For many people, the dream of having a beautiful, rustic log home of their own design can feel completely out of reach. It’s easy to think of a custom log home as a luxury that only the very rich can afford to achieve. But if you follow this advice, you can significantly reduce the price tag attached to your custom log cabin home.
Step 1: Thorough Planning
Nothing is more expensive than insufficient planning! It’s imperative to create a thorough plan for your log home before you start work on it. This will help you avoid surprise costs and expensive mistakes, and ensure that your entire process is as economical as possible.
When it comes to the floor plan of your log home, there are plenty of easy ways to save money if you know the tips and tricks. For example, the fewer corners your design has, the lower your cost. Additionally, a narrow home will be less expensive — any wider than 32 feet, according to Lynn Gastineau, owner of Gastineau Log Homes, and you will need extra long rafters, which push the cost up. Of course, a bigger home will mean a bigger price tag, but you can still give the illusion of a larger home without paying for it by implementing an open floor plan.
Step 2: Do It Yourself
Why pay a contractor for something you can do yourself? If you’re willing to put the elbow grease into your custom log home, your wallet will thank you. Experts say that as much as 35% of your total budget could go towards preparing the site, creating the foundation and driveway, and installing utilities. That means you could cut your costs by over a third if you take on this task yourself
Speaking of doing it yourself, much of the work on a log home can easily be done without skilled labor. If you have the time and inclination to build much of the home yourself, you can save on a contractor’s high hourly wage. Although there are some things that should be left to the professionals, such as electrical and plumbing, the majority of a log home’s building process is completely manageable by a handy, hardworking homeowner.
Step 3: Choose the Right Materials
If you’re building your home yourself, you’ll need some tools — but not as many as you think. Invest well in good quality, multi-purpose tools and you’ll find that you’ve saved money in the long run. Although there are plenty of specialized tools out there, you shouldn’t need more than a dozen basic tools to get the job done effectively.
Likewise, you want building materials that are good quality, but won’t break the bank. You don’t want to skimp on building materials and end up with a home that is unsafe, unstable, or unattractive, but you should also save money on materials where it makes sense to do so. Instead of spending a large portion of your budget on actual logs, consider using TruLog™ steel siding. This will give your log home the aesthetic of a log cabin, without the expensive, time-consuming maintenance, and at an affordable cost. TruLog steel siding is durable, fire-resistant, and available in five natural-looking colors.
Want to learn more about TruLog? Contact us online to get a quote and take the first step towards the custom log cabin home of your dreams!
