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