Creating a Budget

The first step to building your dream home is to create a realistic construction budget based on what you can comfortably afford.  In some cases, this may require modifying the floor plan or the overall design to meet your limitations.  Keep in mind that this needs to be a realistic and attainable number (don’t look at $500,000 projects if all you can afford is $150,000) and don’t be afraid to be conservative with your estimate at first.

When creating a realistic construction budget, consider the following strategies:

• Set a top-end cost: This is the amount of dollars that construction costs cannot exceed.  By setting a realistic top-end cost you will save yourself time and aggravation by only considering options that fit within your budget.  Keep in mind that this needs to be a realistic and attainable number (don’t look at $500,000 projects if all you can afford is $150,000) and don’t be afraid to be conservative with your estimate at first. You can always add more to the budget once you have an accurate understanding of the costs.
   

• Subtract 15% from your top-end cost: Most construction projects have an over-expenditure rate of 5% to 10%.  By proactively subtracting 15% from your top-line cost, you will improve your chances of not experiencing a cost overrun.  For example, if your top-end cost is $200,000 you should subtract $30,000 and adjust your construction budget to $170,000.
   

• Create a priority list of “must haves”, “nice to haves” and “could haves”.  The simplest way to complete this exercise is to mentally visualize each room in your new log home and take note of what you see and in what order.  When faced with trimming your budget, look first to your “could haves” list, then your “nice to haves.”    

Now that you have a budget number in mind, it is time to decide which type of log home fits within your means.  There are two main categories of log homes: milled and handcrafted.

In general terms, handcrafted log homes are typically more costly of the two, normally costing from $150 to $200 per Sq. Ft.  Milled log homes, on the other hand, range from $85 to $125 per Sq. Ft. on average.

Note: These prices are only estimates and may vary up to 15% depending on such factors as location and the particular amenities that you would like in your home.

For illustration purposes, suppose that you elect to build a 2000 Sq. Ft. milled log home and your cost is $100 per Sq. Ft.  Using these two variables (total square footage and cost per square foot) you can quickly calculate a rough estimate of what your total project cost will be; in this example you can approximate your total costs at $200,000 less land.  The same formula applied to a comparably sized handcrafted log home, using $150 per Sq. Ft., will increase your cost estimate to roughly $300,000 less land.     

Once you’ve arrived at a realistic construction budget, your next step is to refine your estimates into hard numbers by proceeding with a detailed project plan.  Your project plan includes all the elements needed to manage the construction of your new log home, whether you hire a licensed builder/general contractor or you do much of the building yourself. 

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Securing Land

Perhaps the most critical step in building the log home of your dreams is securing the land that will serve as its backdrop.  A magnificent log home deserves an equally magnificent location to complete the log home experience.  However, not every picturesque property is well suited for your building needs.  The following information, courtesy of Log Home Living, will assist you in locating, securing and utilizing the perfect piece of land:

You've probably played around with the floor plan of your dream home, doodling on napkins and scrap paper. But before you set your heart on a certain design for your home, you should know just where that home is going to go. If you already own land, you'll need to decide where on your lot to place the home. Invest some time to get this step right. A home that's well-sited is more energy-efficient and a more pleasant place to live.

You'll need to take note of the weather at your site and the climate of your region. Will heating or air conditioning be the biggest energy drain? If you want to keep your house warm, shelter it from the wind, while allowing for sunny southern exposure. If you need to keep your place cool, avoid wide windows on the home's southern and western sides. You must also keep in mind your property's topography. If it's steeply sloped, for example, you might want to add a walkout basement to your home's plans.

If you need to purchase land, start with a real estate agent who has some experience with land sales. Subscribe to the local paper and watch for listings. You may find out about that special parcel through the grapevine, so let people know what you're looking for in a piece of land.

Once you've found some prospective sites, evaluating them can be daunting. If you can, bring your architect or designer with you, or an experienced real estate agent. You'll need to consider accessibility to utilities, water and sewer or septic. If you want privacy, make sure the land around your prospective lot is not slated for development. Be sure the property you buy has deeded access to a road. And, if you're considering property governed by a community association, make sure the association allows log construction.

