| |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
Budgeting Your Log Home: Where Do You Start?
The Log home industry has matured these last many years, but there is still a lot of confusion about how much a log home costs. Naturally, everyone wants to know the cost of the log package; however, the budgeting only starts here. If you are shopping for a milled log package (as opposed to hand-crafted, which is a totally different category), the difference between one manufacturer's price and another is minimal when compared to the total cost of the structure. Here are some reasons why: Other materials. The logs themselves only form a portion of the material costs of the home. Once the log walls are erected, you still have to worry about a floor, a roof, the windows, the doors, the plumbing, the kitchen... the list goes on and on. Some manufacturers quote a "weathered-in shell" which includes the logs, the windows and roof - all the elements that enclose the building (protecting the house against the weather). Other manufacturers only quote the log package, and leave it to the contractor to provide the other materials locally. When pricing a log package, make sure you are comparing "apples to apples". From our experience, the price of the Logs only constituted approximately 1/5 of the total price of the finished structure. As for the rest... it's a high-end custom home, and like any custom home, your cost is limited by your imagination - and your budget. You decide whether to use hardwood floors or carpet, marble counters or formica, a metal roof or asphalt shingles. No log home company will offer these products to you. Unlike a Development contractor who offers you a limited selection, you choose everything yourself, from doorknobs to toilets. Once you start factoring in all these items, you will discover that there isn't a whole lot of difference between a log home any another home - except for the exterior walls. Local price differences. We built our log home in New Jersey, which tends to be a lot more expensive overall than much of the rest of the country. The same house in Tennessee would cost considerably less in lumber and other materials. Also consider that labor costs vary wildly as well. A very big part of your budget will cover the labor, because this home will be built entirely by hand. Your contractor may not have to peel or notch the logs, but he will still be placing the logs one at at time, making sure the walls are plumb, drilling holes for the wiring, cutting settling gaps above the windows and doors, possibly fitting the roof frame one board at a time. Your builder is the most critical part of the project, and it's not necessarily a good idea to go with the cheapest quote. Do you really want him to cut corners to stay within a low quote? Design features of the house. The most dramatic log homes have roof lines that point in all directions, dormers that grace the front, vaulted ceilings in the great rooms. But remember that every new angle you add to the roof adds exponentially to the cost of the project. If you need to keep costs down, think about a simple roof line with not too many angles. Also, the old adage remains especially true with log homes: it's much cheaper to go up than go out. If you want a rambling one-story ranch house, you will have a bigger foundation cost, a bigger roof to consider, and lots more labor. If you build more stories and a smaller foundation, even though you will have to invest in a staircase the savings are considerable. So what is the bottom line? A basic budgeting cost in the Northeast US would be $140-$150 per square foot for a milled log home; this is about the equivalent of a high-end custom stick-frame house. This does not include the land, the well, the septic, the driveway, etc. It does include the basement, the kitchen, the plumbing, etc. This is the turnkey budget for the house only. You can certainly do less if you give up a lot of amenities, but I wouldn't advise a starting budget of any less than $130 per sq. ft. You may find yourself running out of money way too soon, and that would be a terrible shame. Mercedes Hayes is a Hiawatha Log Home dealer and also a Realtor in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She designed her own log home which was featured in the 2004 Floor Plan Guide of Log Home Living magazine. You can learn more about log homes by visiting http://www.JerseyLogHomes.com.
