Foundation and bottom logs
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.
- Per house
- 7,400–14,300 BYN
How we restore the houses
The street stays the same. We keep the log walls and stoves, replace only what has rotted, and bring back carved window frames and shingle roofs. We repair one house at a time, starting with those in better condition.
Work order
One house, step by step
The turnkey cost depends on the level: save the log house, guest house, or guest house with bathroom and finishing. Details are on the "Numbers" page.
01Surveydone by us
In spring we inspect every log frame, stove, roof and foundation and decide what to replace and what to keep. Done by ourselves.
02Foundation 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.
03Roof17,200–26,500 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.
- Aspen shingles
- 17,200–26,500 BYN
- Wood-coloured metal
- 7,200–13,100 BYN
04Caulking 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.
05Windows, 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.
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.
07Water, 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).
Before and after
What changes in each house
A new shingle roof, sound logs, wooden windows with carved frames, a low fence and a flower bed in the yard.
Drag or swipe
Caulking and log treatment
About 700 m of seams on both sides, jute, then sanding, antiseptic and oil outside. Caulking labour 3.5–4 BYN per metre.
- Per house
- 4,400–6,900 BYN
Windows, carved frames and door
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.
- Per house
- 5,000–8,500 BYN
Stove
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.
- Per house
- 1,600–4,000 BYN
Roof
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.
- Aspen shingles
- 17,200–26,500 BYN
- Wood-coloured metal
- 7,200–13,100 BYN
Water, septic, electricity
The house's share of the shared wells, water pipes, septic tanks and the 15 kW connection (split evenly across 7 houses).
- Per house
- 3,400–8,000 BYN
Repair rules
A house as it was built here
Five rules we keep on every house, even when another way would be cheaper.
- 01
We keep the log walls
We replace only rotten logs and boards. No siding, no plastic.
- 02
Windows with carved frames
Wooden sashes and frames after old patterns, white and cornflower blue.
- 03
A shingle roof
Aspen shingles in three layers, as before.
- 04
Warm and comfortable inside
The stove stays, and we add a shower, wiring and good beds.
- 05
A yard as it used to be
A picket fence, apple trees, lilac and mallows. No paving.
Three levels
What one house costs
Turnkey prices for a 6×8 m house, including delivery, the crew and a contingency margin. The survey of each log house gives the exact sum.
Save the log house
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.
- Aspen shingles
- 38–67k BYN
- Wood-coloured metal
- 28–54k BYN
Guest house
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.
- Aspen shingles
- 62–110k BYN
- Wood-coloured metal
- 52–96k BYN
Guest house with bathroom and finishing
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.
- Aspen shingles
- 73–133k BYN
- Wood-coloured metal
- 64–120k BYN
Estimate
Per house
- Aspen shingles
- 77,000–141,000 BYN
- Wood-coloured metal
- 67,000–128,000 BYN
- 01Surveydone by us
- 02Foundation and bottom logs7,400–14,300 BYN
- 03RoofAspen shingles17,200–26,500 BYNWood-coloured metal7,200–13,100 BYN
- 04Caulking and log treatment4,400–6,900 BYN
- 05Windows, carved frames and door5,000–8,500 BYN
- 06Floors and insulation6,600–9,700 BYN
- 07Stove1,600–4,000 BYN
- 08Electrics4,100–7,200 BYN
- 09Bathroom5,900–12,800 BYN
- 10Interior finishing4,300–7,800 BYN
- 11Furnishing3,500–7,000 BYN
- 12Water, septic, electricity3,400–8,000 BYN
- 13Delivery, debris, crew6,200–10,600 BYN
- 14Contingency7,400–17,800 BYN
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.
Roof
Estimate
Not included73,000–133,000 BYN
for 1 house
- 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.
The stove
We keep the stoves
In many houses the stoves are intact, and for a guest a stove with a sleeping ledge means more than a fresh renovation. A stove master relays burnt-out bricks, repairs the chimney and whitewashes the stove with lime. For those who cannot fire a stove, the house has a warm floor and convectors.
- 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
A stove, linen and a good bed
What we keep
The stove, benches, wooden floors and beams, rushnyks (woven towels) with a local pattern.
What we add
A shower, a warm floor, new mattresses, linen curtains, sockets by the bed.
The pond
Cleaning and deepening the pond
The pond has silted up and is overgrown with reeds. We take out the silt, deepen it to two metres and leave one corner of reeds for the birds. A banya with a jetty into the water will stand on the shore.
Now: shallow and reedy
After cleaningDrag the divider or use the arrow keys.
Houses
11 houses in all: 7 ours and 4 belonging to neighbours.
Drag or swipe
Guest house "Forest"
A smaller house with a stove, a bathroom and windows facing the forest.
Guest house "Meadow"
A larger house for a family or a group of friends, with its own garden and fire pit.
Dining house
A shared kitchen with a long table for breakfasts and tastings. The spit for sękacz cake stands under a roof in the yard.
Cheese dairy and smokehouse
Where we make bag-pressed farmhouse cheese, later goat cheese. The smoker stands in the yard.
Workshop and shop
Soap making, herb drying, tincture kits and gift boxes. The shop with all our products is here too.
Guides' house
A 4-bed house for those who get up before dawn for bison and birds, with a clothes dryer and binoculars.
Owners' house, later the cidery
We live here first. Once the farm stay is running, this house becomes the cider and mead workshop.
08 /Questions
About the restoration
How much does it cost to restore one house?
It depends on the level. Save the log house: 28,000–54,000 BYN with a metal roof, 38,000–67,000 with shingles. Guest house: 52,000–96,000 or 62,000–110,000. Guest house with bathroom and finishing: 64,000–120,000 or 73,000–133,000. The spring survey gives the exact sum.
Why a shingle roof?
This is how houses here were roofed in the past. Where money is short for now, we temporarily fit wood-coloured metal.
Are the stoves taken apart?
No, we repair them: we relay bricks, check the chimney and whitewash.
Which house will you start with?
The one whose log walls are best preserved. We will decide the order after the survey.
Get involved
Help us save one house
The houses cannot wait: without repair they will stand for only a few more winters. Every contribution goes to a specific job, from a stove repair to a new roof.
- 01 Now
- 02 Stage one
- 03 In two years
Total to launch: up to 1,092,000 BYN
- Minimal launch
- 307,000 BYN
- Realistic launch
- 677,000 BYN
- With a margin
- 1,092,000 BYN