I really love this summer cottage. However, I want to use it year round to get the most value.
It is in Maine (where it gets cold).
It sits on top on blocks and the well water is let in and the waste is led out to a septic system.
Before I give up, is there a way to convert it for winter use (even just for weekends)?
Some thoughts I had: Seal up the crawl space, massive amounts of insulation, foam the pipes and/or electric heat the pipes have GC concrete the dirt floor.
Verify first that the property is not restricted to seasonal use only, whether outright, or via means that you may not have considered such as the roads are not plowed in winter, but if you want to hike in or use a snowmobile the town does not mind.
After that it's just money to make things happen, and choosing option of how things happen, and how much money that takes.
On the high end, you jack it up and put a full foundation/basement below frost line (insulate that on the OUTSIDE for best results) - on the low end you insulate and heat tape your water and sewer lines until they ae below frost line (and you hope they actually get there in some reasonable distance) and insulate everywhere else in the structure, including under the floor in that case (well, you should insulate under the (basement) floor in the case that you add a full basement, too.) Of course, you might have rock before you get to frost line, and you get to make choices about how you handle that as well.
You'll need heating capacity it probably does not have at present.
Doing all this will probably raise your taxes on it, as it becomes worth more.
But really, it's just applied money.
