Cattail Cabin: A lovely short-term rental in Rangeley, Maine, built with DEN's A-Frame plans

Cattail Cabin: A DEN on the lake

Today's episode of Built with DEN features a conversation between Lyndsay, Mike M, and DEN's very own Mike R. Lyndsay, Mike and Mike chat about the process of building DEN's A-Frame Retreat plans, Mike & Lyndsay's favorite aspects of their place, which they've named Cattail Cabin, as well advice for folks looking to build a getaway or short term rental using DEN plans.

1. Meet the Builders

Mike: Let's first start with, who you are and , where you built a DEN.

Lyndsay: Sure. So I am Lindsay Hastings. My fiance, Mike McInnes is on the call as well. We are based in the Portland, Maine area, but, built our DEN A-Frame in Rangeley, Maine, which is kind of like the Northwestern mountain region of Maine.

Mike: Awesome. Which DEN A-Frame did you build? 

Lyndsay: So we selected the A-Frame Retreat build. 

2. Choosing the A-Frame Retreat

Mike: Awesome. What about the A-Frame Retreat caught your eye?

Lyndsay: So I had actually joined a short term rental investment... Facebook group, called Robuilt.

And a lot, I had seen a few other members within the Facebook group that had purchased DEN plans and what initially drew me, well, we were, we were drawn towards an A-Frame and just kind of like the clean lines and the cabin look of an A-Frame, we felt like for a lake house in the mountain region, um, going for an A-Frame was kind of like the quintessential... Maine vibe that we were looking for but, what drew me specifically to DEN was just kind of like the Scandinavian Minimalist modern look to it So it was kind of for us like, the perfect balance of country home mixed with modern amenities or modern aesthetic

Mike: Awesome, I'm guessing you're the you're the Cattail Cabin, is that correct? 

Lyndsay: Yes we're Cattail Cabin.

Mike: Awesome. Awesome yeah, what a great looking build 

Lyndsay: Yeah, thank you.

So we obviously had to revise our plans slightly from the initial build just to kind of accommodate our, our needs and wanting just a little bit more space than what the original plans allowed for.

But, um, overall we tried to stick to the plan as closely as possible and are really pleased. 

Mike: Nice. 

 

3. Customizing the Build

Mike: And did you do those customizations with us or did you do those with a local partner? 

Lyndsay: We had our builder that he, um, he's kind of like a one man show up in that Rangeley area. And as he was reviewing the plans, he was like, I really think because of the land you purchased and it's on, um, like a gradual sloping hill, like heading right down to the lake, I think you'd benefit from a walkout basement.

And once we started to like, really think about the space - and how many people could comfortably sleep there and how many we wanted to comfortably sleep there - we tended to agree that it made most sense to add a walkout basement. It gave us an extra bedroom, an extra bath, and then kind of like a full additional living space bonus area.

So, um, to be honest, I didn't even know that we could have gone through DEN for like the plan revision. That didn't even occur to me. So our builder went rogue. 

Mike: Yeah. In all fairness, like we may not have like had that service up and running when you, decided to do this because the - 

Lyndsay: We bought the plan back in 2022, I think.

Mike: Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's super early.

Just this past year, we launched an online home building platform. Um, you know, everything online and like, annotate the plans ,and request customizations, like all through the browser. 

Lyndsay: Oh, awesome. 

Mike: But yeah, your project predates that, so.

Lyndsay: Yeah. 

Mike: It's all good. All good, that the builder, you know, supported you. So another question. So you guys, how many homes have you built before this one? 

Lyndsay: Uh, we built our primary residence, but this is our first short term rental, um, this our first investment property, if you will. 

4. Why Build Instead of Buy?

Mike: What made you decide to build something new instead of just buying something and renovating it? 

To be honest, we were kind of looking at both scenarios. We have friends that live out in California and have a short term rental in Mammoth that we had the opportunity to ski at back in like 2021 maybe, or maybe it was 2022. And they were just saying like, listen, we get to enjoy it, but we're actually making like really great profit off of this. It's become like a great revenue stream for us. So I left that being like, 'Mike, we can do this. We can definitely do this'. 

5. Finding the Perfect Land

Lyndsay: So we had identified two areas. One was kind of like the Carabasset Valley Kingfield area of Maine, which is where Sugarloaf mountain is. And then the other area was Rangeley, where Saddleback mountain is.

And they're both about like... maybe a 30 minute drive from one another. But those were the two areas that we really liked. And we had looked at a few properties, but nothing that really felt like it was speaking to us.

