What’s it like to live in a Colorado cabin full-time? 

Is there anything cozier than a cabin in the mountains? If you’re anything like us, when life starts to pile on…Our Compass Boulder realtors take to the wilderness! A few days in a cabin is often the right prescription for stress relief. Life seems more relaxed. The scent of fresh pine, a crackling fire, and a board game can be a total reset. It’s hard to come back from these trips and not wonder what it would be like to live in a cabin full-time. You may even take the daydreaming to the next level and start googling  “cabins for sale in Colorado”. 

Cabins mean living life a little more slowly. They mean spending quality time with loved ones. They mean a closer relationship with nature. Sounds pretty great.

While all this is true, there’s also more to this story. If you’re dreaming of living full-time in a Colorado cabin, the Compass Boulder real estate agents here at Burgess Group list a few things to consider:

Just like with any other home, location is everything 

It’s easy to idealize the peaceful solitude of a cabin in the wilderness… but is the reality something you would enjoy? When you’re searching for cabins for sale take into account the drive time to:

• Hospitals
• Schools
• Grocery Stores
• Pharmacies
• Friends

The odds are high that the drive to your cabin will include some twisty mountain roads. Some people love a long, scenic drive. Others get exhausted (or even motion sick!) from extended time in the car.

Expect a change in your social life

A cabin move may not be the best for your social life. Your friends will probably tell you they can’t wait to visit all the time, and likely they mean it! But the reality is that life gets busy. You can’t expect your community to change its lifestyle. You’ll most likely have to travel to them. Cabin life doesn’t have to equal loss of social life and community, but it can mean the loss of spontaneity. There’s less chance for “wanna grab a beer tonight?”. With long drive times, most of your drive times will have to be scheduled. 

Plan ahead for Wildlife

Mountain living in Colorado means that wildlife will become a bigger part of your life. It can be pretty exciting to spot eagles and elk from your front porch! But some lifestyle changes must be made as well. You’ll need to completely bear-proof your trash can situation. Make sure you never leave anything with a scent in your car (even something like chapstick! There are so many videos of bears breaking into cars).

There are a lot of dangerous animals in the Rocky Mountains, and many of them are protected members of the endangered species list. Educate yourself on how to navigate sharing space with dangerous wild animals responsibly.

And on a less dramatic level, you may have to deal with things like snakes in your basement, more bugs in the house, and critters eating your garden.

What do you think about minimalism?

Cabins don’t have much storage. A move to a cabin is often a downsize. Our Compass Boulder realtor team has many clients who’ve moved into cabins, and they share how they’ve ditched their habit of ordering on Amazon whenever they think of something they want. Lots of small steps are taken to reduce clutter around the house. Moving to a cabin can be a switch to only keeping the essentials around. 

What’s the internet like out there?

Starlink’s roll-out will likely change how we approach this question soon. But for now, lack of high-speed internet is a major consideration for cabin dwellers. Especially since so many of us rely on the internet to work from home. (Readily available remote work is a major reason why cabin living is even an option for so many of us!). 

Create an emergency response plan 

In the Rocky Mountains, the weather can change drastically, and with little warning. Pay close attention to the forecast each day and prepare for the colder seasons in advance. Create a 4-season emergency response plan for unexpected injuries and illnesses. This could include things like:

• Taking a first aid class, and keeping a first aid kit stocked with essential supplies.
• Stocking up on enough firewood, gas, food, and medicine, to last you several months.
• Buying a solar radio or satellite phone.
• Plotting multiple escape routes to nearby hospitals or fire stations.
• Buying a vehicle with four-wheel drive.
• Stock up on good books and board games to help you combat cabin fever if you get snowed in without power.

Can I insure my log cabin?

Yes! It’s an urban legend that log cabins are uninsurable. But there are plenty of insurance companies that will insure a log cabin. But it may cost you a bit more, based on a few different factors:

• Distance from the fire department
• Roofing material (wood shake roofing will be more expensive to insure!)
• Log treatment
• The foundation
• If your area is prone to natural disaster

Cabins for sale near Boulder, Colorado

Ready to dive into some active daydreaming? Search for cabins for sale in Colorado. If you’re wanting to build your cabin, check out some land for sale in Colorado. If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Burgess Group team of Compass Boulder real estate agents!