Help with planning my new home? Long post.

[Hideaway]

Hi, I hope I'm allowed to post here. I am looking to get advice on building a log home. On other forums, I see a lot of negative about log homes. I believe they aren't educated about all the options.
I know there are some great books about building, and I plan to read them soon. I wish I could attend a class, but I am not to that point yet, and I would not be doing the building. (That's another topic.)
So first, I was wondering if a log home is right for me. I read a bunch of the FAQ here in the past and again today, and it sounds so economical and wonderful. (Unlike what you read elsewhere. People only know of the expensive kits and bad stories.)
I am not accustomed to rural living but it's what I am going to do. (I will stay somewhat close to town. I have also read many warnings about difficulties in rural areas that most people don't expect.) I point this out only to lead into my next point.
One of my main reasons for wanting to build a new log home is that I have sensitivities to many building materials used in almost all homes. I am hoping to spend extra and minimize the amount of chemicals in my new home. The cost is a huge factor - I believe I could save plenty. And I am hoping it would be quicker than building a standard typical house, or around the same amount of time.
I know I shouldn't rush things, but unfortunately at the same time I am under some time pressure to get myself moved out of my current location. It is costing me far too much every week I don't get moved. I am looking to buy land, and I may have found a good piece. (It's hard to find land matching the location, price, type I want.) I'm thinking of buying it even if I don't have a complete plan figured out. I was considering trying to live in a pole barn temporarily (with a camper inside, or with installing a bathroom), or a trailer. I do need the pole barn for extra storage anyway.
I personally have very little ability and experience with any handywork. I know that petite women have done it before. Luckily I do have experienced friends who would help and I have other vetted workers who would give me a discounted rate. I am generally not worried about the plumbing and electric, and expect to hire for that. And probably roofing. However, I always like to have a backup plan, so if I ended up not being about to use most of those contacts, I thought I might be able to pay or trade to get general laborers and I could be the "project manager" and do some myself.
I am interested in any advice and input. If I wasn't able to attend a class (because of the waiting list), would I be able to learn enough from books and forums?
What else do I need to think about? Besides considering utilities, building codes, roads. Financially I should be fine if I am getting the cheaper labor or doing some myself, and as long as I am getting materials cheaper than a kit. Also, regarding finances, I could hold off on some of the inside finishing until next year, and put the available funds towards the basics like plumbing.
I thought about size and other things. I am interested in a 24x36 with one or two sizeable decks and two lofts. Bigger if I could afford it, but I want the decks. Possibly 24x30 or 24x32 to save money. I believe the lofts add to the cost but not so much, so it's worth it. I would love a 2 story but in the budget I have, I doubt it. Also ideally I would like a walkout basement but I believe it would save a bunch of weeks to skip it, and the money could be spent on a pole barn instead.
One area that I know very little about is the upkeep and maintenance of the log home. Someone got me worried that it would be a lot of time and possibly money, but I feel like there must be good ways to build and make it lower maintenance. (I know a bit about upkeep of a standard home and they are a pain since they are often built so shoddy and quickly!) Also, I know about needing to mow the grass, more oil changes, generator being a very good idea. (I don't want to seem like a complete newbie.)
Friends will also give me more information as I proceed too, but I love to learn more on my own (with the help from people here and elsewhere). Thanks.

[panderson03]

Hello and welcome.
you ask a lot of great questions! the class will give you all the information you need to either build yourself or be able to instruct someone else how to to it properly.
no there is not enough information in these forums to safely build without taking the class, sorry about that!
class will also help guide you to the most cost-effective shape of your house.
good luck on your quest!

[rocklock]

1. Where in the world are you? ... its important.
2. Why do you want a log home?
3. Have you thought about a square home like a 30 by 30?
4. Have you thought about the taper of logs and how it effects the building process?
5. Hint - go to you refrigerator and practice build a square out of carrots... you may learn something.
6. If you don't know and the contractor doesn't know how to build, is this not the blind leading the blind...
7. The cost of the class is the least expensive part of the entire process... if you can not afford some real knowledge you will pay for it later.
Best of luck - check out my video - have fun
Dave--> The unaimed arrow never misses....--> If can, can. If no can, no can... Hawaiian Pidginhttp://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/flintlock1/

[loghousenut]

