“Sweat equity is the best startup capital.”

Mark Cuban 

Our family was young and we all enjoyed skiing and other outdoor pursuits, so the idea of having our own mountain getaway took root. We had some savings, but they were just enough to buy a piece of land and some building materials—not enough to pay a builder or buy a house ready-made. My husband had helped his brother and a few friends build houses, so he had some experience. He also purchased some how-to books on construction, plumbing, wiring, etc. for guidance. 

 We decided our focus would be on locations within driving distance from Massachusetts that would provide skiing in winter and water sports in summer. In the late 1970s, we began our search in Vermont and New Hampshire. We found lots for sale in Sugarbush, VT with a great view of the mountain but no water in sight. Available lots in Stowe, VT and Sugar Hill, NH near Mittersill on the back side of Cannon lacked both views and water. 

Our search was disrupted when my husband was offered a job transfer to Italy, and we jumped at the chance to experience life abroad. We lived there for two and a half years.

When we returned to the States in 1983, we started looking in Maine near Sugarloaf, a mountain we enjoyed. The map showed a large lake nearby, so we were excited to check it out. To our disappointment, Flagstaff Lake had very low water that year and didn’t seem appealing.

Just to the west of Sugarloaf, the map showed a large concentration of lakes and ponds near another ski area, Saddleback, and close to a town called Rangeley. We had never been over that way and decided to check it out. The town was quaint and we liked it right away. 

We looked at a great lot with a sandy beach on Mooselukmeguntic Lake but the road wasn’t plowed in the winter, so we ruled it out. After looking at several other possibilities, we found a hillside lot in Rangeley in Lakeview Highlands, and we climbed ladders to see if a view of Rangeley Lake were possible. It was, so we made an offer, signed a contract and purchased it.

After we got a building permit and drew up plans, we drove up from Massachusetts on weekends and during a two-week summer vacation. At first, we spent nights in a bunkroom at the Farmhouse Inn down the road from the lot. During the days, we cleared brush, and the kids got lots of black fly bites. At the ends of our work days, we swam and cleaned off in the lake. 

Eventually, we were offered an old camper to rent. It belonged to neighbors who lived just up the hill from our lot. The downside was we had to walk to an outhouse, something that was daunting for the kids in the dark of night. The upside was that our new neighbors had hundreds of wild blueberry bushes on their property and invited us for blueberry pancakes.

The next steps required hiring professionals. We had the house site cleared and a septic installed. Then a Dowser came to locate water using a forked stick. He indicated the best placement for a well and we had it drilled and installed. The foundation was poured and a half-circle driveway was put in, so we had two entrances.

The rest was up to us. Every time we drove up to Maine, we’d stop in the small town of Strong and order lumber, which they would deliver the next day. They never asked us for payment upfront. They always sent us a bill later. Such trust was amazing to us city folk.

My husband put up the first-floor wall studs (one-car garage, family room, laundry, sauna, and utility room). I was the gofer and assistant. After that floor was closed in, except for doors and windows, our friend G. from Massachusetts helped my husband put up the heavy cross beam for supporting a second floor.

Once that floor was laid, we had an open-air cookout up there with a hibachi and some friends. Second floor walls went up (living-dining-kitchen great room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms) and four large beams were installed to provide stability in the high-ceilinged main room. A staircase to a third floor was built. Third floor walls went up (long dormer room). Rafters and a ridge pole were next and the roof was closed in with plywood. During this time, we had help from several neighbors (E, W, and B) and E played strongman to hoist two sliding doors up to the second floor. A friend from Massachusetts (F) helped my husband shingle the roof. 

After a deck was added, doors, windows, and plumbing went in, and vertical siding was installed, the kids helped us apply cedar stain to the outside. 

We were happy to have the house closed in before it got cold, but there was still lots of finish work to be done. We came up that first winter on weekends and the four of us would camp in one room with a space heater. In the morning, we’d drop the kids at the mountain to ski, and the two of us would do electrical work with stiff, cold fingers.

In 1986, carpeting was installed, giving the house a finished look. We didn’t get to enjoy it for long though. Another job abroad was offered, this time in Germany, and we rented out the house while we were away. We ended up being gone for six years (1986-1992).

When we returned to the States that time, we finally got to enjoy our vacation home without a lot of work. That is, until we decided to convert the first-floor garage into an extension of the family room and build a separate two-story garage. In the summer of 1997, we obtained a building permit and my husband cut down many trees to one side of the house. In 1998, the garage excavation was done and construction began. We had lots of help from neighbors when it came time to raise the second-floor walls and install the rafters and ridge pole. The outside was finished in 1999 and the upstairs room was finished off as a photography studio in 2001.

We always seem to have a project. In 2009, we built a shed to house our kayaks and summer deck furniture. In 2012, we installed oak hardwood floor in the great room and laminate wood flooring in all the bedrooms. From time to time, things need to be replaced or painted or stained, but most of the time now we just enjoy our home that we built with sweat equity.