Plan and numbers
What to invest and what comes back
All the project's money is in one place here. It is an honest turnkey estimate: delivery to a remote village, the crew's work and a contingency margin included. Local contractors will give exact sums after surveying the log walls.
Stage one
Save the log house38–67k BYN
Guest house62–110k BYN
Roof17.2–26.5k BYN
Stove1,600–4,000 BYN
Windows, carved frames and door5,000–8,500 BYN
Five log hives for bees2,900–8,100 BYN
Greenhouse2,800–6,000 BYN
Guest house with bathroom and finishing73–133k BYN
Campaign goal
Stage one and the full launch
- 01$102,000
Stage one
≈ 307,000 BYN
Save the log houses and open the first guest houses: two guest houses with bathrooms, the owners' house, the dining house with a kitchen, water, septic tanks and power, a simple banya, a greenhouse, hens, the first two product stages and a 4-month reserve.
- 02campaign goal $220,000
Full launch
≈ 677,000 BYN
As described on this site: three guest houses with shingle roofs, the dining house, a log banya by the cleaned pond, horses, the apiary, the garden, the first product stages and a reserve.
- 03
With a margin
≈ 1.09 million BYN
The whole village of seven houses, all four product stages and a six-month reserve at the upper prices.
How we count
Turnkey prices with a margin
- 01
Every figure is a turnkey cost: materials, labour, delivery, debris removal, bathrooms, wiring, finishing and furniture.
- 02
Labour is counted 10–25% above city rates because the crew travels from afar. On top comes 15–20% for the unexpected: an old log house only shows its rot once it is opened up. Local contractors will give exact sums after surveying the log walls.
Restoring one house
Three levels
Each level can be done with shingles or, for now, with a wood-coloured metal roof. Turnkey prices for a 6×8 m house.
- 01
Save the log house
38,000–67,000 BYNwith shingles
One new log row, a new roof, outside caulking, simple windows, floor and stove repairs where needed, basic wiring, a tap and sink. The house stands and can be lived in.
With metal: 28,000–54,000 BYN.
- 02
Guest house
62,000–110,000 BYNwith shingles
One or two log rows, caulking on both sides and oil, windows with carved frames, a new warm floor and ceiling, a stove overhaul, a mini kitchen and furniture for six guests.
With metal: 52,000–96,000 BYN.
- 03
Guest house with bathroom and finishing
73,000–133,000 BYNwith shingles
Everything in the guest house level plus a bathroom with a water heater and underfloor heating, a boarded ceiling and partitions for the bedrooms. This is the house we promise our guests.
With metal: 64,000–120,000 BYN.
Calculator
Work out the restoration yourself
Choose the number of houses and the roof. The calculator adds up the estimate lines for the guest house with bathroom and finishing level.
- Relaying or a new stove if the old one cannot be saved: +5,000–13,000 BYN
- More than two rotten log rows: +5,000–8,000 BYN
- A share of rebuilding the power line if the utility requires it: the utility sets the amount
- The banya, the pond, the dining-house kitchen and the animals are counted separately
A turnkey estimate: materials, labour, delivery to a remote village, debris removal, crew food and 15–20% contingency. Labour is counted 10–25% above city rates because the crew travels from afar. Prices from contractors' listings and price lists, November 2026; each house gets an exact quote after the spring survey.
House estimate
What goes into a guest house with bathroom and finishing
- 01Foundation and bottom logs7,400–14,300 BYN
The house is jacked up, 1–2 rotten log rows are cut out and replaced and the foundation under them is strengthened. A crew of 2–4 people, 1–2 weeks. If more rows are rotten, add 5,000–8,000.
- 02Roof17,200–26,500 BYN
About 80 m² for a 6×8 m house. Shingles go on in three layers, the old way: about 60 BYN per m² for the shingles and about 80 BYN per m² for laying, plus rafters and battens. Where money is short for now, we put up wood-coloured metal as a temporary roof. Metal: 7,200–13,100 BYN.
- 03Caulking and log treatment4,400–6,900 BYN
About 700 m of seams on both sides, jute, then sanding, antiseptic and oil outside. Caulking labour 3.5–4 BYN per metre.
- 04Windows, carved frames and door5,000–8,500 BYN
5 pine windows with double glazing and a settling frame (400–650 BYN each), carved frames by a local carver and an insulated front door.
