Take advantage of all the available resources, from magazines to home shows and even the Internet, to determine what type of home you want. Taking the notion of a log or timber home from idea to reality requires a great deal of patience and preparation. Like marriage,...
The Most Popular Log Home Floorplans
Log home experts discuss the benefits of starting with a stock floorplan and the features the most successful homes have in common. Sometimes the hardest part of building a home is figuring out where to start. That’s where ready-to-purchase (or stock) home plans can...
Finding the Right Contractor
Enjoying the journey of building a log home requires finding a homebuilder that’s right for you. The successful search for a good builder is a key component of your log and timber homebuilding journey. Choosing the right builder to make your dream home a reality is...
Setting the Stage
Building a log & timber home in stages is a creative way to afford your dream home now and provide flexibility for future lifestyle changes. In your dreams, you imagined the builder handing over the keys to your new log or timber frame home, each inch of the house...
Getting Started
Making your dream home a reality is a step-by-step process. More people are opting to live in rustic residences than ever before. The warmth of wood, the solid construction, and that powerful connection to nature all add up to a feeling of safety and sanctuary that we...
Go Your Own Way
Taking on projects that save money may be an option for homeowners with some log and timber building projects. When the log or timber home they have always wanted begins to take shape, some homeowners bring their own personal skills to the project, pitching in with...
Location, Location, Location
For those exploring options in building their forever log home, one of the first considerations involves the three basic rules of real estate: location, location, location. In this sense, the idea relates to more than resale value. Choosing to build in a conventional development or subdivision presents its own array of challenges—usually in conforming to the often confusing and always lengthy list of building restrictions that apply. Of course, such restrictions may well make const…
Smart Money
Global thinking, seeing the project in its entirety, is critical to cost-effective log home construction. Every aspect of a log home project requires planning and foresight and an eye for the practical and aesthetic with cost containment always in mind. Simply getting started is a challenge in itself. But Chris Wood, vice president of sales at Hearthstone Homes, sees opportunity in the basic design of the log home. “Keep it simple,” he offers. “Straight roof lines, a rectangular fo…
Country House
Log homes have a nostalgic appeal for homeowners longing for a simpler life. And the relaxed, rustic feel of a log home seems right at home plopped in the middle of a grassy meadow, nestled in rolling hills, or tucked away in a thick forest. That’s country living, and many prospective log home owners today are yearning to build on a spread of land set apart from the busyness of American life as we know it today. “The country’s the only place to live,” says Ed Whi…
Raising Your Home’s IQ
The impact of harsh winter weather is a big concern for many homeowners, and Michael Leahy’s cabin in northern Minnesota is no exception. To help mitigate the effects of subfreezing temperatures, Leahy has outfitted his home with a customized system that monitors everything from furnace function and propane levels to activity on the property. “Roughly 50 to 100 things around the cabin can be monitored and controlled remotely,” says Leahy. “Beside…
Zero-Net Energy Homes
With energy costs on the rise, it’s not just environmentally friendly to keep your energy consumption reined in—it’s wallet-friendly too! And the best time to consider your energy savings is when you’re building a new home. If you plan appropriately, it’s possible to build a “zero-net energy” log home. Also called “energy neutral” or “net zero,” zero-net energy (ZNE) homes actually collect or produce more energy than they use, making it possible to live independently from the energy grid. “A zero-…
The Undiscovered Jewel
It takes a unique blend of vision, entrepreneurial sprit, and artistry to see a piece of raw, undeveloped land and picture what it could become. Fortunately for folks who are interested in enjoying the splendors of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Sandy Wood and Pete Pyles had all three in spades. This collaboration between Sandy, a real estate developer and builder, and Pete, a log home builder, has resulted in The Olde River Club —a spectacular gated log-friendly community perched high atop one …