Father Spends 2 Years Building Stunning Off-Grid Cabin in Alaska To Provide His Family With a ‘Dream’ Home

A Montana native and master builder has revealed how he erected a stunning log cabin on a plot of land in remote Alaska, spending two years battling the elements in order “to turn raw logs into a cozy, off-grid home” that generations of his family can enjoy for years to come.

Joe Miller has lived with his family in Libby, MT, for years, but when he visited Alaska’s wilderness for a fishing and hunting trip, he fell in love with the area. He felt compelled to purchase a 40-acre plot of land with a friend, where he proceeded to design and build a beautiful home for his family.

“I said, ‘This is the most amazing place I’ve ever been to.’ So that’s what we did,” he says. “We basically built the whole thing almost entirely by ourselves. Some help, but not much.”

He has now shared that process with the world, detailing every aspect of it in an astonishing time-lapse video on YouTube, where he regularly documents his family’s day-to-day life in Alaska.

“Watch as a family of seven takes on the ultimate challenge—building their dream log house in the wilds of Alaska! Over two years, they battle tough weather, rough terrain, and countless obstacles to turn raw logs into a cozy, off-grid home,” the YouTube caption reads.

Miller, who grew up in the Amish community designing and building cabins with his family, tells Realtor.com® that he was hammering nails and measuring beams by the time he could walk. This project was perhaps the most poignant and significant he has ever worked on.

“It was a family business that my dad started the year I was born, actually,” he says. “And so I grew up doing that my whole life. I’m in my mid-40s now. Deep down, I felt the pull for something more. I decided to take my family—we have five children, and my wife and I—and do something a little bit crazy out of the box.”

Having purchased the land, Miller decided to relocate his entire family to Alaska, where they began work on their home. The family kept their Montana home as a vacation rental, but sold their local Montana building company.

“We didn’t have family in Alaska, this was a dream we had shared with a close friend,” he explains. “In 2019, he and I traveled to Alaska for a hunting trip, and after much prayer and plenty of discussion, we bought 40 acres there. We split it in two and I built the cabin.”

Even though Miller was familiar with woodwork, some things during the process were new.

“You always learn new things. There are things I’d never done before, like concrete countertops and a few things like that,” he says.

The plan was to keep the home and not sell it, but they eventually listed it after Miller realized that he could build another one on the remaining property.

“So we built it as if it was our own home with a lot of custom things that we would not have done, probably, had it just been a spec home,” he reveals. “Eventually, we decided to list the house for sale.”

Personal touches that Miller added include hand-poured concrete countertops, murals made from reclaimed wood, and moose and bear prints throughout the home’s concrete that his son helped him make and stain.

Then there’s the massive moose antler chandelier that hangs in the kitchen and custom vanities that incorporate the same moose prints and bear tracks that mark the countertops throughout the home.

Miller completed the electrical and plumbing with the help of a friend, and after two and a half years in Alaska, the family is back in Montana for the time being.

His goal is to build another log home on a 6-acre slice of his plot and move there again. He says he will head there in May to “restart the whole process again.”

The home that the family still owns in Montana is also a log cabin that they custom-built. Their Airbnb listing describes the four-bedroom property as a “peaceful home of rest.”

“Whether you spend time in our garden pavilion among the flowers and birds or enjoy a BBQ on our spacious front deck with awe inspiring view of the mountains or perhaps run a bubble bath in the jetted tub, we hope this unique log home that our family built, will bring much joy and blessing to you,” the description continues.

“Bring your family and enjoy this peaceful home of rest here in the beautiful northwest corner of Montana.”