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Choosing the Perfect Log Home Building Site – Avoid Costly Mistakes Using This Smart Log Home Guide
Choosing your log home building site can be a lot of fun but is extremely important in many ways. This is where you will spend a lot of quality time enjoying the comfort of the Log Home lifestyle you dreamed of. You will want to avoid unnecessary added costs that a poor choice in building sites can add to your bottom line. Many will look for a lot or acreage and then walk their potential future home until they find a spot that “just feels right”. OK… Many of us have made that soul connection with our “little piece of heaven” as well. But… you may have not considered some very important factors in avoiding extra costs. Big Costs!
Even if you plan to live there forever… You will want to choose the best building site for your Log Home or cabin for many reasons. The old saying: location…location…location, is very relevant in any real estate market. So carefully learning everything you can about the general area, what it’s long term economic development plan is, what zoning changes may effect your property values, and what the expected increase in home equity values will be in coming years, are just a few of the most important factors when choosing the right building site for your new custom log home or cabin. You will also want to consider excavation costs, drainage, driveway access, Electric power supply, and energy effiency as well. It is widely accepted that a southwest exposure to the side of your home with the most windows is best. This may not always be possible but it will result in added savings each year in heating and cooling costs. The difference in costs savings can range from 350.00 to 1500.00 per year.
If you plan to build on a basement you will want to carefully consider good drainage, water tables, septic requirements, restrictions, Trends, etc. If you are considering a “walk-out” Basement site, you will need to consider installing an 18″- 24″ wide drainage buffer or “French Drain” to insure that any water will have a way to be carried away from your basement walls. Your realtor should provide this information to you upon request. DO NOT attempt to pour a basement in a hole with (4) sides (or a subterranean basement). It has been the experience of most homeowners that this will likely cause flooding problems with this scenario. Stick with a (3) sided walkout basement with the drainage design above and you will avoid most of these problems.
Spending a bit more to purchase land that has a building site that will require less “dirt work” and has less challenges with drainage issues, erosion, and Septic, will save you potentially thousands in the long run.
What are your pre-development costs?
Building Green With Straw: Where to Start With Green Home Building
When you are considering green home building or renovating and remodelling it can sometimes be difficult to know just where to begin. A good place to start, is to do a bit of a brainstorming exercise. This will help you get a lot clearer on what it is you actually want to build, the kinds of things that are important to you and the other people you will be building and living with and help you get some inspiration along the way.
Here are a few of the important things you might like to consider to get you one step closer to your dream of building green with straw.
Get Clear on the WHY of Green Home Building.
This is an interesting exercise to go through. List all the reasons that green home building is something you think is important and worth considering. The reasons will be different for everyone but some common reasons are: concern for your health and wellbeing, the natural feel of such buildings and lower energy bills as a result of good design.
What Do You REALLY Need?