Buying Land

Our surveys show that many people who plan to build log homes purchase their land well in advance of buying the home itself. Maybe it's because log home lovers appreciate land as our most important, non-renewable resource and enjoy owning land and living in a country setting. We've seen many attractive log homes in more densely populated, suburban areas, but the majority are built on small acreage in rural or semi-rural settings.

If you don't already own the land on which you intend to build, here are some fundamental considerations in making the selection. Remember that you can change the design of your home a dozen times before you actually build, but once you buy your land you'll live with it for years. The land you choose to build on can have a tremendous impact on the building process and the costs, so good planning here is an important pre-construction activity.

Location

Location is the number-one consideration when buying land. It affects everything from the cost of the land to your home owner's insurance to the eventual resale value of the home.

It is also extremely important to your enjoyment of the home in which you hope to live for many years. Take the time you need to purchase land in the location that's perfect for your home. Anything less is simply not acceptable.

Here are some basic questions you should ask when buying land for your new log home:

Is the property close to your work, schools, stores, health care and fire protection? It may be a prime location, but if it takes you too long to get to work, you may not enjoy living there. Homes that are too far from fire protection pay more for fire insurance. This factor is often a complaint from home owners who have built an expensive home far from adequate fire protection.

It is in the "path of progress?" A setting that is rural today could rapidly become urbanized. This change could cause property values to skyrocket, but it could also destroy the reason you like the land today. Check with the county planning board to see if a master plan is pointing growth or industry in the direction of your land.

Is the terrain suitable for the style of home you want? Does it have good drainage? Does it have trees that will not have to be cut to build the house?

Check for zoning, code restrictions, development or home owners association restrictions and other legal considerations. Although it doesn't happen often, occasionally there will be restrictions that rule out building a log home. If you see a clause like that, before you buy the land, ask the community's architectural committee if it considers log homes unconventional. Often these restrictions can be overcome by a good presentation to the committee. Once it sees the value and beauty of your home, waivers can be granted.

Check into the cost of utilities. Does your land have access to natural gas? How far are you from electrical service? Sometimes rural electric co-ops will provide service at little cost, but in other locations, you may have to bear all the cost of poles and transmission lines. This expense can run into the thousands of dollars if you are a couple of miles away from the nearest service.

Will the property have city sewer lines or will you have to install your own system? If the land has good percolation characteristics, the easiest way to handle the problem is a septic tank and drainage field. You will have to pay for a percolation test to determine soil conditions, which then determine the size and design of the septic system and drainage field. The number of bedrooms in the home and whether or not there is a kitchen garbage disposal also affect the size of the septic system. If the land does not "perk" satisfactorily, you'll have to install a more expensive system to handle waste treatment.

Does the property have a municipal water supply, or must you dig a well? The cost of a well depends on the depth and substrata that must be drilled through. Well water that contains unacceptable minerals may require expensive treatment equipment to filter it.

Easements are rights-of-way for utilities or services that may pass through your property and prevent building anything on a portion of it. Make sure you know about any easements before you sign a purchase agreement.

Title

Usually a competent lawyer or title abstractor can quickly and easily review property records at the county courthouse and give an accurate title opinion. In rare instances, rural property titles can be exasperating to clarify. Farm land passed down to a multitude of heirs who live in far-flung places, old surveys based on trees or rocks that may no longer be there, or just the farmer's notion that his land stretched down to a certain creek can cause difficult legal snarls. These situations can be costly to clear up and even more troublesome if you build your home on what turns out to be someone else's land, so be prepared to move on if legal impediments prevent receiving clear title to a certain piece of land.

Cost

Comparing the cost of land can be difficult because of many intangible considerations. Land that is inexpensive up front may require additional money to make it livable. For example, if a parcel of land fails to percolate properly and has no city or public water supply, building a waste-treatment system and digging a well can quickly add several thousand dollars to the price.

Under some circumstances, building on a piece of land that is too large or too expensive can be difficult to finance. Most residential mortgage brokers will not finance the purchase of raw land, and they may not finance a home when value of the land is more than 33 percent of the total value of the project. Other financing sources will not work with land of more than one acre, so be sure to coordinate with your financing source the size and cost of the property on which you are planning to build.