- 05Floors and insulation6,600–9,700 BYN
A new insulated floor on joists, about 40 m², and an insulated ceiling with a vapour barrier.
- 06Stove1,600–4,000 BYN
The stove maker relays the firebox and the vault, repairs the chimney and whitewashes the stove. If the stove cannot be saved, a new stove-bench costs 6,000–12,000 and a Russian stove 8,000–17,000.
- 07Electrics4,100–7,200 BYN
About 30 points, open vintage-style wiring, a protected switchboard, convector heaters and floor heating in the bathroom.
- 08Bathroom5,900–12,800 BYN
A 4–5 m² bathroom: shower, toilet, 80 l water heater, floor heating, extractor fan, waterproofing. Plus a sink in the kitchenette.
- 09Interior finishing4,300–7,800 BYN
Sanding and oil on the inner log walls, a boarded ceiling, partitions for the bedrooms, inner doors.
- 10Furnishing3,500–7,000 BYN
Beds and mattresses for 6, two sets of linen, a hob, a fridge, dishes.
- 11Water, septic, electricity3,400–8,000 BYN
The house's share of the shared wells, water pipes, septic tanks and the 15 kW connection (split evenly across 7 houses).
- 12Delivery, debris, crew6,200–10,600 BYN
The village is remote: 8 truck or crane trips at 250–450 BYN, 4 skips of debris, scaffolding, food and travel for the crew.
- 13Contingency7,400–17,800 BYN
15–20% for what turns up once the walls are opened: hidden rot, beams, price rises.
In total about 77,000–141,000 BYN with shingles and 67,000–128,000 with metal, including the house's share of the shared wells, septic tanks and the 15 kW connection. Seven houses by role: 448,000–831,000 BYN. Just saving all seven log houses: 184,000–346,000 BYN.
Stove · Yard and farm
Four options for a stove
- 01Stove repair600–2,100 BYN
- 02Stove overhaul1,800–4,800 BYN
- 03Relaying a Russian stove8,000–17,500 BYN
- 04New stove with a sleeping bench6,300–11,900 BYN
Only a stove maker on site can say which option each house needs.
Banya, pond, greenhouse
A 3×4 m log banya by the pond14,100–25,700 BYNPiles, stove, steam room, lights and a jetty. The cheaper option, a barrel sauna, costs 11,300–15,500 BYN.
Cleaning and deepening the pond4,800–14,400 BYNSilt, reeds, deepening to 2 m and moving the machines on a low loader.
A turnkey 3×6 m greenhouse2,800–6,000 BYNBase, assembly, beds, soil, drip irrigation and a rain barrel.
Four stages
Start-up investment and revenue per year
Start-up costs include equipment and the paperwork needed to sell. Each stage earns more than the next one costs to launch.
Read more
The bar shows a range, from and to, in thousands of BYN. It is the sum of the estimates for the products. For Stage 4 the profit is shown.
First, what needs almost no money
Birch syrup, bison grass, morels, tincture kits, birch tar soap. Revenue 20,000–35,000 BYN a year.
Sękacz, klinkovy cheese, bison and birding trips, lion's mane, geese. Revenue 41,000–80,000 BYN a year.
Wild-hive honey, kumpyak, snails, goat cheese, gin with a licensed partner. Revenue 26,000–41,000 BYN a year plus gin.
| Stage 1 | Start-up cost: 4.2–7.2 | Revenue per year: 20–35 |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 2 | Start-up cost: 7.8–14.4 | Revenue per year: 41–80 |
| Stage 3 | Start-up cost: 20.3–39.8 | Revenue per year: 26–41 |
| Stage 4 | Start-up cost: 14.8–28 | Profit per year: 22–34 |
Totals
Key figures
- 0147,000–89,000BYNProducts, all four stagesLaunch with equipment and paperwork.
- 02448,000–831,000BYNSeven housesBy role, turnkey.
- 03110,000–190,000BYNProduct revenuePer year with all stages running, excluding accommodation.
Lodging
Revenue of the three guest houses
Calculation: 3 houses × 365 nights × an average price of 280 BYN × the share of nights booked. Firewood, power, linen, cleaning and marketing cost about 27,000–67,000 BYN in the first year, and booking sites take 15–17% commission on top. The guest houses pay back in 4–8 years.