Mr/Mrs Hideaway,
Your post offers that you want to change your lifestyle, and discusses limitations, but you don't offer why, where, when, or much else to give us a clue. It sounds to me like you want to escape the city lifestyle and don't know how. If that's the case you need only to hit the road and find a proper locale and rent an old farmhouse. You mention a sensitivity to modern building materials and yet suggest that you could live in a camper under a pole barn. Most 50 year old farm houses are built with less chemically sensitive materials than most campers and the ventilation is better to boot.
In my mind it appears that you are ready to make the plunge. Personally I think there are ways of making the plunge a step at a time rather than investing a life's savings in land and a house that will be built by someone else. If I were to suddenly decide that the city life is right up my alley (all who know me are Rolling On The Floor Laughing Their A Off), I hope you will talk me out of buying a Condo in downtown Chicago. Please, please, PLEASE guide me into a cheap apartment in a modest part of town and put all of my spare money into a locked box guarded by trusted friends.
You may very well be perfectly suited to life in a rural area in a log home with a deck or two. Perhaps if you offer a post about who and what you are and why you levitated to this site, you may find that some of us have something in common with you and can relate on your level. Many folks on this site went to the class due to an interest in controlling their own life and living without a mortgage on the roof over their heads. Most of us have always loved log houses. Some of us are certifiably nuts bout log houses... I know I am. Share some more about yourself and see if we fit in with your expectations.
FOR SURE a house can be built using LHBA principles that is friendly to people with chemical sensitivities (barring perhaps a serious wood allergy).

[Hideaway]

I am interested in attending a class, I just meant that I can't sign up immediately. And besides it's sold out, but I probably need to start building soon.
I'm in KY.
A square log home is probably fine with me.
I don't know much about sourcing logs yet. I don't want to waste money unnecessarily, but was thinking of professionally milled logs, so they are evened out. I would research that plenty. I found someone who said they could get logs below wholesale since it was a family run mill. I know I may be able to get them cheaper than through that person, but it could be the best option to save time and for long-term. Again, I don't know about this.
I will post more in a little bit.

[rocklock]

You need to look at our student built homes. All are built with logs - whole logs. A log that has been milled is called lumber. I built with logs that were about 3 months old. They were very green and I am not a professional builder...
Getting a good price on logs is a good idea, but be careful. I do not trust what anyone says, I only believe what they do. Again actually what I tell teenage girls. You need to know how to measure logs... so you can place a value on them as well as compare prices. It can get confusing.
I believe we have a bunch of members in KY and you will want to go see what they have done and maybe even help chink or peel a log... Peeling a log can change you entire attitude about log homes... as well as pounding steel for several hours. OBTW, I am almost 67 and I may build 3 more log homes...
Best of luck
Dave--> The unaimed arrow never misses....--> If can, can. If no can, no can... Hawaiian Pidginhttp://s154.photobucket.com/albums/s274/flintlock1/

[Hideaway]

Yeah, a camper would be terrible for allergies. Only if I had to temporarily.
VERY good point about not jumping into the deep end. I will think about it more. I hate moving however, and do not want to move twice within 5 or 10 years if possible, and hate the idea of renting even for a short time. Under certain conditions, I might end up renting temporarily, so I am not completely closed off to the idea, but this would generally be if I already bought my land and was needing a cheap apartment for 1 or 2 months.
I consider myself the type to make sizable life changes every now and then. I feel like I need to move to the country for many reasons. Yes, I don't want a mortgage over my head anymore. I also want cleaner air. It is terrible most places, especially anywhere near a city.
I am accustomed to only leaving my suburban house around twice a week. On the other hand, I am spoiled because I have almost everything within a 5 minute drive (and certainly within 15-25 minutes), and once I move, in some places I would have to drive 30 minutes to some things and up to 60 minutes for others. I will dislike it but it's worth the trade off. I am also accustomed to roads being plowed quickly and other things.
I am very tired of having neighbors around making noise, making the porch or backyard a lot less enjoyable. I want a small garden and I want to have animals to watch. Ideally I want a pond for ducks and fish and a swimming hole. However I can live without the pond and/or swimming hole especially if I can add one down the road.
Most rural places would be fine and not disruptive to my career.
I would like to pick and control what goes into the new home, to help avoid allergies.
Ideally I would find a great property and build a great house. I believe I will have to settle quite a bit, without compromising major things I want. In that case, depending on my future finances, I may want to move in around 6-15 years to get a place that's more of my ideal.
If I ended up hating country life, then I could sell and move in 1-5 years. If I built in an economical way, I could make a profit.
Building a log home versus other seems more economical to me. So I could afford to have more sq footage and more decking. I also think it could be great for resale value if done certain ways on private land.
A lot of them look lovely too.