BUDGETING YOUR LOG HOME: Where do you start?Written by Mercedes Hayes
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 cost of log package; however, budgeting only starts here. If you are shopping for a milled log package (as opposed to hand-crafted, which is a totally different category), difference between one manufacturer's price and another is minimal when compared to total cost of structure. Here are some reasons why: - Other materials. The logs themselves only form a portion of material costs of home. Once log walls are erected, you still have to worry about a floor, a roof, windows, doors, plumbing, kitchen... list goes on and on. Some manufacturers quote a "weathered-in shell" which includes logs, windows and roof - all elements that enclose building (protecting house against weather). Other manufacturers only quote log package, and leave it to contractor to provide other materials locally. When pricing a log package, make sure you are comparing "apples to apples".From our experience, price of Logs only constituted approximately 1/5 of total price of finished structure. As for 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 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 rest of 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 labor, because this home will be built entirely by hand. Your contractor may not have to peel or notch logs, but he will still be placing logs one at at time, making sure walls are plumb, drilling holes for wiring, cutting settling gaps above windows and doors, possibly fitting roof frame one board at a time. Your builder is most critical part of project, and it's not necessarily a good idea to go with cheapest quote. Do you really want him to cut corners to stay within a low quote?
| | So you've made an offer on a home. What's next?
How about a Home Inspection?Written by Kevin McMahon
You’ve finally found home of your dreams, 3 bedrooms, attached garage, great neighborhood. You fix sights on freshly painted walls, new carpeting, beautiful cabinet and a huge back yard. What are you forgetting? Everything else! Don’t forget about plumbing, heating, A/C, electrical, insulation, ventilation, exterior and roof. These are most overlooked items because most people know very little about these types of items, or what to look for. You decide to make an offer on home. What’s next? Don’t forget about getting home inspected. When you made offer, your realtor should have gone over inspection contingency in your contract. Simply stated, it’s a clause in contract that your offer is contingent upon a home inspection, and you have a certain amount of time to get home inspected. It allows you to have an unbiased professional look beneath cosmetic items into complex working components of a home. It also allows you to either renegotiate your offer based on inspection, or at very least know what lies ahead of you if you do decide to purchase home. A seller’s disclosure statement is nice and most seller’s are honest, but don’t even realize that problems exist in their home.Ask your realtor for a list of home inspectors in your area. Most will be happy to provide you with a list of inspectors in your area. If not, pull some brochures from realtors lobby, try phone directory or internet. Most inspectors these days have a website where you can read about services they offer. Take time and call a few from list to form your own opinion. Some realtors will offer to hire an inspector for you on your behalf. Be sure your realtor has your best interests in mind if you go this route. This is your money and your lifetime investment you’re talking about. When you call a home inspection company, here are a few important questions to ask: 1. Are you licensed by state? If answer is no, say thank you and politely hang up phone. All home inspectors are required to be licensed in State of Wisconsin, and to keep their license are require to attend 20 hours of continuing education per year. 2. Are you affiliated with any organizations? Most good home inspectors are associated with a National organization like NACHI (National Association of Certified Home Inspectors) NAHI (National Association of Home Inspectors) or ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) and/or a local organization like WAHI (Wisconsin Association of Home Inspectors) Each organization has is pro’s and con’s and like any organization, are suited to that inspectors specific needs. Most importantly however, these organizations have strict guidelines to a code of ethics and continuing education. 3. How long will your inspection take? A thorough home inspection should take between 2 1/2-4 hours or longer depending on size, age and condition of home. In some cases a smaller home (1000sft or less) can be inspected in 2 hours. If inspector says he can do it in less time, think about how thorough inspection is going to be. 4. What type of report do you use? Some inspectors use computer generated onsite reporting, some use a handwritten checklist, some do computer generated reporting and send you report after they’ve had time to look it over twice before sending it out. Each has their pros and cons. Computer generated onsite reporting is nice and you get your report right away. The downside is inspector doesn’t have time to look any items up that may be in question or be very descriptive in their report. A hand written checklist in my opinion is most incomplete type of report. You do get your report right away, but it is usually something like: Kitchen countertop: poor. This doesn’t give you much of a description of defect, like what exactly is wrong with it. The computer generated report is in my opinion best style. You get a neat, professional looking report, inspector has had time to be descriptive and to look up any items that he may have had questions on (no, we don’t know everything and if we say we do, take that as a sign). The downside is you don’t get your report for a day or so, but report can get to you quickly if he/she emails it to you. All inspectors should be able to provide you with photo’s of problem areas in their reports. A picture is worth a thousand words. If they don’t include photos in their report (digital or otherwise) you may want to find an inspector that does. Ask for a sample report. Most good inspectors will be happy to send you a copy.
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