- Cautious≈ 90,000 BYN30% of nights booked
- Realistic≈ 140,000 BYN45% of nights booked
- Good≈ 185,000 BYN60% of nights booked
Prices
- Whole house, weekdays250 BYN
up to 6 people, Sun–Thu
- Whole house, weekends300 BYN
Fri–Sat, 2 nights minimum
- Holidays350 BYN
New Year, Kupala Night, May holidays; 3 nights minimum
- Guides' house180 BYN
for birdwatchers and photographers, 4 beds
- Breakfast18 BYN
in the dining house or as a basket at your door, per person
- Banya, 3-hour session70 BYN
up to 6 people, brooms, tea, sheets
- Children under 60
without their own bed, free
- Dog20 BYN
by arrangement, per night
Market benchmark: a 6-person house at comparable farm stays costs 210–300 BYN a night, breakfast 14–15 BYN, a banya 35–45 BYN for 2 hours (myfin.by, mirturbaz.ru, 2025–2026). We are above average because the price includes the stove, linen, the welcome basket and our food.
Three guest houses, accommodation revenue
493 of 1,095 nights booked · 3 × 365 × 280 BYN × 45%
Accommodation revenue only. Food, banya and activities come on top. Firewood, power, linen, cleaning and marketing cost about 27–67.2 thousand BYN in the first year, booking-site commission of 15–17% comes on top.
Guest packages
Ready-made trips and their price
Calculated from the prices of lodging, food and activities with a discount of about 10%. The house, breakfasts and banya are always included.
- April–May, 2 nights
Spring in the forest
- House, breakfasts
- a morning of sap collecting
- morels in cream for dinner
- banya. For 4 people
- December–March, 2 nights
Winter bison
- House, breakfasts, 2 dinners
- a bison trip
- a sleigh ride
- banya. For 4 people
- all year, 2 nights
A weekend for two
- House, breakfasts
- a banya ritual with a bath master
- a tasting dinner
- a picnic basket. For two
- summer, 3 nights
A family on the farm
- House, full board
- horses and a cart
- feeding the animals, bread
- fishing, bicycles. For 4 people
What we check on site
Local contractors will give these sums
- 01
Carpenter
How many log rows are rotten and whether rafters and beams are sound in each house.
- 02
Shingle roofer
Who lays aspen shingles nearby and what it costs with travel.
- 03
Stove maker
Which stoves to repair and which to relay.
- 04
Power utility
Technical conditions for 15 kW and whether the line must be rebuilt.
- 05
Drillers and septic tanks
Depth to water, soil type and groundwater level.
- 06
Pond and banya
Whether the pond needs approval, a banya quote from two or three builders.
- 07
Lawyer and laboratory
The cider licence and product declarations.
- 08
Nearby farms
Hay, oats, a vet and a farrier for the horses.
Rules and risks
What can go wrong
We know in advance where the plan can stumble. Below are six such places and what we do so they do not become a problem.
- 01
Gathering in the forest to sell
Gathering to sell is allowed only with written agreement from the forestry office or with a forest permit, under forestry rules. We agree with the forestry office in advance.
- 02
Food and souvenirs for guests
We sell to guests as a farm stay service, for which we pay a fee of 45 BYN a month. Selling to shops requires declarations; that is a later step.
- 03
Alcohol
Spirits only through a licensed partner. Cider and mead only through our own LLC with a licence.
- 04
Short seasons
Sap and morels last 3–4 weeks a year. That is why there are many products, spread across the whole year.
- 05
Long lead times
Honey comes from the second year, crayfish from the third. We may not find truffle. The main plan does not count on them.
- 06
Restoration costs more than estimated
Old log walls sometimes turn out worse than they look. We start with the houses in the best condition.
Get involved
One step, one amount, one contract
We are not asking for the whole budget at once. You can support stage one with a donation, invest in one house, fund the launch of a product stage (stage 2 costs 7,800–14,400 BYN) or take a share in the limited company that will open the cider workshop (14,800–28,000 BYN).
14 /Questions
About money
How much does stage one need?
About 307,000 BYN, which is $102,000. It opens the first two guest houses, the dining house and the owners' house.
Why is the campaign goal $220,000?
It is the full launch as described on this site: about 677,000 BYN.
How much does one house cost?
From 28,000–54,000 BYN to save the log house, up to 73,000–133,000 BYN for a guest house with bathroom, finishing and shingles.
How accurate are these figures?
They are estimates from contractors' listings and price lists, November 2026, with a 15–20% margin. Each house gets an exact quote after the spring survey.