Um, so then we kind of pivoted and started looking at land. The more land we looked at, we looked at land, like on the access roads leading to the mountains. We looked at land that were more like hunting camp vibes in the middle of nowhere... and what really spoke to us was something that was... more on the lake so that you could get more of a four season rental opportunity and that we could enjoy it four seasons of the year. It ended up being one piece of land that we found that we just, it spoke to us and felt like, okay, this is right.

So we purchased the land. The original plan actually was to go with a tiny home, like a pre-fab modular build. There's a company based in Maine that does like 300 or less square foot modular homes. And so that was something that we had looked at. And at the time, the state of Maine had passed a law allowing accessory dwelling units. But it was still being managed on the town level.

And so when we submitted the building plans to the town, they got denied because it was too small. They needed something, I forget, I think it had to be like above 450 square feet. So we ended up pivoting and that was when I, I was a part of this membership, this investment group and a few other of the folks within the group had purchased DEN plans and had been posting these like beautiful homes.

And I was like, 'you know what, like this is kind of speaking to me'. So that's kind of how we landed on the land and then landed on the project. 

6. From Plans to Construction

Mike: That's awesome. And, and when you, when you finally bought the plans. Um, and took a look at them and, you know, the buying guide and all of the other stuff that we offer alongside of the plans themselves, like what, what were your thoughts?

Lyndsay: Thoughts again, were like, the look I was going for was more of that like clean Scandinavian aesthetic. So that was what like initially spoke to me. I'm not an architect, so I looked at the plans and I was like, 'this is, like, speaking a foreign language', basically, like I, which I think I could look at any building plan and say the same thing.

But overall, I felt like the process was really smooth. Like it, you know, you get like a zip file of one big package of all of the tools that you need. That was exactly what we passed off to the planning board and the code inspection officers. And it got approved very easily. And then, you know, once our builder took a look, he had kind of given it like the check, this makes sense, just really like the biggest call out was around the suggestion to do the addition of a walkout basement, which I'm so glad we did.

Mike: Awesome. Awesome. 

 

7. Working with a Builder

Mike: With your project, did you have to seek the counsel of a structural engineer or engineering firm, or did you just use the plans as is? 

Lyndsay: We used the plans. Just as is, I think... Mike, did we now? I don't remember. 

Mike: Thumbs up. 

Lyndsay: Thumbs up. 

Yeah, I think we were able to use it just as is. I will say it was a, it was a long process.

Like I said, we bought the land and. Now I can't even remember 2021 or 2022. Then once we had the plans, it took a little bit to find a builder, then to get into the builder's schedule. He's a one man show. So, was literally like doing everything on, on his own. So, um, all in, it was, you know, a couple years.

We just had our first renters that were in, um, last week for the new year, and everything went great. So.

Mike: Oh, awesome. 

8. Welcoming the First Guests

Mike: Oh, wow. So you welcomed your first renters just now.

Lyndsay: Last week. Yeah. 

Mike: What was their feedback? What did they think? 

Lyndsay: They were thrilled. Like we, we did do some... we did some slight revisions, like the heating system, I think we put it in a nest, like we wanted everything to be kind of like automated so that we could control it from our phones if we needed to.

So in the beginning, I think there was like a little bit of a hiccup with getting the heating... adjusted. It was like really hot. And for some reason they couldn't figure out how to fix it, but they were thrilled overall with the, A-Frame. At least the response that we got from the property manager was that, they were really happy. It's dog friendly. So they were able to bring their pet.

They had two small children. So we have one room that's like kid friendly with bunk beds and, we've added certain amenities like, um, the shuffleboard tables, and an old school Nintendo, and we provide snowshoes and toboggans for people to use. So overall, I mean, they used all of it and they were really happy.

Mike: Awesome. Awesome. 

9. Favorite Features of the Cabin

Mike: And then, you know, as you guys have, like seen the building take shape and you've walked through the layout and, you know, the different rooms, like, what's, what's your favorite part of the design, you know, as you stand in it?

Lyndsay: Good question. Mine is probably the loft. To me, it just, it feels like really cozy up, up there.

Lyndsay: You get great natural light. Um, obviously those like the, the super high pitch and the vaulted ceilings. Um, but you know, we added a pony wall so that it gives like a little bit more privacy up there, but it still feels like open and airy. We were able to salvage some beams from a church that was being torn down or a barn that was being torn down, that was like circa 1800s, that we repurposed as more like decorative exposed beams. So you have that like right above you as you're sleeping. So I would say mine is probably the loft. I have a feeling Mike's probably going to go outside, like go with the deck, but, but I don't know.

Mike: Awesome. Mike, what, what, what do you think? 

