As you plan your new log home it is important to think about what is really attractive and special to you about log homes. I have seen a trend lately of log home owners desiring a log home but trying to economize too much. Yes, budgets are important, but don’t budget yourself right out of what makes log homes so special.

Take a minute and look at the following photos. Take out a sheet of paper or your smart phone and type out or jot down the features you love and also what you hate. Do you see something that is interesting or ugly, attractive or unnecessary, lovely or… you be the judge.

Log Home #1

Kitchen of log home.

Cathedral ceiling over great room.

Left side of great room.

Right side of great room.

Now draw a line across your paper and look at this log home.

Log Home #2

Log home #2 kitchen area.

Cathedral ceiling and great room.

Rest of great room.

Do you have your list together?

OK, here is what I see that contrasts these two log homes. The first home has a round log roof system, a river rock stone fireplace, hardwood flooring (even though it appears a bit dusty), 1×8 cedar tongue and groove on the ceilings, the open loft, handcrafted log railing, and sky lighting.

The second home has a lovely log archway and a nice kitchen. But it does not have a log roof system, wood burner with black stove pipe instead of a stone fireplaces, no loft, carpet instead of wood floors, no sky lighting, and the 1×4 tongue and groove on the ceilings looks really skinny instead of the wider 8 inch tongue and groove in the first home.

And here’s the kicker. Both of these log homes were built at about the same time. The first home sold right away once it was completed. The second home the owner has been trying to sell and is still not sold.  Both homes were listed for nearly the same amount.

So pay careful attention to what you are cutting and what you are retaining on your list of priorities for your log home. Discuss your list with your log home builder. Prioritize where it matters to you. Some people choose to buy stock cabinets and go with the hardwood floors. Others choose a laminate counter top (such was in the first log home) instead of the more expensive solid surface granite counter top found in the second home.

As you make your choices be careful to listen to yourself, and not to everyone else. If you are fine with a wood burner with a black stove pipe, then go for it. If you aren’t happy without some exposed beam work then have us price it that way. Things like cabinets, carpet, and counter tops can be replaced later, but you can never go back and add the cathedral ceilings, exposed log roof system, loft, or stone fireplace.  Don’t let others talk you out of what is important to you. You might even consider a slightly smaller floor plan so that some of these features may fit into your budget better.

Cowboy Log Homes