Grace and Jacob Kocher, 26, had been living in an RV for three years when they decided it was time to find somewhere to settle down.
“We lived primarily on the road for years and had a history of living tiny, so we knew we wanted our next step to be small as well,” Grace tells CNBC Make It.
The Kocher’s traveled to 25 states before settling in Florida where they spent several months looking at tiny homes. Grace saw an article about old cabins from Disney’s Fort Wilderness up for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Fort Wilderness is a camping resort in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The Kocher’s moved into their cabin in Florida this August.
Grace and Jacob Kocher
When Grace saw the listing for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom, 500-square-feet cabin selling for $49,900, she immediately sent it to her dad. Her family had spent many years vacationing at Fort Wilderness. Like Grace, Jacob had also stayed in cabins throughout his childhood.
“We grew up going to the cabins and when this came up, I knew immediately we were going to have to put a lot of work into it but it seemed like a really good option,” Grace says. “It was a good price for what it was.”
Grace and Jacob saw tiny homes selling for over $100,000 and were determined to keep the cost under $125,000 with financing options. They didn’t want to have too much debt, the couple says.
Jacob says he knew buying the cabin could be a smart investment for them.
A look at the bathroom before the couple started renovations.
Grace and Jacob Kocher
“We were looking for a long time, and it was kind of hard to make a decision. But when this came up, I knew we should see if we can make that happen,” Jacobs says. “We were more passionate about how the cabin’s interior looked and we liked it a lot more than most of the other homes we saw.”
Although the couple was not allowed to see the cabin in person before agreeing to buy it, Grace says she felt good about making that decision based on photos.
“We just got really lucky with this one because it didn’t have much damage, unlike others we saw for sale,” Grace says. “I guess I didn’t think about it too much other than the fact that it was much more cost-effective for us than getting something like the usual module home.”
“I also had peace of mind because it was built in 1998, so I knew it was built to last. It was also coming from Disney World and they always do things the right way,” she adds.
All of the furniture and appliances inside were included in the cabin’s sale.
Grace and Jacob Kocher
Grace and Jacob signed the bill of sale in April and paid $53,375, including tax, for the cabin. It was delivered to them in June on a giant semi, which Jacob admits was an overwhelming experience.
“It was a lot of mixed feelings because we didn’t know exactly what to expect,” he says. “But I think when it was parked on our lot, it was very exciting to see it there and to see what we were going to end up doing with it.”
“With any renovation, you don’t know where to start. We knew what the next steps were, but it was overwhelming to have so many things ahead of us,” Grace adds.
Since taking possession of the Disney Fort Wilderness cabin earlier this year, the couple have kept busy doing most of the renovation work.
“We hired someone for the main major things like plumbing and electrical. We’ve had some help here and there but mostly it’s been us figuring it out ourselves,” Jacob says. “It’s been pretty cool because nowadays you can kind of just look something up on the internet and figure it out.”
The couple painted and updated the hardware in the bathroom.
Grace and Jacob Kocher
“We were kind of on our own at first, especially the first few months. We learned a lot about each other and figuring all that stuff out together was just a really fun experience,” Grace adds. “We can look back on that and say that we’re really proud of what we were able to get done together.”
The Kocher’s did not want to disclose how much they have spent on renovations so far.
Included in the purchase of the cabin were all the furniture and appliances inside. It had a twin bunk bed set, a couch, TVs, and more. The two sold most of it to help with their renovation costs.
“We wanted to renovate it to be our own, so we ended up selling a lot of it,” Grace says. “It was pretty cool because we got to connect with a lot of people that really love Disney and were able to get a piece of the cabin without having to buy one.”
While clearing the cabin, Grace and Jacob found an old Fort Wilderness-branded hotel telephone and random trinkets, including a miniature Sven, a fictional reindeer from “Frozen.”
The couple installed brand new appliances in the kitchen.
Grace and Jacob Kocher
The couple really wanted to make the cabin their own — they painted the kitchen, changed the kitchen faucet and other hardware, the lighting, painted the bathroom and added new furniture throughout.
Grace and Jacob spent their first night together in the cabin in August. When they moved in, renovations weren’t complete yet, but they were able to make the cabin livable.
“It’s crazy how quickly it felt like home,” Grace says.
The couple added a new couch and painted the living room after getting the cabin in June.
Grace and Jacob Kocher
The couple says they don’t see themselves parting with their Disney cabin anytime soon.
“It would be great if we did have a different adventure later on in life and maybe make this more of a rental,” Grace says. “I know that life happens and that we might have to sell it at some point, but it would be great if we could keep it and let other people experience it, too.”
Want to earn more money at work? Take CNBC’s new online course How to Negotiate a Higher Salary. Expert instructors will teach you the skills you need to get a bigger paycheck, including how to prepare and build your confidence, what to do and say, and how to craft a counteroffer. Start today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 50% off through November 26, 2024.
Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.