Planning for your log home
If you're seriously considering a log home, here are some questions you should ask yourself. Your answers can help you decide if a log home is right for you.
- Money and location. Have you completed the basic steps for buying/building a home, such as arranging financing, procuring a building site, and choosing a floor plan?
- Region. What part of the country do you live in? Are log homes common there and suited to the climate, terrain, and lifestyle?
- Environment. What environmental factors do you need to account for when building a log home?
- Size. How big or small a home do you need? Which log home plan will meet your needs sufficiently?
- Cost. Which log home package will fit your budget?
- Green living. Is energy efficiency a major concern for you? If it is then a log home may be the perfect choice for you!
- Building experience. If you're planning to do some of the work yourself, do you have some experience in the construction trades?
- Advance research. Have you researched log homes? Are you familiar with the lifestyles they offer?
- Finishes. Have you made decisions about the type of wood you want, the interior finishes, windows, and doors?
- Direct experience. Do you truly love the look and feel of a log home? Have you visited models or spent time in the log homes of others? Log homes have a definite "feel." For some folk, the rustic tone, however romantic it might seem, might be not be the right fit.
- Maintenance. Are you committed to the maintenance required to keep your log home in good shape? Can you do exterior treatments yourself or can you afford to pay someone else to perform necessary chores such as sealing and caulking?
