Restoring and abandoned Colorado cabin

This old cabin sat empty for over a decade before we had a chance to restore it to it’s full glory. The roof was leaking and the interior had significant structural damage from the incoming water. The animals of the forest moved in and made the property their home. Here is a photo of a rare ring-tailed cat that was caught in the property and released back to the wild.

Much of the original log style lap siding was rotted, so we removed the lower few feet along the perimeter, and replaced it with natural river rocks found from the area, and continued the theme on the fireplace surround in the living area. This property had an abandoned well that was buried under several of dirt. It was uncovered and we poured a concrete extension ring to allow it to be accessible and usable again. To ensure the property had sufficient water throughout the year, we also added a rainwater collection system to collect water from the gutters, as well as an additional 400 gallons of water storage in the basement, and a full water filtration and sterilization system. And in order to add a basement bathroom a sewage ejector pit was placed under the foundation.

Significant erosion had taken place along the stream bank that faces the rear of the property, so re-grading and a new rock face was added to protect the new deck that we later built. A new garage, septic system, and propane tank needed to be added to improve habitability. The basement was finished and the entire interior was remodeled before the job was complete. Check out the final results below!