MORE RESOURCES: This RSS feed URL is deprecated, please update. New URLs can be found in the footers at https://news.google.com/news
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Residential Income Property Financing: Part 2 of 3 Welcome to the second segment of a three-part series about income property. In this second segment we will be discussing financing options for residential income properties as well as the upside (and downside) of owning this type of property. An Overview of Easements Title insurance is generally associated with insuring a purchaser's or lender's interest in a particular piece of real estate. The right to use an easement is often considered less important than unencumbered title of the insured parcel. Real Estate Investors: How to Get a Powerful Marketing Education for Free I am a total geek.A few weeks ago, late at night, I wasn't in the mood to go to bed yet so I turned on the TV. Sell Your California Home For Top Dollar HOW TO SELL YOUR HOME FOR TOP DOLLAR1. Make your home look like a model - even if it isn't. Inspecting Your New Home - 17 Areas You Must Inspect Before Taking Possession Congratulations! You've made your decision; you've chosen your new home and your builder. So what needs to happen next? Once you have a firm contract and you have selected the features that will go into your new home, it is time for the builder to turn your dream into reality. Top Tips for Buying and Selling a Home BuyersLooking for a home-Use Internet for overview of properties, communities, and schools.-Visit potential neighborhoods at different times of day. Youre Not Paranoid: The House Really Hates You If you've just bought a house, you may be able to relate to a fascinating essay in Maya Angelou's book, Even the Stars Look Lonesome.When Ms. Why Selling on Lease Options is Glorified Landlording I might upset some folks with this one, but that's okay as I think it's important to get some of my experiences into the light of day. If you fully believe the hype that you won't have any landlording responsibilities by selling on a lease option, go ahead and stop here. Buying Property in Spain You have made the decision to move to Spain and are now looking for a property to buy? Where do you start?Firstly, I would suggest you go on to the internet and look at the various agents that are offering properties for sale in Spain. Many of these companies are run by people who have already emigrated to Spain and will know the many problems and pitfalls that arise when buying a property in Spain. Selling Your Home - Alone or with a Broker? How do you decide whether to sell your home (or land, farm, ranch, etc.) on your own or use a real estate broker? There are pluses and minuses to each approach. Selling Houses: Cutting Edge Design Tips for Selling In this article, you're going to discover new techniques for marketing houses, and you'll find that these fresh, new interior design ideas will help sell your home faster, and for a higher price than the competition!Buyers' physical senses respond to a home's design, and what a buyer feels is based upon their psychological reactions to sight, hearing, smell, touch, and even taste. Design Psychology employs new strategies in interior design to entice buyers. Landlords Dance The FICO Fandango Fair Isaac Corporation is the creator of the FICOcredit score that is used today by most lenders toevaluate consumer credit risk. FICO scores rangefrom a poor credit low of 500 to a best credit ratingof 850. Florida Investment Real Estate and What Are Considerations Before Buying Investment Real Estate, First Things FirstConsidering investing in property? What are some pertinent things to consider before taking this leap? Of all the investment possibilities, investment in land generally produces the most positive results. It is vital, however, to carefully investigate the pros and cons, benefits and deficits of real estate investment. Real Estate Appraisal - Rental Properties Real estate appraisal for rental properties isn't the same as for single family homes. If you were looking at a 24-unit building, it would be difficult to find similar ones nearby that have recently sold. Buying A Home - What Is That Noise!?! You've found the perfect home, closed escrow and just finished moving in. As you happily fall asleep, all seems well in the world. Utah Real Estate Looking to buy real estate in Utah? The market has changed over the past few years and is going to continue to change over the next few (drastically) and here are a few things you should consider before buying any Utah real estate.First, the Olympics didn't affect the state as much as people thought it would. Property Auction & Why You Should Run A Mile From Them That's A Funny Thing To Say About Property Auctions; They're All The "RAGE, Aren't They?"From The Desk Of Colm DillonHello Colm here .. 11 Different Ways to Participate in The New Millennium Real State Boom Many parts of the country are going through a real estate boom. In recent reports real estate is showing double digit growth in many parts of the country. The Ultimate Short Sale Secret Buying foreclosures can be extremely profitable for real estate investors. However, most of these homeowners are mortgaged to the hilt. The Nose Knows If you plan on getting the most from the sale of your home you better be sure it can pass the "sniff" test. Let's face it your home should smell good.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 TIGER MEDIA |