When your land is valued too highly, one solution you might try is to survey out a piece of the property to help with the financing of the home building project. Doing so is a very simple process and does not affect your ownership or use of any of the property. This is an option that may even be advantageous if you ever want to sell the home but keep the bulk of the land.

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Log Home Design

When it comes to designing your dream home, it’s easy to be blinded by the shear excitement and emotion of seeing your plans begin to take shape.  However, you should always keep a healthy does of reality close by to ensure that you avoid potentially damaging situations that could quickly turn your excitement to frustration. 

Important Design Considerations:

Location
Foundation
Structure Type
Building Codes
Home Layout

Foundation

In the spirit of beginning at the bottom and working up, selecting the appropriate foundation should be one of the first decisions made.  Today’s log homes can be built on a myriad of different foundations, but the most common are slab, crawl space and full basements.  Each have there advantages and disadvantages which should be weighed carefully when selecting a foundation type.

Slab - A slab foundation is constructed of concrete and used predominately in flat, temperate climates where water tables are relatively deep.  Slabs are the least expensive of the three main foundation types but provide no storage or utility space, as the home actually sits directly on a large slab of concrete.

Crawl Space – A crawl foundation gets its name from the position homeowners will find them selves in when they move through this foundation type.  Short foundation walls atop footings elevate the home a few feet off the ground and provide storage and utility space.  The crawl is a lower cost alternative to the full basement and better suited for moderate climates and sloped terrain than a slab foundation.

Full Basement - The basement foundation presents homeowners with the greatest number of options for storage and additional living space and is also the most expensive of the three.  Ideal for colder climates where footings below the frost line are required, basements are typically constructed of poured concrete, cinderblocks or pressure treated wood products.
 

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Structure Type

As the majority of log homes build today have some degree of customization to them, prospective log home owners have a unique opportunity to create a home that is truly one-of-a-kind.  Due to the advancements in log home manufacturing, virtually any structure can be converted into a log construction.  However, one should consider the pros and cons of each structure type prior settling on a final design.

Single-Floor – Better know as the ranch home, single floor homes are experiencing unprecedented popularity as baby boomers begin to retire.  Without stairs, single floor homes are preferred by elderly homeowners.  Additionally, with only one story, these home are generally less expensive to build that multiple story homes. 

 
Story-and-a-Half – A nice compromise to those torn between two-story and single-floor homes, the story-and-a-half utilizes dormers and available under roof area to create a small second story or loft.  Common uses for the second floor are as a guest area, office or sleeping loft.  

Multiple Story – Because multiple story homes are typically build up versus out, this home provides maximum living space in the smallest footprint.  Combined with a full basement, the multiple story structure is generally preferred by prospective home owners requiring lots of living space.

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Building Codes

Strict adherence to local building codes and industry standards are an absolute requirement for any home construction project.

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Home Layout

Perhaps the most challenging task of any home design project is to visualize a home’s layout without a tangible model to work from.  The following reference, courtesy of Log Home Living, will assist you design a highly functional and livable home layout.

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Activity Zones

How does your lifestyle interact with the design of your home? Think of your home in three or four distinct activity zones: working, sleeping, living and garage and storage. 

Plan your activity areas for convenience and practicality. For example, the garage should be close to the kitchen so you don't have to trek through the house with the groceries. The living room should be isolated from the bedrooms so a late-night television watcher won't keep everyone else awake, and so on. 

A poor design could create unnecessary work and extra steps, while a good design will be a joy to live in for a lifetime. Proceed thoughtfully through your home activity zones. 

Working Zone

Kitchen, laundry, pantry and home workshop make up the working zone. 

 
Kitchen Plans

The kitchen, a home's most important room, should be planned with your work flow always in mind. There are four basic kitchen plans that address the work flow:

U-shaped is the most efficient because it uses the "work triangle" to best advantage. This triangle places the sink, range and refrigerator in a triangular pattern with equal distance on each side, saving steps by making sure you are never very far from preparation, cooking and storage areas.

The ideal distance is about five feet between each of the three work stations. This distance may be increased slightly, but not much since it will require too many steps. If the legs of the triangle are shorter, the kitchen will still be efficient, but it may feel cramped and there will not be enough counter space. 

L-shaped is a workable, fairly efficient design, but plan on making more steps along the triangle. 

