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Savvy Dad Builds An Impressive Fortress For His Kids In Back Yard After Seeing How Expensive Tree Houses Are
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Savvy Dad Builds An Impressive Fortress For His Kids In Back Yard After Seeing How Expensive Tree Houses Are

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It seems that everyone has been into DIY projects lately. From baking sourdough and growing scallions to tie-dyeing old shirts and recreating real-life paintings with objects found around the house, the lockdown has clearly given us too much time.

But one savvy dad from Rochford, Essex has taken his DIY skills to a whole new level. After browsing for a treehouse online for his kids, Marc Ely, 33, realized that he could make one for a fraction of the $2,400 retail price. Marc rolled up the sleeves and in 3 days, he built an incredible playhouse fortress with a tower, a swing, and a rock-climbing wall. Made from only scaffold materials, the wooden buildings cost him $205 only. And we get the dad. With kids running errands between the four walls all this quarantine, nothing’s impossible to keep them entertained out of the house.

Dad Marc built a play fortress for his kids in his back yard using only scaffold materials

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters

Marc said that the lockdown gave him a lot of spare time on his hands and his daughter Bella had always wanted a treehouse. “I looked online and the ones with swings, stairs, and a slide were over £2000 and I knew I could do this playground myself.”

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Fortunately, Marc has his own scaffolding business and could use up the materials from the yard. “The only things I had to buy for kids playground I was making were the wood chippings, swings, slide, rock-climbing stones, and paint from Amazon, eBay, and B&Q.”

Image credits: Caters

The DIY-savvy scaffolder spent 8 hours a day and 3 days in total building this impressive structure

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters Clips

The Daily Mail broke down the castle on a budget shopping list—wood chipping: $11 from B&Q, swing: $18 from eBay, heavy duty slide from Amazon retails around $120, rock climbing stones: $41 from eBay, charcoal grey paint: $15 from B&Q. The essentials can be bought for a total of $205, which is a tenth of the retail price.

Image credits: Caters

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Image credits: Caters

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Image credits: Caters

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Marc’s 8-year-old daughter Bella and 3-year-old son Blake helped dad with painting and shoveling

Image credits: Caters Clips

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters Clips

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Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters

Image credits: Caters Clips

This is what people had to say about Marc’s creation

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krystalzombiegirladams avatar
ZombieGirl
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Im sorry for being that person...but if I had a privacy fence, Id be upset if my neighbor built a playhouse taller than my fence like that. I like total privacy when I'm in my yard

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We just dropped $250 on wood alone for a tree house platform. Everything else will be of pallets. If the wood's free, as in his case, sure it's doable; but this title is misleading.

safsaf avatar
SAF saf
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree, i just bought the cheaper knotty pine, common board for a built in book shelf (8'ftx4'ft) and i easily blew through $200.

Load More Replies...
michel_2 avatar
Marcellus the Third
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The [I assume AU]$205 seems based on having access to any amount of scaffolding materials for free? Trying eBay UK, I get at cheapest £8 per 8ft reclaimed (grade C) board. Then add the poles and fixings and climbing holds, plus touches like paint, it's well over £1000.

scigib avatar
Karin Gibson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope he got planning permission. I wouldn't like being able to see that from my garden Yes

hannau avatar
CorgiGirl
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope he got a building permit before he built this? In Canada, anyhow, if you don't get one, the city will come and ask you to tear it all down again.

yilkiran avatar
Jayy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha 205....no way. I build comparable freestyle thing at the moment even smaller but more complex and material costs are about 2500 euro.

jerrystover6 avatar
Jerry Stover
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a retired professional builder, and the 3 days quoted is not realistic.

wellsea7 avatar
We'llSee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love this at any age! Awesome job, so many memories will be had here.

agneirbe avatar
loading...
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you don't have access to free scaffolding wood, this would cost you 1000s! Really misleading. Also, not to be petty, but they're called rock climbing HOLDS, not stones.

postvoorly avatar
hobbitly
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He did not pay for the wood, hence why the price is unrealistic.

