Big Bear Top Ten - Big Bear Rustic Log Homes

Top 10 mistakes Log Home Buyers Make

Not buying their land first - a new log home must be tailored to the terrain around it. Visit your land during various seasons and various times of day. This will help you when it is time to create a site plan.

Not choosing a builder early in the cycle and involving them early in the design process. It was one thing to design your dream log home and quite another to build it in a cost effective manor. While 12 gables would be nice this is an expensive proposition when using logs!! (yes, I had a customer ask for this)

Rushing to construction – spend the bulk of your time in the design phase – if I had my preference I would like to see clients spend an entire year from initial concept until the first log is laid. It is better to make mistakes on paper and not once construction has started.

Starting construction without (3) bids on every major system (erection, HVAC, plumbing, septic/well, electrical, plumbing, excavation, carpentry etc.). If you have a builder working on cost plus this is super critical.

Building home themselves – quite frankly log crafting is an art learned over the years and not everyone can be handy with a chainsaw!! It is always recommended you help out to reduce cost …items like insulation, putting up sheet rock or v-groove on walls or staining are all easy items for home buyers and can greatly reduce costs.

Believing that one log type is far better than another. While each log type has its own unique characteristics if a log home is properly constructed, taken care of, it can literally last generations and I do not care if it is spruce, pine or red cedar.

Believing that a log home can be built as cheap as a stick frame home …just not possible – as a home owner gets into the design they will use far more wood in the home design than in stick frame, they will have more expensive accents, antique touches, floors, roofs, etc. just due to the nature of our love for a time past.
Believing a log home will come in on budget and on time …. Unless you hand the builder a check and come back in 6 months when it is done forget it. Every homeowner comes in and makes changes, changes means work orders, design reviews, stress load reworks, etc. and ALL this costs money. And almost every homeowner wants upgrades once they start getting deep into the appliances, cabinets, counters, bathrooms etc.

I know this is a top 10 but I have to add a number 11!!

If you have hired a builder or general contractor check the work weekly to assure they are not taking liberties. I have seen subcontractor’s change deck framing, door widths, and electrical specs because they “felt” it was the right thing to do not knowing the blueprints were designed like that because of something coming later. i.e. framer changes four season porch to 2x8’s and not the specified 2x10’s figuring it will save money ….what he did not realize is that this porch will have radiant heat and that extra 2” was critical for insulating the radiant tubing and saving the homeowner energy dollars …… let contractors make changes but INSIST they call you or your designer/architect first for approval.