Budget Breakdown: A $1.1M Prefab Gives a Divorcée a Fresh Start in Midcoast Maine

Laura Bayne was ready to start a new chapter. After a divorce and the pandemic, which made working from anywhere a real possibility, she decided to make a move from Winchester, Massachusetts, to her favorite place in the country: midcoast Maine. She envisioned a cozy hideaway in a friendly community somewhere near Harpswell or Rockport that valued the arts and the outdoors, and a hub for her two grown children and their families. But there was one major issue with this plan: Laura didn’t like any of the homes she toured in those areas.

"I was driving here frequently to check out listings, and during one of those trips, my son turned up one for land and we stopped by and fell in love instantly," Laura says of a property they found in St. George, closer to Rockport. "On my second visit, a neighbor walked over to say hello and offered to answer any questions, which helped make my decision easier."

The land has a gentle slope and is surrounded by trees that change colors in the fall. The calm currents of Cutler Cove, off the St. George River, are visible through the branches. Laura, a chief information officer, imagined kayaking and paddleboarding after work and hosting Thanksgiving dinners against a backdrop of vibrant leaves. But then a second issue came into play. "I was naive in thinking that building would be less expensive than buying a new house, or at least not more expensive," she says, having seen one estimate. "So I started the process with a different architect and builder, but their estimate was 50 percent higher than the original, so I canceled the project."