Mike McInnes: Um, yeah, so can you guys hear me? 

Mike: Yeah. 

Mike McInnes: Yeah, I would go. I love the look of the glass on the front. So, like, like Lynds was saying, you know, we felt like we hit the lottery with the land.

Mike McInnes: Um, you know, we kind of got a tip on the on the land and got in early on that. The fact that it faces this quiet little cove, obviously it's, it's named Cattail Cabin because of the, the cattails out in front there, just a lazy little cove of the lake. It's really quiet, but, but that glass is, is perfectly placed.

I would agree with Lynds, from the loft, you know, just looking down, we got a spiral staircase going down, so just kind of perched up top of that spiral staircase and, um... You know, it is so tall, you know, it feels so tall, um, but looking out at the lake, there's just nothing better than that for me.

Lyndsay: Yeah, good call. The windows are kind of like the money shot for photos, like looking out at the lake or looking in at the cabin. Everyone always comments on the glass and just like how impactful that that looks and impressive. And that was like 100%. the DEN plan. We didn't make any adjustments to that.

So that was a huge win. 

Mike: Awesome. 

10. Lesson Learned & Advice for Future Builders

Mike: How did the plans help you set up a successful relationship with your builder or, you know, how did they help you get to pricing for the project with the builder?

Lyndsay: So pricing. I thought the pricing for the actual plans was like completely reasonable and realistic, so that wasn't a problem. 

I had mentioned we built our first home. So this was our second project that we've worked on together. Primary residence, we built pre-COVID. So we kind of had one figure in mind of what we thought the labor costs would be. And then obviously building this right kind of through the midst of COVID, the number that the builder gave us, we were like, 'Holy moly'.

But that's okay. Just, you know, overall means we've got to rent it out a little bit more in the first couple years to make some money back. This is, you know, it's an investment property for a reason. But, um, yeah, good question. How would I say, I mean, the builder was able to work with the plans like very easily.

He had a couple, like, Small questions or comments just, um, about some of the configuration, like where would laundry hookups go, things like that, um, ultimately, like that problem was solved when we ended up finishing off the basement and were able to have like a large laundry area. But, I would say that the plans, overall, like, were pretty easy to navigate for the builder.

I mean, our builders laid back. 

Mike McInnes: I know. I know. Yeah, he's uh, we feel like he's kind of a genius because we were so hands off, you know, and I feel like maybe this interview would be a lot better if Jim was on the phone and could tell you exactly, you know, how he needed to alter it and why he felt he needed to alter it.

I think a lot of what I got from him was that... he wanted to make sure it breathed okay. So, the pitch of the roof, I think was going down too far was, like he picked up the pitch a little bit where it was, um, you know, the soffits coming out could breathe a little more and he was concerned about the snow runoff and that building up at the, at the base of the roof.

Um, and then we've got a split level going down. So it was kind of like, all right, how do we work this into the landscape? And what are we going to do with the landscape itself? And the piece of property, um, and I just felt like there's probably a lot of alterations that he made that we don't know about necessarily, you know, um.

I do know that I think we started out with a 30x28, and he made a perfect square of 30x30. So I know that's obviously a big change and yeah, big change to plans and sort of everything would kind of cascade from there, but, um, in terms of specifics, like he would, he would know where the greatest headaches lie and, and maybe there weren't any, but, um, You know, it was kind of like something he muscled through and we didn't really hear much about, um, much for complaints.

So I would take that as a good thing. You know, they're plans that were, um... You know, kind of had some scope to it, and easy to move pieces around for him. Um, it seemed like he got through it pretty easily. 

Mike: That's awesome. You know, we, we occasionally interview builders alongside their clients.

Like, you know, just recently met with a woman who built an Eastern Farmhouse, a DEN Eastern Farmhouse, and her builder was on the call. And, he said something very similar. You know, he said that they were very easy to interpret, very easy to modify, where he felt like he needed to, um. But similarly to your experience, you know, like, uh, you guys like found a really great builder who like, you didn't really need to manage that strictly.

Um, which is amazing to hear, because that is sometimes not the case in the United States as people seek, uh, general contractors for their projects. 

Lyndsay: Yeah. And I think part of it, like, we're, we're about like two and a half hours south of where our project was being built. So we, I mean, we had to put the trust in our builder.

Like maybe if it was in our backyard, I would have tried to be a little bit more involved, but, I mean, we put complete trust in him and any like little manipulations he made to the plan. Like we didn't really know about it. So to Mike's point, like, I think that's probably a good thing. 

Mike: Awesome. Um, okay.

