Opening up your building purchase - The moment of Truth

[Dave2]

Until you open it up you never know what you have bought.  Fortunately this one we can save which avoids a lot of money as a new 1,200 sq. ft. cottage is not cheap especially when you didn't know you had one when you bought the property.  

photos show some of the demolition and first repair phase:

a) opened up walls
b) new steel support beams
c) fortunately carpentar ants do not eat drywall

[Dave2]

a couple of more photos showing carpentar ant damage and airphoto of island itself.

[Frank]

I expect you're going to have us all over for beer and a fishing weekend when you are done.

[bobs]

Congratulations,

Which tax sale was that one and what waterway is it on??

[Dave2]

Congratulations,

Which tax sale was that one and what waterway is it on??

It is an almost 11 acre Georgian bay Island with Pines almost 3 feet thick (I am not certain if it has ever been logged).  Tax sale was a year ago April - Huron Shores in the North Channel.  
Cottage was a bonus and looks like will be sweet.  What I have learned includes following:

Siding is next.  

a) I went for land value first and cottage was the bonus.  
b) All in cost less then 30% of new 1,200 sq. ft. cottage and doing it this way for reasons I will not explain in Public.  
c) Very hard to budget because of situation.  Contractor is key.
d) Rennovation had real risks but turned out not as bad as I was afraid of.
e) One thing I did not expect was some interior drywall damage when we jacked up cottage to place steel beams under it.  
f) Moving materials over on ice saved a lot of money.  Did not leave valuable items on island (eg. copper wire).