Scott

1/29/22: The Driveway

I’ve been playing with Google Earth to plot out the best location for our driveway.

1/29/22: The Budget Takes a Hit!

Sooooo, when we started talking to the contractor back in June 2021, we were told to use $225/sq foot as a reference for the size of the cabin we could afford. I assumed the costs were coming down from the height of the pandemic, so I never second guessed that number. Well, let me tellContinue reading “1/29/22: The Budget Takes a Hit!”

1/29/22: Design Phase Begins

It’s been 27 years since we’ve built a house, so this process is completely new for us. For those of you that might build in the future, I will describe the pre-build process of building a rental cabin. (1) You get prequalified from the bank for a certain amount (2) You work with a designerContinue reading “1/29/22: Design Phase Begins”

9/25/21: Sunrise View…Or Not!

The plan sounded good. The mountain view on our property faces east and we want to orient the cabin so it catches the sunrise view. So the plan was to wake up at 5:00 AM and drive up to Townsend to watch the sunrise on our property. As we approached Maryville and looked east, weContinue reading “9/25/21: Sunrise View…Or Not!”

9/21/21: Naming the Cabin

One fun thing we have been mulling over for a few months now is what to name the cabin. We are trying to incorporate several things into the name. For example… Luxury finishesAwesome viewsModern yet traditionalClose to Great Smoky Mountains National ParkClose to Cades CovePeace and tranquilityClose to golf courseGreat for familiesClean and freshCreate greatContinue reading “9/21/21: Naming the Cabin”

9/21/21: Budgets, Budgets, Budgets

Maybe it’s in my blood. Maybe it’s because my dad was a bank manager. For whatever reason, I love numbers and stats. I love lists and budgets. They help me think clearly. They give me knowledge on which to make decisions and they give me confidence in those decisions. So, I have budgeted and analyzedContinue reading “9/21/21: Budgets, Budgets, Budgets”

9/21/21: Playing with 3D Models

I am a planner. I am also a visual person. So, I really wanted to create 3D models of the inside and outside of the cabin. After experimenting with several apps, I found Planner 5D to be the best all-around 3D modeling app for interiors and SketchUp to be best for exterior modeling. So, asContinue reading “9/21/21: Playing with 3D Models”

9/10/21: We See Our View for the First Time!

We hired Mitch Carpenter with Smoky Mountain Contractors to cut some trees and open up our view. On Sept 10, Mitch called and said the majority of the work was done and we should come up to see the view. It was better than expected. To the left was the classic “Smoky Mountain View” withContinue reading “9/10/21: We See Our View for the First Time!”

7/30/21: We Bought the Lot!

After watching Zillow and Realtor.com for weeks and checking out a lot of properties, Jennifer found a listing that seemed too good to be true. We dropped everything and drove the 90 minutes from Delano to Townsend to look at the .94 acre lot in the Laurel Valley community. The first thing I noticed wasContinue reading “7/30/21: We Bought the Lot!”

Let me Introduce Myself…

Hello and thanks for stopping by. I started this blog to chronicle my journey of building a rental cabin in Townsend, TN. Townsend is a small town just outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is known as “The peaceful side of the Smokies” since it lacks the crowds, traffic and neon of GatlinburgContinue reading “Let me Introduce Myself…”