| If you've read my first article,
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| | choose precast foundations for log homes,
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| BUDGETING YOUR LOG HOME: Where do you
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| | because they are so accurate and don't
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| start?, you've got a very basic overview
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| | require a footer. If you go this route,
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| of the process. However, there are still
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| | you'll have to hire a mason to pour the
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| a number of questions I'd like to
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| | floor after the precast foundation is
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| address. Again, many of these questions
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| | erected. Remember that if you choose to
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| will come up if you build any custom
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| | build on a slab, you're going to have
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| home, but I'd venture to guess the log
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| | problems routing your wiring, because
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| home owners find themselves deeper in the
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| | this is normally done from the
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| decision-making process than someone
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| | basement.Your log home manufacturer is
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| dealing with a custom builder. After
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| | going to give you a quote for the
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| all, the differences become apparent
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| | package. Many people want the
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| immediately as the owners have to find
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| | manufacturer to quote on a "turnkey"
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| their own manufacturer.Unless you have a
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| | house or at least a weathered-in shell,
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| pocket full of cash, you're going to have
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| | as a matter of convenience. However,
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| to follow the construction loan mindset
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| | this might not be the way to go if you
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| throughout the budgeting process. I plan
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| | live in a different state from the mill.
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| to devote a whole article to the
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| | Do you really want to pay shipping for
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| construction loan, but this pursuit will
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| | plywood? In the end, having your
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| serve as a preliminary step before going
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| | contractor purchase lumber locally could
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| to the bank.The biggest part of your
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| | save you thousands of dollars, even it
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| budget will be the purchase of the land.
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| | it's a little less convenient to
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| With today's new construction market -
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| | calculate it initially. Your local
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| especially in New Jersey - the raw land
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| | builder will gladly give you a quote as
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| constitutes 30%-40% of the total project
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| | long as he has a good set of preliminary
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| (of course, in other states the land
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| | plans to work from.I started with a
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| won't be so much but your overall costs
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| | simple check list to sort out my budget.
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| will be less, too). It helps to purchase
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| | Luckily, I found a contractor who was
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| the land first so you know how much money
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| | willing to take over the project and hire
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| you're going to have left over.Then you
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| | his own subs; his itemized quote helped
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| need to figure out how much to set aside
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| | me visualize all the elements that went
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| for your excavation, your driveway, and
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| | into the project. Then I added subs that
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| your septic system. Before you can get
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| | I hired separately (excavator, mason,
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| to this number, it helps to hire a civil
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| | landscaper, etc.). Here are some line
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| engineer to draw up a survey and plot
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| | items that went on the checklist: Air
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| plan (you'll need the survey for the
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| | Conditioner, Appliances, Builder's
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| mortgage company anyway). This will cost
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| | Profit, Doors (interior), Doors
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| you a few hundred dollars. The plot plan
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| | (exterior), Driveway, Electrician,
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| will diagram where the house will go (and
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| | Fireplace, Flooring, Foundation, Furnace
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| footprint of the house), the length of
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| | (or Boiler), HVAC Installation,
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| the driveway, where the septic and well
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| | Insulation, Interior Trim, Kitchen,
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| will go. With this document, you can go
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| | Labor, Landscaping (Grass seed), Lift
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| to the excavator for a quote.Since most
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| | equipment, Lighting Fixtures, Logs,
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| log homes tend to be built in rural
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| | Lumber (plywood, joists, 2x6s), Mason,
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| areas, you will probably have to install
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| | Permits, Plumbing, Plumbing Fixtures
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| your own septic and well. The excavator
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| | (sinks, bathtubs, toilets), Roof, Sanding
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| who does your driveway will most likely
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| | and Staining, Septic, Staircase (if not
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| be the one who will dig your septic. The
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| | included in log quote), Tiles (kitchen &
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| well driller will probably be a different
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| | bath), Utilities, Well, Windows.Depending
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| company. These are both "wild cards",
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| | on your job site, you may have other
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| because the cost of the septic will
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| | expenses. If the flatbed truck carrying
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| depend on how well the land percs (short
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| | your logs cannot make it to the site,
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| for percolate), and you don't know how
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| | you'll have to make provisions to
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| deep your well will go.Once again, the
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| | off-load the logs elsewhere and have them
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| engineer will design a septic plan which
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| | brought in. If you are set way back from
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| will have to be approved by the county
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| | the road, you may have to pay for
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| (in most states). The cost of your
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| | telephone poles, or pay for the
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| septic could range anywhere from $10,000
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| | trenching. Also, your builder may require
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| - $30,000. If you are setting the house
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| | that you bring power to the site for his
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| way back from the road, you must budget
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| | tools (most allow you a few days of
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| for that extra-long driveway. And if
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| | generator power, but not for the whole
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| your lot is heavily wooded, you will have
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| | job).It took a while to fill in all the
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| to pay extra for tree removal; remember
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| | blanks on my check list, but once I
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| that you need to clear plenty of space to
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| | started looking at each task
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| accommodate both the house and a large
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| | individually, the project as a whole made
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| area around the house for the machinery
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| | sense. Actually, the log package was the
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| to maneuver. You also have to consider a
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| | easiest part to deal with. In our case,
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| space to put the logs after delivery.Once
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| | the manufacturer provided the logs only
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| the location and footprint of the house
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| | (and the design), which came out to less
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| is determined, you may need to use a
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| | than 1/6 the total cost of the house (not
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| different contractor for the foundation.
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| | counting the land work). For the rest,
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| Foundations are not provided by the log
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| | the costs are like any other custom home;
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| home manufacturer (with rare exceptions).
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| | then the question becomes "Who does
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| There are several ways to go: you can
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| | what?". After all, a little sweat equity
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| build on a slab, a crawl space, or a full
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| | goes a long way.Mercedes Hayes is a
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| basement. You can use a block
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| | Hiawatha Log Home dealer and also a
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| foundation, a precast foundation, a
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| | Realtor in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
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| poured concrete foundation (these are the
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| | She designed her own log home which was
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| main choices). Poured concrete is the
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| | featured in the 2004 Floor Plan Guide of
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| most expensive. These days, many people
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| | Log Home Living magazine.
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