Complete Cabin Renovation on a SERIOUS budget!

We are finally done with updating our cabin.  This was a big project with a tight deadline.    If I didn't know before, I certainly know now how much my husband loves me.  Here is the new kitchen, it is 100% built and designed by us.  You could say I had my very own little fixer upper moment, but instead of a six figure reno budget, we did ours on a $4-$5,000 budget. 

It started out quite small(as most projects do), but grew when we realized how much water damage was in the cabin. The pictures don't do the smell justice. We were in the process of trying to sell this property but not getting any decent offers. So it was time to renovate....  Our timeline was short because we wanted to rent it for the summer (it's a lakehouse) to recoup our renovation expense.  We didn't want to spend a lot of money, so we knew we had to salvage and repurpose most of what we did.  For example, the total materials cost for the kitchen was around $1200 (not including the flooring).  We saved alot by doing the concrete countertops and farmhouse sink ourself.  Farmhouse sinks are pricey, around $500 for the cheapest.

Here is a before and after photo of the front of the cabin.  We started by taking out the giant metal 1970's AC unit out of the wall and replacing it with a new window, planter box, shutters and a new front door. This was a small investment, a weekend of work and a big impact to the overall look of the home. We went with a stand alone AC unit, which takes up space but is still a vast improvement to the window unit.

As for the full kitchen remodel, we gutted everything in it but kept the cabinets which were repurposed and painted. Originally, there was no dishwasher and a small stove and refrigerator. I replaced/added all "new" appliances from Facebook's online garage sale. It was surprising to find so many people replacing their perfectly working appliances because they preferred a different color. I went with all white and I really don't mind the look.

Over the next few blogs I will get into the details of our approach, time spent and specific costs.  All in all, we are glad to be finished and thrilled with the outcome!