Discussions

So I just want yo know your guys in put. I have heard multiple times that owning a cabin is more work then fun and relaxing? with yard work,cleaning,cooking,and then any renovations you may want to do and that's the cabin then the house aswell.A lot of people almost seem to actually totally hate it. So I'm just wondering is it worth it? And what may be an idea to lower the work load?

It is a lot of fun, especially if you have a waterfront cabin. Being out on the water during a heat wave like we're having is a great place to be no doubt about that! Or if you're a fisherman being able to walk out your front door and you're right there would be a nice benefit.  
 
But everything you said is also true. You have two lawns to mow and mowers to keep running, two floors to sweep, two roofs to fix, two property tax bills etc. etc. Unless you're looking at a four season place you'll have to winterize it come October or so. Then don't forget if you're at a lake, you probably will want all the toys that go with it. So you'll need to buy and maintain a boat/seadoo, and then all the tow-ables the kids will want, plus all the fuel that the boat burns too.  
 
Like everything in life, you'll have to determine if the "good" outweighs the "bad" so to speak.

landscaping with rocks  
do one job a year  
A good cleaning on the first weekend  
I don't know many people that have cabins, that don't have great neighbors and are always there to help with putting in the dock, etc.  
 
But, to me a cabin is a place to go relax, perhaps get a little messy, needs a few fixes. Others would prefer a huge cabin, with a huge yard, which of course is way more work.

Is that you ENJOY mowing your lawn at the lake and all the jobs...it’s just different at the lake. Depends on the type of cabin you have and the kind of person you are...if you’re a 5 bedroom new build on the lake with a pontoon and 3 seadoos you’re going to have significantly more work than the guy with a 2 room cabin off the lake. All said they’re less work than a camper or tent every weekend.

Some people enjoy doing the work. If I had a low-maintence yard (rocks, for example as someone suggested, or landscaped so you can just do a quick mow without trimming, etc), I would probably enjoy it. Yeah, I would still have a clean bathrooms, etc, but my ones at home wouldn't be getting dirty, so it's an even trade, LOL.  
 
But depending on how much you're going to use it, property taxes, maintnence costs, etc... it might be cheaper to just rent a place for a week or two. You don't have to mow the lawn that way. ;)

With all respect to Mr. Dobalina, the difference between a cabin and a camper is that owning a cabin ties you down to one location, to enjoy as you please: a camper is mobile and provides you with the opportunity to enjoy various locations, as you please. Some like the one and some like the other.

plane watcher said "With all respect to Mr. Dobalina, the difference between a cabin and a camper is that owning a cabin ties you down to one location, to enjoy as you please: a camper is mobile and provides you with the opportunity to enjoy various locations, as you please. Some like the one and some like the other. "

If you have a seasonal site, it's almost like being at a cabin. You have the benefit of being in one place all summer, usually with water and sewer hookups, and you have the ammenities they provide (pool, lake, store, laundry, etc). Sometimes you can have semi-permanent fixtures, like a deck, shed, etc. The place you have your site at usually takes care of the "yard care" etc, depending on where you are.  
 
So in some senses, it's the best of both worlds.

Well, here's my input. I've experienced both. The advantage of a camper is that you can travel around to different places. The advantage of a cabin is you're always garranteed a place at the lake. There's no worrying about not getting a site or anything. you can spend a ton of money on a camper and in 5 years it's only worth 1/4 of what you paid for it. With a cabin at the lake it might initially cost you more, but if maintained, it will go up in value. You have taxes and insurance on a cabin, but you have lot fees and insurance on a camper which wouldn't be all that much cheaper. You have to burn far more fuel pulling and set up a camper everytime you use it. A cabin you spend 20 min mowing the lawn when you get there. Both a cabin and a camper you have to winterize. Either way there's a bit of work and cost with either one. I had a cabin for a lot of years, then I had a camper for a lot of years. I ended up buying a house at the lake instead. Only one thing to maintain, on a weekday after work you go out the front door and you're fishing, boating, snowmobiling,etc. No packing every Friday or unpacking every Sunday.

plane watcher said "With all respect to Mr. Dobalina, the difference between a cabin and a camper is that owning a cabin ties you down to one location, to enjoy as you please: a camper is mobile and provides you with the opportunity to enjoy various locations, as you please. Some like the one and some like the other. "

She/he asked if it was worth it. Just said a camper/tent is more work than maintaining a cabin.

