The thought of buying a new log cabin is extremely tempting and exciting. But it is important that in all the excitement and joy, you don’t forget about the crucial factors of building a dream log home. Remember, the decision of owning a log cabin is an extremely important one, not only financially but also in number of other ways such as how exactly you plan to use your residential cabin and what you expect from it in the longer run. As a result, proper planning and moving one step at a time is essential.
You probably have a floor plan for your dream residential log cabin, but before you set your heart on a particular design for your cabin, you should know where that home is going to be located. If you already own a piece of land, you will need to decide where on your lot you will be placing the residential log cabin. Invest some time to get this step right, because a well-situated home is more pleasant and comfortable to live in. Choosing the site of your residential log cabin can be really fun but it is very important in several ways.
This is where you will spend a lot of quality time enjoying the cosiness of your log cabin and experiencing the comfort of a log home lifestyle. You will want to keep away from unnecessary additional costs that a poor selection in building sites can add to your bottom line. Generally, people look at a lot of sites before they find a place that “just feels perfect”. Finding a soul connection with the site for your residential log cabin is good, but you should also consider some very important factors in avoiding additional costs and the expectation of great returns in the future.
Even if you don’t have any plans for selling the property you are currently considering investing in, it is imperative that you choose the best building site for your residential log cabin for several reasons. Always remember that location is very important in any real estate market. So, carefully finding out everything about the general area, including its long-term economic development, zoning changes etc. is really important as it may affect your property value. Also learning about the expected increase in home equity values in the coming years is important. In addition, you will also want to consider drainage and excavation costs, driveway access, electricity supply etc.
It is a well-known fact that a southwest exposure to the side of your cabin with the most number of windows is the best solution. However, finding such a location may not always be possible, but if you are able to find one such site for log house, then you will be able to make added savings each year in cooling and heating costs. As the size of the log cabin is the most important cost factor, it should be one of the key factors you chose land upon. Do you want single-floor living or multiple-floor living? What is small for one person may be large to someone else, so be very specific about what you want.
If you are considering a decent size for the residential log cabin, then it is suggested that you keep areas like bathroom, bedroom, passage etc. as small as possible. As you design your cabin, consider flow, if you have guests at your place every weekend then you may want a spacious kitchen and open dining areas.
There are some of the very common design features for a log cabin. The site of the log cabin should include:
* A septic system * Utility lines * Drainage
Also, it is important to understand that not all sites are suited for all floor plans. For instance, if you want a walk-out basement, then your site should be slanted. Walk-out basements are usually built on a slope or recessed into a hillside. Also for a basement, where the water table is situated, good drainage, and septic requirements are really important things to think about. For a walk-out basement site you will also have to consider installing an 18”‒24” wide drainage buffer or a French drain to make sure that the water will be easily carried away from your basement walls.
Spending on a site with fewer challenges, including less earth work, less erosion, drainage and septic issues will help you save a handsome amount in the long run. Also, check for code restrictions, zoning, homeowners or development association restrictions and other legal considerations. More often than not it doesn’t happen, but sometimes there are restrictions that rule out building a log cabin. If you come across any such clause, then ask the community’s architectural committee if residential log cabins are considered unconventional and check out the cost of utilities, along with how far the electrical services are, and whether your site has access to natural gas. Sometimes rural electric cooperatives provide service at pocket friendly rates, but in other locations you have to take care of all the expenses yourself and pay for transmission lines and the cost of poles. This could cost you quite a lot of money, even if you are not very far from the service.
Also think about sewer lines. Are they available or do you have to install your own system? If the site has good soil percolation characteristics, the simplest way to handle the issue is a septic tank and drainage system. Also, you will have to bear the cost of a percolation test to find out what the soil conditions are like and to know about the size and design of the drainage system and septic tank. The number of bedrooms in a log cabin also affects the size of the septic tank. If the land does not meet all the requirements, then you will have to install a more expensive system to handle waste.
Another consideration is whether the site for your log cabin has a municipal water supply, or whether you will need to dig a well? The cost of a well depends on how deep you have to dig it. In addition, if the well water contains undesirable minerals, then expensive treatments may be required for filtration. So, when selecting a site for your residential log cabin, keep all these things in mind to find the perfect location for your dream log house.
