It may not look like much, right now.
But this was our official groundbreaking ceremony.
We pondered forever where the handmade hideaway 2.0 should go.
Then, we had to wait on septic to get the all-clear for availability in our yard.
If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that septic systems are really complicated when you want to do anything, apparently. So we mulled over designs and the kids helped us come up with some pretty awesome ideas and revisions of their own. They’ve been partnered with us in this process.
It’s been a joy creating with them.
This version is going to be kind of amazing with their input… if we do say so ourselves. We’re excited, anyway.
Just in time for summer. And campouts in the back yard. And s’mores. This one will definitely have more of a treehouse feel for bigger kids – we want it to be able to grow with them.
So this is us. We’ve marked off the ground. We’ve measured and revised. We’ve gotten it square {that one took a while because geometry and uneven ground and rain} and we’ve poured the cement.
I had no idea digging holes could make your thighs so sore.
One year after buying this house, we’re ready to begin.
It’s a little symbolic for us, since we weren’t sure we were going to make it.
Now if only the rain will hold off {hello, Seattle… nice to meet you, this is Nashville} we hope to have it knocked out in between clients and all things work, in just a few weeks. {I know. Go ahead and laugh at us. We certainly are… #unrealisticexpectations}
But we can’t wait to share what we’re doing!
In the meantime, you can find our original post here:
And the roof!
And then with some FAQ’s, here.
Our oldest was six – almost seven when we built the first hideaway – hold me.
But our favorite part? {Besides the amazing memories with our own family}
All of the incredible reader versions.
With a whole lot of them here
and more here!
And even a boathouse edition, here. Yeth please.
+ EVEN MORE reader love, here.
Have a handmade hideaway you want to share? We’d love to see it with the hashtag, here. + follow along with awesome people as they create their own inspiring versions! We’ll be sharing sneak peeks as we go, too. So be sure to check it out!
We hope this helps get those wheels turning, just in time for spring and all things summer fun. We can’t wait to share more.
Have an inspired day!
Oh my gosh I can’t wait! Your first hideaway is my inspiration for what we want to build our son in the next month or so. But he’s 7 and I do worry about longevity of it, and yet I don’t want a typical swingset thing you can buy at Menards. So…I’m very much hoping you’ll share a lot in the next 2 weeks so I can take more inspiration from you! 🙂
HAHA! We hope to be realistically finished with all the plans, and detailed tutorials ready to go in three-ish weeks from now. We’re trying to be realistic with the weather and everything here {hello, Seattle} + working with our current clients, but also want to have plenty of info for you guys! I hope it still helps! Thanks so much for your sweet words. We can’t wait to see what you build!
I was getting ready to type the same thing as the lady above. I finally talked my dad into helping me build this. My husband & I are challenged in the wood/tools/build anything like this category. And my kids are the same age as your younger too and I have also been worried about the longevity of it as they grow. My son and daughter are the best of friends and I just know they would love something of their own – a hideout for their adventures. May put my plans on hold and wait for your new plans to come out.
Oh, my goodness! I almost jumped out of my chair when I saw this! I’ve been waiting for the new hideaway. My daughter is 7 and my son is almost 5. We want to build them something. I knew your kids were older, so I’m SO excited to see what you do!!!! EEEEEKKKKK!!!!!
YAY! So excited! Thanks so much for your sweet words! We hope to have something soon!
I am so excited for you guys! How fun! On another note, I just re-read your post about staying put (https://www.thehandmadehome.net/2014/01/lessons-learned-in-staying-put/), and it was really encouraging to me. Obviously, you guys have since moved, but I’m guessing the house you’re in now was not exactly what you were pining for a few years ago. 🙂 I am currently working through similar issues. I want so badly to move. We’re a homeschooling family of 5 (three boys: 12, 8, and 23-mos.) in a 3-bedroom house with “only” 1695 square feet. I typed that all out because I secretly hope you or someone else will say, “You should absolutely move! You NEED a bigger house!” Ha. Last year, we bought an acre lot in a nice neighborhood and have been making plans to build in 2-3 years. When I think about how much it’s really going to cost, though, I feel sick to my stomach. The down payment on our new build would pay off our current house. So, we could be paying on a new 30-year mortgage until we’re 70 (seventy!), OR… we could be debt-free by the time our oldest goes to college. When I say it like that, the right thing to do seems obvious. Sigh… Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you and say thank you for being an encouraging voice. 🙂 I look forward to seeing the new hideaway!
Awe – hang in there, Jenny! I know it can be hard to know what to do. For what it’s worth, we would have stayed in our house longer. We moved cities, though, as the entire location just wasn’t a good fit for us. In fact, it was toxic for us. So personally, it was the best decision we ever made. As far as tight quarters, we downsized with our current house- though we still have the unfinished basement – right at 1700 – so I FEEL you. All three kiddos are sharing a room right now. I guess it all comes down to one gigantic list of pros and cons.
Also for what it’s worth, I think we buy into the americana idealism of bigger houses far too often… and I’ve found that sometimes, the people with the bigger houses are definitely overwhelmed, just in different ways. It’s a challenge, either way. On the flip side, can you get a major return on that new investment in a few years? Though I do feel that real estate is a huge double edged sword, because it’s all relative. We made a huge leap to get here, after taking a loss on our first house because of the location {our home had been featured nationally, and no one gave a flip, so ouch} and a MAJOR jump again, because of location. {It’s true what they say, location, location, location} I feel like we’ve been playing financial leap frog on the edge of a cliff. A word on debt- obviously its really important. But if I focused on it too much and let it dictate everything, {not that you are, I’m just saying we took a loss} I would never move off the sofa, spiraled into an apocalypse of depression based on what we lost to get here. ;} This move has been the best thing ever for our family and our business, so literally, we are one day at a time.
Everyone is in a totally different situation, so it’s just hard. I said ALL that to say I feel ya. Been there. But I think at the end of the day in your heart of hearts you’ll know what you want. HUGS!
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I appreciate everything you said. Thanks!!
I Love it! So cute and many memories will blossom there!
Thank you! We are so excited. And sore. 😀
Hi!
I’m loving this and can’t wait! We’re working on designing our kids’ playhouse, and using your plans as our inspiration! My biggest concern and question is the stability. How did you do the concrete footers?
Thanks!
Hey, for this we didn’t do footers but cemented post in the ground. We did just talk about building footers for our cabana if you want to check that out here.