I'm planning to build a simple elevated playhouse for my kids.  Approx. 8' x 8' with a 6' x 8' porch high enough off the ground to put a sandbox underneath.  My budget is $500.  Any money saving or cool ideas I can do?   Nothing too elaborate it needs to be built over 2 or 3 weekends tops.  Simple but still attractive is really what I'm looking for.

One option you could consider is to purchased a playscape kit. I thought about building my own and then looked at kits. Sam's Club had some pretty decent prices on the style I was looking at. Their prices were about 30%-40% cheaper than comparable kits at Home Depot or Lowes. I got a really nice kit there for $600. Not as big as you are thinking (platform is like 4'x6') but it was all there, no need to source all the parts myself, ready to assemble, decent instructions. Most of the kits I have seen have room for a sand box on the ground level. This one took me two weekends to set up by myself. All cedar with zinc plated corrosion resistant hardware. My kids love it (2yo boy and 8yo girl).

I am usually a build-it-from-scratch sort of guy so I can get exactly what I want. There is no way I could have designed and built something as nice as that kit from scratch and stayed below $600.

I really want something that is 8x8 so I can add a couple small bunks so they could sleep in it when they were older if they wanted.  I don't think I'll be able to get what I'm looking for in a kit.  As long as I can get the basic structure dried in for $500 I can do the finsh work later and I have access to lots of old and scrap lumber for the trim work, siding, etc.

Building almost exactly this right now. My big mistake was having my 72 yo engineer FiL design it for me. What should have been a 8x16' platform with an 8x8x6' shack on it has turned into a small House on stilts.



If weather permits, I'll take some photos and post 'em up tomorrow. Total cost of lumber and hardware so far is about $450 from the local Menards.

I'm thinking something similar to this just a little bigger.  8 by 12 total floor space (6x8 playhouse and 6x8 deck) may be the way to go.  

About half way done. Needs shingles, windows, door, carpet, electric outlet and light, railing, ladder, climbing rope, tire swing, and paint.

Nice that's almost exaclty what I'm after.  Add a fridge, a comfy chair and a TV and I could spend time in there.  Not bad for $450.  What kind of plywood is that?

I may do the roof like this to make it a little more simple.

Standard 3/4". Was going to use some leftover window screening in the sophets to allow airflow and keep the skeeters out. Built it in the old pool area, so there is a 30A line running nearby. Was going to splice into it and run a duplex 110 outlet and a light.



Come to think of it, I have an old window mount AC unit. Does heat too...



Hhhmmm....



I'll post more pics once it's done. Probably another week or so depending on how much more rain we get...



 

made something similar a loooong time ago for my kids. In the sand play area underneath I finally had to put a chain link fence around it to keep the damn cats from using it as a litter box

I drew out a rough plan and came up with a material list yesterday.  I'm looking at around $1k for everything.  So much for the $500 budget.





Yup, I think I'd have that same problem.  I'm trying to come up with a simple cover that will be easy enough for my wife to remove.