A bad day at the cabin, is still better than a day at home!LOL

We bought a camper instead of a cabin. We like the option of moving to a new location if we decide to. We book a seasonal site and the camper stays there. All campgrounds have different rules but ours stays 12 months a year. We have a big lot, get a kid to mow our grass for $15, we built a deck, there was a shed already there. All good! We seriously considered a cabin but glad we went with a camper because life changes and at least we can move to suit our needs. If we would have bought a cabin it would have been sold because our lives have taken us in a different direction and that location wouldn’t have worked for long.

If you enjoy camping and getting away on weekends, then the work isn’t really work.  
 
We have a seasonal so kinda like a cabin but if we ever wanted to check somewhere else out, the option is there. Our site is smaller than what most cabins have but the extra work is still there. My husband loves camping though so I don’t think I’ve ever heard him complain about it.  
 
I love the idea of Christmas at the cabin so if we ever decide to change it up, an all season cabin would be considered

We bought a cabin last year and it has really worked out for us. We have always had a camper but never ended up ever using it, the main reason we never used it is that the kids never went to sleep in it for us. But with the cabin we have used it most weeks this summer and the kids LOVE it, they even ask to go to bed in their own room in their bunk beds. As far as the yard work, it only takes a fraction of the time that our yard at home takes, so it doesn't bother us at all. Our lot is not lakefront but is very quiet and secluded...which is best as we don't feel like we are disrupting an entire campground when the kids are being loud. Yet we are close enough to the campground/beach/playstructures/ice cream shop that we can bike there easily even with three little kids. If you enjoy the campground atmosphere where your neighbours are at your place for drinks often or vice versa then seasonal camping is probably more your style. Best of luck!!

We have a waterfront cabin and love it!! Can’t say enough about it! We already have everything up there just need to pack clothes! Yes there’s work up there, but that doesn’t bother us at all, for some maybe! Waking up in the morning and sitting on your deck overlooking the water is so beautiful!

So I've had limited camper experience, but I've had some, as well as tenting experience and I'll tell you this. With the yard work etc, cabins have their fair share of work with yard work and upkeep - but campers and tents are a ton of work to arrive at, set up, take down, etc etc etc. All the lawn chairs, awnings, outdoor kitchens, etc need to be set up each time you camp and is a lot of work (especially with young children). That on top of booking the sites, making sure you got what you want in like May or whenever the site opens. We have a cabin. Its on the water. We arrive, unload our cooler, and go sit down outside on our deck, on the water, fire going within minutes... no setup. AND I can say that our cabin (which wasn't really expensive) has appreciated to more than twice what we paid for it. It's on the lake so we can drop our boat in when we please. Even on a seasonal lot, a camper still depreciates and typically you don't own the lot. In my mind, the cabin is an easy choice. Grab a tent or whatever if you feel adventurous but if you find a place you love, a cabin will pay you back in whatever you pay for it. A camper, not so much. They're prone to leaking and while it's nice when they move, I've mostly seen that those with seasonal lots don't give them up (because they're established and usually sort of sought after) so they don't haul their camper anywhere anyway.  
 
Long winded, but in my mind the cabin appreciates in value and is less work overall. No hauling trailers, packing and unpacking sites, etc. And others are right - a bad day at the lake beats a bad day at home!!

There’s no doubt long term a cabin is an investment whereas a camper is an expense.  
 
And you’re probably going to go through multiple campers in that same timespan.

several years back we where looking at purchasing a cabin, and where told the same thing as you. Cabins are lots of work, painting, shingles etc. So we opted for a travel trailer. We have set up as a seasonal and it stays year round , we never move it. We mow our own lawn, have built couple decks, shed, fence, etc. So guess what it's still work! We have kicked ourselves in the A$$ several times for. It buying a cabin instead. A cabin is real waste, what you put in increases the value of the cabin, with a travel trailer it depreciates. So my advice to you is buy the cabin, you won't be working non stop on it, unless you want.