Beaver Mountain Log Home Articles:

How to Figure Costs – Part 3
This is the third in a series on log home financing.

When you work up the cost of your home project, one of your most important planning tools is your "wish list."
As the details of your home come together on paper and an analysis of costs is prepared, this "wish list" becomes your means of:

• trimming cost, if necessary
• adding features to get more out of your project
• planning ahead for future needs and possible improvements

On a pad of paper, list every feature you would love to have in your new home. Then, next to each item, classify each of the features into three categories:

Essentials
Things you must have. Examples:
    o HVAC (heating/air conditioning)
    o Garage
    o Mudroom and laundry (on main floor)
    o Quantity of bedrooms and baths
    o Special needs considerations like wide door openings, walk-in shower, etc.

Wants
Things you would like to have, budget permitting. Examples:
   o Home office and separate entrance
   o Enclosed screened porch(es)
   o Formal dining room, in addition to an eat-in kitchen
   o Jacuzzi tub w/separate shower
   o Fireplace

Future Add-ons
Examples:
   o Sunroom or Greenhouse
   o Decks
   o Expansion family room
   o Finished basement
   o In-law suite

When you have determined that Beaver Mountain is the company that you want to help you "Make your dream home come alive," you’ll want to sit down with our designer and your building consultant and review the above. Most likely, you will proceed into a preliminary design session (at no charge) where we begin to get your plan down on paper. This will provide you a visual of what your new home will look like, and how the floor plan will work out. Also with this plan, we can begin to determine the project costs.

When the costs are estimated, and your budget is reviewed, you can then determine if you need to scale back from your Wish List "essentials," or if you can go ahead and add more items from your "wants" list so as to realize more of your log home dream!

The list of "Future Add-ons" (3., above) comes into play in the early stages too because — and this is especially true of the log home construction — the layout and features of tomorrow should be anticipated today.

Meanwhile, we’re ready to help.
Our Beaver Mountain Home Planning Seminar is just the place to learn more about everything discussed in this article. If you have not already attended one of these informative sessions (they’re free!) and you intend to build in two years or less, check your calendar, call us and reserve a spot at the seminar that is convenient to you. DON’T DELAY! THERE IS LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE! For more details on the seminar and our other special events, visit our Events page and Events Calendar.

Part I / Part II

Back to Log Home Articles