11. Final Thoughts & Future Plans

Mike: So if you had a friend who, uh, was thinking about getting into the short term rental game and wanted to build a DEN, what advice would you give them?

Lyndsay: What advice would I give them? Mike, what do you think? I mean, for us, I think it's worth it. Like, I'm already, I'm already like chomping at the bit to build our second. Like, the next one I want either like, on the ocean, or on the river in Maine. Like, I'm ready for my next project. And Mike's, Mike's - I'm more of like the dreamer and Mike's the realist, that's like 'pump the brakes. We got to see if this can make money first'. I would recommend it for sure. I will say like Den has a very specific aesthetic. And so if that aesthetic is something that appeals to that specific friend, like I, I would say go for it. And it sounds like you've made some major improvements to like the customization aspect and, um, making it like a little bit more interactive.

So I mean, I would, I would highly recommend it.

Mike: Awesome. Mike, anything to add? 

Mike McInnes: Yeah. No, I would just echo that. I mean, like we were saying, um you know, really feel like we needed a professional for us. Um, you know, somebody that could, uh, interpret the plans, make adaptations. I just think it's, you know, the one variable that everyone's going to have is that they all have a different piece of property.

It's all sitting on different elements of the earth, you know, it's, um, you know, being, being able to kind of take a punch and roll with it. I feel like we had, you know, an exceptional builder for that. And, um, and we had a little input on the vision we had, and he was just able to, kind of throw that on top of the DEN plans.

You know, there's a reason why we chose DEN, like, we just love the look of it. Um, kind of going for that ski/lake combo. You know, kind of that four season look. Got a bit of rustic, but a bit of, um, you know, sexy appeal to it as well. So, you know, getting those natural woods in, getting composite roof, composite siding, you know, kind of getting that modern lift out of it.

We're super happy with the end product. And we're just, we're hoping everybody who stays there is going to be super happy, too. 

Lyndsay: I guess the only other thing I would say to a friend is, um, just because, like, the nature of an A-Frame is, there is so much glass, which is beautiful, and that's, like, one of the huge selling features for us, but, obviously, you know, it's expensive, so maybe wait for the building costs to go down a little bit before.

Before looking, I would say, or at least like price it out before. Um, cause that was, it was the glass that was definitely like one of the bigger expenses for us. So 

Mike: As is often the case with these projects and it's, it's funny because we have this question, which is like, if you could change anything about the process, what would it be?

And like... Nine times out of  10, people are like, cut the cost. And I'm like, I'm like, come on, you know. 

Lyndsay: I know, but it's like the, the glass is the selling feature. So we don't want to do away with it. It just, it was like the timing of when we were choosing to build. Like if we had done it in 2019, it would have been probably a fraction of the cost, so. 

Mike: Yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, but I mean, financing was was so cheap in 2019. Um... 

Lyndsay: I know. 

Mike: Yeah. Oh, and yeah. 

Mike McInnes: So we're running, running into that a little bit, but we somehow made it through and, um, took a little longer than expected and that's, that's kind of the deal with a one man show more or less. But the one thing I would add to that, like the glass, we love the glass obviously, but um, one thing I didn't really consider beforehand was the lighting and kind of the way to accentuate that glass, especially at night.

So we did a lot of recessed lighting, a lot of soffit lighting, um, to kind of point right at that glass. Um, we've got the natural wood kind of in that, in that soffit area, in the overhangs. And just lighting that up, I feel like, is just, you know, looking, looking from the lake to the glass part, um, with the walkout, the basement, the view you've, you've seen in pictures.

I feel like that's, that's kind of our, our money shot right there. 

Mike: Awesome. Um, and I just wanted to also let you guys know that your project is included... uh, on our Book a Stay [Experience a DEN] section on our website. Um, so yeah, if you click on 'experience a DEN' in the navigation, uh, you guys are, uh, what is it? The fifth one on the list actually.

Mike McInnes: Yeah, we saw that. 

Mike: Awesome. Yeah. So, um, hopefully we'll send you some bookings, uh, and then yeah, if there's any, uh, if there's any content that you guys want us to share on Instagram, you know, just hit us up, um, you know, DEN is a small team, so like it'll get to me eventually. Uh, so. Uh, yeah, I'll just close there.

You know, I'll just say thanks for spending some time with me and, um, with DEN today and, you know, wish you a ton of luck in the project, uh, and in reservations in this upcoming year. And if there's anything else that we can do to promote your project. Just let us know. 

Lyndsay: Cool. Thank you, Mike. So much. 

Mike McInnes: Yeah.

Thanks, Mike. That's so great.