| You won't go far without hearing horror
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| | that's the exception rather than the
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| stories about log home owners who went
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| | rule.POWER: Most builders will give you
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| way over budget, ran out of money before
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| | a few days' allowance for power, but
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| the project was through, and generally
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| | after that, you may get charged for that
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| had a terrible building experience. I'm
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| | expensive generator. Instead, you can
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| sure there are as many tales as there are
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| | arrange for the electric company to erect
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| people, and I'm just as sure I haven't
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| | a temporary panel on site for the power
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| even heard most of them. Assuming that
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| | tools. They have to bring the power
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| your initial construction budget is
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| | lines to your house anyway. Make
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| realistic, here are a few points that
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| | provisions for this way ahead of time.
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| might make the unexpected a little easier
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| | Also verify way ahead of time whether the
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| to plan for. A good builder will have
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| | telephone company has service on your
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| already taken care of many of these
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| | street.CHAIN-SAW WORK ON SITE: This is a
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| suggestions, but it couldn't hurt to be
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| | little difficult to prepare for, since we
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| certain that the costs are covered in the
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| | usually don't know what questions to ask.
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| original quote.WEATHER: Weather delays
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| | I know of one person who was completely
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| are probably the biggest bugaboos. Time
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| | unaware that the stair timbers needed to
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| is money, and every week that your house
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| | be cut on site. Also, not every log home
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| sits in the rain and snow is another week
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| | company sizes the window holes exactly.
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| you are paying interest on your
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| | One side might line up, but the other
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| construction loan (we won't even talk
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| | side might need to be cut to measure.
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| about exposure). Ideally, you should
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| | Another couple I knew was surprised to
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| plan the log delivery so that, bare
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| | discover that an inside archway through a
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| minimum, your roof is on and windows are
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| | solid log wall needed to be cut on site.
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| installed before winter hits. Is waiting
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| | They were not skilled enough to attempt
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| until Spring a good idea? Well, April
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| | the task, and had to track down a person
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| showers create a sea of mud that could
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| | willing to take the responsibility - for
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| bog down the heavy equipment. The mud
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| | a big price. Sometimes logs need to be
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| will be inevitable, but perhaps waiting
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| | notched on site. All these things get
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| for a dryer summer would speed things
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| | added to the bill.ALLOWANCES: This can
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| along?EASE OF ACCESS: Some of the more
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| | be a big budget buster. Whenever
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| isolated properties can be inaccessible
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| | possible, pick out and budget your own
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| by a 55-foot truck. First of all, make
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| | fixtures, kitchen, flooring, countertops,
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| sure your local bridges are designed to
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| | etc. rather than take an allowance from
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| take the weight of a laden truck (and no,
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| | the builder. The likelihood of finding
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| you can't divide the total weight in half
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| | something in the price range allowed for
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| because only one axle is on the bridge at
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| | the item is pretty slim. If you start far
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| a time). If the truck can't navigate the
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| | enough ahead, you can buy certain
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| curves, incline, or surface of the road,
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| | expensive appliances and luxuries and put
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| you might have to offload the logs onto a
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| | them into storage. Try to have all the
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| smaller vehicle. This necessitates
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| | items ready for installation before they
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| another forklift (one for the big truck,
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| | are needed. Remember to plan ahead for
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| one for the little truck). In the worst
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| | extra light fixtures; this item is one of
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| case scenario, a helicopter comes into
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| | the most frequently neglected necessities
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| play.JOB SITE PREPARATION: You might be
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| | in the house.CHANGE ORDERS: If you want
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| tempted to throw down a quick-and-dirty
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| | to stay in budget, NEVER make a change
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| layer of gravel to accommodate the
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| | after the work has been done. Change
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| machinery, but in the end you may be
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| | orders make the cash register sing. Try
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| creating even bigger problems. If the
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| | to stay ahead of the project, so if you
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| trucks get stuck on an inadequate
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| | perceive a change while still in the
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| surface, you may be the one to pay for
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| | planning stage, a good builder will work
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| towing... and again, you'll experience
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| | with you at no extra charge.WHO DOES
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| delays. Especially if using a gravel
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| | WHAT? In our experience, the only time
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| driveway, have the full driveway laid in
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| | things went really astray is when we
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| first with the riprap as a foundation.
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| | tried to bring in our own trades, who
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| If it gets chewed up a bit, repairing it
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| | inevitably clashed with the builder's
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| will be cheaper in the long run than the
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| | subs. The biggest fight was who would
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| alternative. When laying down the gravel
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| | wire the septic pump: the electrician or
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| driveway, make sure you add a section at
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| | the excavator. We hired the excavator,
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| least 50x50 sq. ft. for the logs to sit.
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| | and the electrician walked off the job
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| Then cover that section with thick
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| | because he refused to wire the
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| plastic sheeting. The last thing you
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| | excavator's pump. We were flabbergasted,
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| want is to see your beautiful logs dumped
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| | and it took over a month to get another
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| in the mud.If you decide to take the
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| | (inferior) electrician to finish the
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| whole house delivery at once, including
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| | house... another month's rent, another
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| lumber, plywood, windows and all, you're
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| | month's interest.Not all problems can be
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| going to need to store them. You may
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| | foreseen, but conventional wisdom tells
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| have to rent one or more trailers to
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| | us to add a 10-20% slush fund to the
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| protect your stuff from the elements (and
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| | budget to allow for unexpected cost
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| dare I suggest, theft?). If at all
| |
| | over-runs. Bare minimum, you may need to
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| possible, take delivery in more than one
| |
| | tap into this fund to bridge the gap
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| shipment, even if the initial expense is
| |
| | between the subs getting paid and your
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| higher.Also, make sure provisions are
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| | next construction loan draw. Planning
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| made for a dumpster and portable potties;
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| | this buffer is not going to be easy, but
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| you won't regret it.TARPS: You're going
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| | in the end, it might save you a whole lot
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| to find yourself acting like a log
| |
| | of headaches - and an ulcer or
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| baby-sitter for a while. Whenever
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| | two.Mercedes Hayes is a Hiawatha Log Home
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| possible, the logs should be protected by
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| | dealer and also a Realtor in New Jersey
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| tarps, nicely fastened with bungie cords
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| | and Pennsylvania. She designed her own
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| against the wind. But you'll be amazed
| |
| | log home which was featured in the 2004
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| at how many tarps you're going to need.
| |
| | Floor Plan Guide of Log Home Living
|
| I've even seen builders cover the whole
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| | magazine.
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| unfinished structure with tarps, though
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| |
|
