Budget Breakdown: A Family of Five Gut Their Rustic A-Frame Themselvesfor $77K

Jennifer and Kenard Bunkley brave resident wildlife and the soaring cost of plywood as they demolish and rebuild their vacation home in upstate New York.

In March 2021, Kenard and Jennifer Bunkley stumbled across a seemingly intact A-frame for sale near a campsite that they frequent in Pine Hill, New York. Seeing potential for both a vacation home and a source of passive income, the couple purchased the three-bedroom cabin for $199,000 and set out to make some cosmetic upgrades that they anticipated would run them around $25,000.

"We thought it would be a quick three-month turnaround to complete some enhancements, but it turned into about a year," explains Jennifer. The live-edge wood siding on the 799-square-foot home was in good condition, however, since the house had been unoccupied for five years raccoons had moved in and the insulation had deteriorated to a virtually nonexistent state. "We ended up having to strip the house down to the studs," says Kenard.

With a gut renovation now on their hands, Jennifer and Kenard decided to transform the rustic cabin into a contemporary retreat where they could unwind with their three children during their time away from New York City. The pandemic made it difficult to find the right people to bring their vision to life within their budget and time frame, so they did it themselves.

$22,000 Plywood	$7,000 Electrical & Heat	$4,000 Plumbing
$7,000 Framing	$3,000 Windows & Doors	$1,000 Decking
$5,500 Subcontractors	$3,000 Insulation	$700 Paint
$1,200 Fireplace	$3,000 Appliances	$5,000 Furniture
$500 Lighting	$1,060 Tiles	$800 Soaking Tub
$1,200 Cabinets/Counters	$4,500 Dumpster	$3,300 Landscaping
$1,800 Tools & Supplies	$1,400 Spiral Staircase Kit
Grand Total: $76,960

Before: Exterior

See the full story on Dwell.com: Budget Breakdown: A Family of Five Gut Their Rustic A-Frame Themselves—for $77K
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