Island kitchens work well because the island usually is the range area with the sink and refrigerator an equal distance from it. This design helps cut down the steps necessary in a large kitchen and can be attractively combined with a breakfast bar. 

Pullman or galley is not an efficient plan, but it is workable for one person and best used in small homes. 

Kitchen counter space is also important and must be carefully planned. For good counter space, plan for eight to 10 feet. You will need at least 18 inches of space on the latch side of the refrigerator so you have a place to set foods down when you take them from the refrigerator. 

At the sink, figure 24 inches of space on one side and 36 inches on the other; plan for 18 inches of space on each side of the range for preparing food; plan for a minimum of 18 square feet of kitchen storage, with additional storage space of six square feet for each member of the household. 

The utility and laundry area can accommodate a lot of activity if you take location, work flow and traffic patterns into account. These work rooms can serve as mud rooms, hobby rooms or storage rooms. You can plan extra counter space for multiple uses and extra storage space. 

The Living Zones

This area comprises the living room, dining room and family room. The living areas of your log home represent your lifestyle, so ask yourself these valuable questions when planning these important areas: 

Is your lifestyle formal or informal? Formal lifestyles dictate a separate living room or dining room where meals and visiting can be carried on in a formal setting. Everyday family activities occur in a family room and perhaps an eat-in kitchen. Informal styles combine living room, family room and eating areas into a single space called a great room, with no areas set aside for formal entertaining.

 
Does you family prefer open spaces or compartments? Compartments are rooms closed off from other rooms by doorways. Divide open living areas with furniture or large archways. 

Do you want togetherness or separation for adults and children? Use a model furniture cut-out kit to test furniture arrangements. Even in an informal, open space layout, areas can be created to isolate activities from each other. For example, the television can be set off in one section, leaving the remainder of a great room free for other activities. 

What type traffic pattern do you prefer? Do you want the living room situated so all traffic from the main entrance goes through it, or would you rather have a hallway to shuttle the flow directly to the family room or kitchen? Would you prefer the most-often used entrance to allow traffic directly into the kitchen or utility area or some other space? How will you locate the bedrooms in relation to the living areas? Will the hall or stairs from the bedrooms lead directly into the living room, dining room or some other arrangement?

Where will windows, doors and furniture be? Use furniture cut-outs to plan arrangements and make certain that windows and doors are spaced to allow for ventilation and light, while leaving enough wall space for furniture. Knowing approximate furniture locations ahead of time can help in locating electrical and service outlets for today's increasingly high-tech homes. Cable television, computers, alarm systems and telephone jacks all require special wiring. To avoid unsightly wire stringing, plan for the location of these things in advance and have the wiring run inside the walls.

The Sleeping Zone

The number of bedrooms and bathrooms depends, of course, on the size of your family and the ages of your children. You may not want to plan large bedrooms for children who will soon go away to college unless they will visit often or live with you while they attend a nearby college. Other considerations in planning bedrooms include: 

Bedroom Locations. If you have small children, you will want to locate the master bedroom near the children's rooms. If your children are older, you may be able to put them in a separate area, upstairs for example, while keeping the master bedroom downstairs for increased privacy.

Closets can be used as sound barriers between bedrooms. 

Guest bedrooms can also be used as home offices, eliminating the need to plan a separate room for working at home. 

Children's bedrooms require flexibility for growth. If your kids are pre-schoolers now, they will need more room for clothes, storage, electronic equipment and furniture later on. 

Planning Bathrooms

The number of bathrooms and their fixtures will be determined by your needs and budget. Modern emphasis is on convenience and luxury in the bath. Whirlpool tubs, separate showers, large mirrors, double sinks, upscale tiles and fixtures, saunas, steam rooms, dressing areas and bidets are all found in today's bathrooms. These features may have been considered a luxury a few years ago, but today they are almost a necessity to ensure the resale value of your home in some areas. 

Location. Do you want a private bath attached to the master bedroom? Will there be a separate bath for each child, or will there be one bath for children and guests in a central location? 

Multi-use Arrangements. Clever arrangements isolate toilet, shower and sink so that more than one person can use the room in relative privacy. 

Linen Closets. Be sure to have linen closets, dirty clothes hampers and plenty of hooks for hanging things out to dry handy to the bathrooms. 

