Log home kit prices for a variety of kits can easily be found online. Generally, to buy log home kits will be cheaper than to build a 'handcrafted' log home where the logs will be shaped one at a time using special hand tools.
However, before you buy log home kits, be sure you understand three main ways you can control the log home kit prices and the final built cost. One of your goals should be to arrive at a budgeted amount that includes everything - log home kit costs, the land and site work costs - and to finish your project at or below that budgeted amount.
1. Log Home Kit Size - whether you're estimating your log home kit prices by number of rooms or by square foot, in general, larger log homes cost more to build. And remember, when you buy log home kits, a larger log home will also cost more to furnish, to heat and cool, to maintain and to clean. If property taxes are an issue, the amount to pay each year may be related to the completed size of your log home. If you want to reduce the cost, reducing the square footage of your log home is one of the main options you will have.
2. Log Home Kit Special Factors - to know in advance how much your log home will cost when you buy log home kits, you and your builder need to accurately estimate special conditions that your project has that will add to the final cost. For example, is your site difficult to access by tractor and trailer that will deliver your log home kit? Can a crane that will be used to erect your log home kit easily reach the site? Are utilities accessible to your property or will you need to dig a well, install a septic tank and bring electricity to your site from elsewhere?
These are examples of log home kit prices and special factors that can add labor and/or equipment costs. Work hard to define and accurately estimate any and all special situations that you'll encounter when you buy log home kits. You'll want to be building your new log home without any surprises.
3. Log Home Kit Design - the more complicated the design of your log home, the more it will cost to build. Cathedral ceilings are beautiful but more expensive to build. Dormers on roofs, lots of windows, hips and valleys and additional wall corners are examples of log home designs that cost more to build than a four-walled rectangular log home with a simple roof.
Building with a larger single-story log home kit will cost more than the same square footage built as a two-story log home. The reason is that 'building outward' or horizontally requires additional below-ground excavation as well as additional roof. And the heating/cooling expense will be higher for a single-story log home than for a two-story structure of the same square footage.
As you go about deciding which log home kit prices and design you want, pay attention to the concepts described above if controlling costs when you buy log home kits is a concern. As you may know, it's not only about the kit and construction cost, it's also about maintenance cost year after year. Simpler designs for the roof will be less costly to build and to maintain.
Enjoy the process of creating the log home that is just what you want and at the price you expected. Making it happen can take a lot of effort, but it's your personal involvement and persistence that will help ensure that the finished project is a log home that you'll enjoy for many years to come.
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