Are you in the process of building a log home?
Or maybe you recently built or moved into a log cabin and would be interested in sharing some unique or interesting stories about your log home experiences...
Continue reading: Log Home Writer
You've always dreamt of a log home. You've attended the log home shows, read the log home magazines, picked out your floor plan design and you're doing things to save money.
Now all you need is the log home financing. Should be simple, right?
Well, considering today's mortgage crisis... wrong!
Below, I summarize our personal experience with log home financing, as well as provide information and tips that will hopefully help you finance your log home.
Continue reading: Yes, Some Banks Still Finance Log Homes
Jim and I are still fine-tuning our kitchen and bath choices. And we probably will continue to do so, right up until the day the appliances, countertops, backsplashes, and fixtures are installed.
There is so much variety in the products available to us today, that it is difficult to stay abreast of all the latest changes in bathroom and kitchen design, as well as the trends that are shaping the future of kitchens and baths.
Here, I've summarized a number of kitchen and bath trends that I've noticed while reading through home magazines, newspapers, and online reports in recent months.
The average bathroom remodeling project costs $15,800 and results in an increase in home value of about $12,400
-- Remodeling Magazine, November 2007
Continue reading: Kitchen & Bath Trends
After letting the log home magazines that I subscribe to (3 different ones) pile up for months, I decided to dive in and catch up on my log home reading the other night.
I knew it was coming... I mean, this is a feeling I've had for awhile... a feeling of dissatisfaction with log home magazines in general. I've just never verbalized it before.
The fact is, here we are 2 years into the process of designing and building our log home. We still haven't exactly broken ground yet (due to the fact that banks aren't really in the business of loaning money these days). And I'm already tired of seeing the same stories about the same things and the same pictures in the same log home magazines. Yet, I still want to be a well-informed log home owner.
Of course I realize (and can appreciate the fact that) the log home magazines are going to cater to those who are "potential" log home owners, future log home wannabees, newbies, and those considering building their own log cabin retreat. Especially since the advertisers are eager to reach those exact same people.
But at what point are the log home magazine publishers (and advertisers) going to realize there's more to be said about log homes than how to plan, design, and build 'em?
What about all of us who are past all that? I'm not even officially an "owner" yet, and I'm already craving information about the many ways that you can jazz up your log home and make it uniquely yours -- inside and out. I'm already thinking beyond just building it. I'm much more interested in other aspects of log home living at this point.
(Just wait, this gets better...)
Continue reading: This Old House... For Log Homes
Your log walls will absorb 50% of the light in your log home, so you will need to be especially diligent in selecting and placing the lighting in your log home.
Here are some great lighting ideas that won’t break the bank but will light up and showcase the beauty of your log home!
Continue reading: Rustic Log Home Lighting
Your log home is built and now it’s time to spruce up your outdoor surroundings.
A tip before you start the landscaping around your log home: pay attention to the trees! (We learned the hard way.)
Following are some reasons why it’s important to survey your lot for trees that need to be removed, as well as a few tips for determining where you should plant any new trees, shrubs and flowers around your log home.
Continue reading: Log Home
The most important factors when you go to stain your log home are:
Weather
Timing
Diligence
Whether you do it yourself or hire a skilled professional, log home staining is a process that needs to be followed meticulously to ensure the protection of your log home.
Having recently finished staining our log home in northern Michigan, let me share with you what to expect when you apply log home stain to your log cabin.
Continue reading: Log Home Staining Tips
Looking for a great way to add extra space to your log home, while still staying within your budget? if so, then I would recommend considering a walk-out basement.
Here’s how we decided to add a basement to our log home floor plan...
Continue reading: Log Home Basements
Your log home is built, the weather is right, and now it’s time for the exterior of your log home to be stained.
Greg and I are currently at this phase in our log home building process. So let's review the steps leading up to log home staining and what you need to know.
Continue reading: Staining A Log Home Exterior
In my opinion, one of the best showcase items for your log home is the log staircase. In fact, I think it's a “must have”.
When we went to visit Hiawatha Log Homes in Munising, Michigan, we were struck by the log staircase they had in their model log home. It was comprised of half logs for steps and fit perfectly into the home's layout. I fell in love with it and had to have it.
We set out to get one just like it. So we researched the cost, and compared the various log staircases that were available. Here's what we've learned about log staircases...
Continue reading: Log Home Staircases
Log Home Lenders... A Few Things We Learned