monika-soffronow avatar
Monika Soffronow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is what I call a DAD! I wish all children could grow up in a family like this one.

dbailey avatar
D Bailey
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow I read the comments and too many people find it so easy to say something negative. The story is about a dad that loves his kids and obviously he finds great joy in doing things for them that most dads wont. Applause to this dad for giving his love instead of just words. Our neighbor built his kids a tree house and when the kids play in it they can see into or onto our property. We find it amusing to see them enjoying themselves and so far the only thing the kids have done is say "hello" from their elevated perch. Time for people to lighten up.

jgallaher1117 avatar
Jessica Cole
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The reviews on this are so mixed and funny... Reading the comments is better than the actual story!

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very special. The wood was from his business, and he must have a great deal of it, plus buys in quantity so gets low prices. Could he have had help? Sure. Or he's young and fit. Quite fit. And Viking handsome. But I digress. The only thing I worry about are some safety questions about exposed metal.

d-chambers avatar
D L C
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hmmm. Like any child's toy, of whatever size, it'll get used 10-15 minutes, then abandoned forever.

olivia_adler avatar
Olivia Adler
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

krystalzombiegirladams avatar
ZombieGirl
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Im sorry for being that person...but if I had a privacy fence, Id be upset if my neighbor built a playhouse taller than my fence like that. I like total privacy when I'm in my yard

always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We just dropped $250 on wood alone for a tree house platform. Everything else will be of pallets. If the wood's free, as in his case, sure it's doable; but this title is misleading.

safsaf avatar
SAF saf
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree, i just bought the cheaper knotty pine, common board for a built in book shelf (8'ftx4'ft) and i easily blew through $200.

Load More Replies...
michel_2 avatar
Marcellus the Third
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The [I assume AU]$205 seems based on having access to any amount of scaffolding materials for free? Trying eBay UK, I get at cheapest £8 per 8ft reclaimed (grade C) board. Then add the poles and fixings and climbing holds, plus touches like paint, it's well over £1000.

scigib avatar
Karin Gibson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope he got planning permission. I wouldn't like being able to see that from my garden Yes

hannau avatar
CorgiGirl
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope he got a building permit before he built this? In Canada, anyhow, if you don't get one, the city will come and ask you to tear it all down again.

yilkiran avatar
Jayy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha 205....no way. I build comparable freestyle thing at the moment even smaller but more complex and material costs are about 2500 euro.

jerrystover6 avatar
Jerry Stover
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a retired professional builder, and the 3 days quoted is not realistic.

wellsea7 avatar
We'llSee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love this at any age! Awesome job, so many memories will be had here.

agneirbe avatar
loading...
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you don't have access to free scaffolding wood, this would cost you 1000s! Really misleading. Also, not to be petty, but they're called rock climbing HOLDS, not stones.

postvoorly avatar
hobbitly
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He did not pay for the wood, hence why the price is unrealistic.

monika-soffronow avatar
Monika Soffronow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is what I call a DAD! I wish all children could grow up in a family like this one.

dbailey avatar
D Bailey
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow I read the comments and too many people find it so easy to say something negative. The story is about a dad that loves his kids and obviously he finds great joy in doing things for them that most dads wont. Applause to this dad for giving his love instead of just words. Our neighbor built his kids a tree house and when the kids play in it they can see into or onto our property. We find it amusing to see them enjoying themselves and so far the only thing the kids have done is say "hello" from their elevated perch. Time for people to lighten up.

jgallaher1117 avatar
Jessica Cole
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The reviews on this are so mixed and funny... Reading the comments is better than the actual story!

shaynameidela avatar
Dorothy Parker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very special. The wood was from his business, and he must have a great deal of it, plus buys in quantity so gets low prices. Could he have had help? Sure. Or he's young and fit. Quite fit. And Viking handsome. But I digress. The only thing I worry about are some safety questions about exposed metal.

d-chambers avatar
D L C
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hmmm. Like any child's toy, of whatever size, it'll get used 10-15 minutes, then abandoned forever.

olivia_adler avatar
Olivia Adler
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

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