Minimum Sizes. Minimum bathroom sizes are 5 by 7 feet for a full bath and 4 by 5 feet for a half bath or a bath with a 3-by-3-foot shower. These minimums may not be advisable unless you are building a small home or vacation cottage. Modern bathrooms are considerably bigger than these minimums. 

Garage and Storage

The final zone comprises the garage, closets and storage areas. These areas have a basic set of space rules: 

Clothes Closets. Each member of the family should have six feet of clothes-hanging space. Good floor plans have plenty of closets in convenient locations. It adds very little expense to provide thoughtfully located closets. 

Equipment Storage. Take inventory of all your possessions and plan to have enough space for them. Don't forget to include small appliances, sports and recreation equipment, hobby equipment, lawn and garden tools, workshop equipment and exercise equipment. 

Garage and Driveway. The layout of your lot will include driveway, parking and maneuvering space for cars. Be sure to leave space for boats, campers, ATVs or any other vehicles you have. Do you want the garage attached to the house or standing alone? Do you need a garage, or is a carport sufficient? Will there be a breezeway connecting the garage to the house? Garage space can be multi-use space. The washer-dryer, workshop, water heater, furnace, freezer and much of your other equipment can be located or used in the garage. 

Decks and Porches

Porches are especially important to log homes. In addition to providing space for gracious, outdoor living, they will help protect the log walls from the weather. Porches should be an integral part of the house and constructed at the same time as the rest of the home. 

Decks and greenhouses, however, may be added later as your budget allows. You can make this easier by planning ahead with doors that open onto a proposed deck. Decks can extend your indoor living space to the outdoors.

Find Log Home Plans and design information here. Find log home designers and architects here.

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Finding a Builder

Find a builder at our Log Home Directory here

Ask for reference and check them out

Thoroughly investigate at least 3-4 references for each builder you consider. The references should consist of the builders’ clients for whom he/she has built homes for in the past 5 years.

Simply phoning to ask a few questions is not enough.  Arrange to visit the homes of the references, so you can check for the signs of good construction detailed below.  It is important to interview the builders’ references without the presence of the builder.  This will allow the references to speak more candidly.

Important Questions You Should Ask the References

Did the overall project run smoothly?

If not, what went wrong?

Did the project finish on schedule?

If not, what held it up?

Were the initial estimates accurate?

If the project was over budget, where and why?

Was the builder helpful in solving budget or layout problems?

Was your builder helpful in making suggestions or proposing solutions to problems?

If so, were his explanations clear and logical?

Have you had any major problems with the house during the time you've occupied it?

If there has been a problem, did the builder follow up with you in a timely manner?

When visiting the homes of the references, make sure you check the following:

Doors & Windows - Do they open and shut with ease and are there problems with leakage?

Interior & Exterior Corners - Does everything fit together and are they absent of large gaps?

Chinking - Is the chinking uniform and smooth or is it pulling away from the logs?

Floors - Do the floors squeak when you walk?

Roof - Are there signs of leakage?

Check the builder credentials

Although there are many good builders who do not affiliate themselves with industry organizations, it is a question you should ask.  If they are, this allows you the ability to check with that organization and see if the builder is in good standing.  Your decision on which builder to select should not be based on this type of credential alone.  You should also check with your states' Attorney General Office about the perspective builder or company.

Select an experienced builder

Your log home may be your lifetime dream, but it can turn into a nightmare quickly.  There may be a new builder in town, but before you hire him/her checkout his building references. 

Who did he/she apprentice with? 

How many log homes has he/she been involved in?

How many years has he/she been building log homes?

There's nothing wrong with new builders as long as they have verifiable credentials in the log building industry. Choose someone with proven experience.

Ask the builder how often he/she will be onsite

You are paying for the builders’ time and attention.  An acceptable amount of presence on the job site is 2-3 days and an Ideal situation would have him/her on your job site every day.  If having the builder’s presence on your job site everyday is important to you, then you should hire a builder with a small company of 25 employees or less.

The relationship between you and builder should be one of trust & comfort.  You must be able to trust your builder and feel comfortable with the choice you made.

Find builders at our Log Home Directory

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This Buyer's Guide is brought to you by: Powder River Log Homes

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