We currently rent a 85 yr old house on a working farm and like it a lot, but we have fallen in love with the 150+ year old (original settlers) log cabin that sits behind the house. My landlady is 90 and was born in the cabin. Her daughter (62+) now runs the farm and doesn't really care for the cabin. The grandkids (late 30's) hate it and some of them even want to burn it!

The cabin is in good shape because someone put metal siding on it years ago. We want to buy the cabin and move it, but we don't have the money to buy land yet. I'm worried that the grandkids might actually torch it as soon as their grandmother dies. I have thought of offering to the buy the cabin from her now with the understanding that we would move it later, but don't know how much to offer.

Does anyone have any ideas how I would go about "pricing" the cabin?

-- Margarete (forpippin@earthlink.net), March 18, 2002

Answers

tell them you would like the "logs", maybe they will give them to you,, and you can dismantle them, with nuumbers, so its easy to get them back together

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 18, 2002.

I bought a 19 X 17 5 years ago for $1300 and have seen them go from free on up.The man I bought it from says it cost $100 to replace a hand hewn log(this is midwest pricing).It takes a lot of work to tear them down and move them.Maybe offer her $500 and that you will take it down but be prepared for some heavy ,dirty labor. Good luck in this endeavor,Terry

-- Terry Lipe (elipe@fidnet.com), March 18, 2002.

Friend of mine offered me a 30x30 log barn, for $200 Canadian. I doubt I'll have time to dismantle it but maybe.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), March 18, 2002.

I bought one for 150 dollars a while back. If you take it down yourself, move it your self, put it back up your self, hopeing you have the ability to lift the logs and the whole thing doesn't collaspe and kill you, you can do it your self. Mine collasped when I took the king pins out of the corners, almost broke a leg was on crutches for two weeks. It was a bid situation, 23 people applied for a sealed bid form, but after checking on the cost of takeing down and moving and putting back up mine was the only bid recived. And before it was over I thought I should have dropped mine into the trash. Don't pay too much.

-- David in North Al. (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), March 19, 2002.

Tell them that you will remove it from their sight, for free, but might ask a fee for all the work you are doing for them, don't want to sound to anxious.

Ross, have your friend put the 30X30 log barn on the barter board run by Chuck, am sure he can get that price for it or something he wants in trade.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), March 19, 2002.

I would also make sure that your "understanding to move it later" was in writing and that it was binding after her death so someone can't torch it later or make you move it immediately. You would probably have to commit to a certain amount of time thatwas going to set there though rather than a vague answer of sometime in the future? I don't now though...

-- Novina in ND (homespun@stellarnet.com), March 19, 2002.

I will if I decide not to take it. Would make a nice on farm store for my wifes soaps, and wool stuff. Problem is I'm not sure she wants the wool stuff as much as it would take to make a store work here. I could use it for some other things too, I need to talk to a neighbor who's taken one down maybe pay him to look at it.

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), March 19, 2002.

Thank you for the pricing and advice. We will feel our way with this endeavor. They could actually use the cash for newer farm equipment, but actually getting them to sell it might take some work. I am not worried about getting stuck with cabin if we weren't able to move it as I know that the State historical society had tried to buy it and my husband's (well-to-do) boss would also like to buy it.

I know someone at work who hired a couple of Amish men to help her build a log cabin. We might be able to hire some of them to help with the dismantling. Thanks again.

-- Margarete (forpippin@earthlink.net), March 20, 2002.

About 27 years ago, we were serving at Red Bird Mission in Ky and bro- in-law phoned to tell us a log house in neighboring town was for sale. Bought it over phone for $400, took a week off from Red Bird, dismantled house, marked logs, moved them about 25 miles and stored in our half of shared warehouse. some of the guys thought it would make good firewood! A year or so later, we were back in Illinois, found 40 acres and began to re-build the house. Used the original flooring, ceiling tongue-and-groove, ceiling exposed beams, bathtub, windows, doors, etc. Added new upstairs with board and batten siding. Since that time, we were given 3 more cabins, 2 of them are one-room, the other has upstairs. One is finished, one nearly so, third one about half done. We had to clean up the site after moving the logs. The only way to move a log house is mark the logs and dismantle. We love our house! Put it in edge of woods, about 1/4 mile from gravel road, made a pond and planted 900 apple trees between the house and the road. Have been thinking about renting out cabins for weekends, etc., but at ages 66 and 71, I think we're getting a little "agey". When log houses are destroyed, history is destroyed. Our main house was built in the '20's with logs hauled from Arkansas on a Model T truck. The other cabins are much more than 100 yrs old. One has a notch cut in a log at eye-height, probably so a gun could be fired at bear or whatever. By the way, the heavy logs were hoisted with a tractor and block and tackle, I think. Hope this helps.

-- GibsonGirl in s.e.Illinois (bobtravous@email.com), March 20, 2002.