do your research online to make sure you understand the basics of the buying process before you start, especially if you are new to the process. It will make you a more informed buyer and will help in avoiding costly mistakes.

Acknowledgements & Disclaimer

Article by C. Lawrence, first published on November 25, 2008.  Updated on January 19, 2012.

Neither FerryCounty.com or C. Lawrence make any claims as to the accuracy of his information. He is sharing personal observations and opinion that he’s gathered and formed while building his own cabin.