Depending on your point of view, living in a log cabin may seem positively dreamy — or like a nightmare. If it’s the latter, you’re probably imagining a cabin without electricity on the frontier. If you’re a fan of the idea, you’re probably well acquainted with modern day log cabins the kind that have balconies and garages and look more like a lodge or chalet than a cabin.
Before you decide to channel your inner Abe Lincoln and move into a log cabin, it’s log-ical that you’ll want to ask some questions first.
[Get Cozy with a Cabin-Inspired Interior Design]
Are Log Cabins More Expensive Than Traditional Homes?
The answer to that question depends on your definition of a “cabin.” If you’re actually building a cabin, like the size of a frontier cabin in the 1800s, a log cabin will probably be far less expensive than a traditional home.
Some cabins are pretty elaborate, enough so that they should really be called “log houses” or “log mansions” and not “cabins.”
The website HomeAdvisor estimates that a customized log cabin can cost as much as $500 per square foot to build, whereas a traditional home might cost as much as $300 per square foot. A small, 500-square-foot cabin typically costs between $62,500 and $87,500 to build, or $75,000 on average, according to HomeAdvisor. Larger cabins, such as 1,500-square-foot log cabins, can climb past $250,000. These costs don’t include the price of land.
Building a house yourself typically costs between $156,000 and $364,000, for an average of $250,000 for a 2,600-square-foot home, not including land. However, prices range drastically based on size and location, so it’s not uncommon for costs to be anywhere from $15,000 to $850,000 or more.
Of course, you could avoid the customized route and instead build a log cabin that’s far cheaper than $300 per square foot. You may save money with a prefab log cabin or a log cabin kit. While you’ll get less say in the design, modular log cabin prices can be more affordable. You could also purchase an existing log cabin for an attractive price, considering land acquisition and prep, and perhaps finishing touches will already be done.
What to Know About Buying a Log Cabin
Let’s start with the financing. Log cabin construction loans are different from conventional home construction loans, says Michael Crossett, executive vice president at The Federal Savings Bank, based in Chicago.
When you’re taking out a loan for a traditional home, you can expect the construction period to last 12 to 18 months, according to Crossett.
“With log cabin construction, projects can run two years or more,” Crossett says. “A longer build time exposes the project to a greater risk of changes in material and labor costs.”
If you’re building a log cabin, you may have even more twists and turns, bumps in the road and roadblocks than you would with a traditional house.
Crossett says that experienced log home lenders will have a “larger contingency budget,” and there may need to be a loan modification at some point during the construction period.
“In situations where the borrower is putting less than 20% down, the lender may even require a reserve deposit that is held by the bank in a special account to assure that any cost overruns will not jeopardize the loan process for the home,” Crossett says. “An inexperienced lender could find themselves and their borrowers in a situation where they are short funds to complete the home with no viable solution.”
Log cabin construction is an involved process, and you really want to make sure you’re working with a lender that understands how involved, according to Crossett.
“A knowledgeable lender will thoroughly vet the builder to make sure that they have a good history of delivering the logs quickly, safely and reliably,” Crossett says.
One reason you want this to all go smoothly, aside from simply wanting to move into your new log home as soon as possible, is that the faster the process goes, the cheaper it will be. “Borrowers will be required to pay the interest cost of carrying the materials during construction and will want that period to be as short as possible,” Crossett says.
If you’re building on vacant land, you’ll need to figure in the cost, timing and process for prepping the site. After you’ve bought the land and obtained the proper permits, the first task in building a log cabin is generally clearing and excavating the land. If there are no existing utilities, that’s another step along the way. If you’re in a remote location and there is no municipal water hookup, you’ll need to install a septic system.
After your log cabin is built, you’ll need to budget for final touches: interior and exterior painting, furniture, appliances, finishes like countertops and cabinets and more. Some of these may be installed during construction, and some costs may be included in prefab cabin prices. You’ll need to research what is and is not included, and adjust your budget accordingly.
[READ: The Guide to Off-Grid Homes.]
Are Log Homes More Environmentally Friendly?
Log and timber homes get a green light for sustainability because trees are a renewable resource, according to the National Association of Home Builders, and log homes naturally integrate into the landscape.
Some log and timber home producers harvest standing dead timber (done in by pesky insects) or purchase logs from forests certified as sustainable. Some builders are constructing log and timber homes to green building standards as well, the NAHB says.
Energy efficiency and better air quality are other eco-friendly benefits, according to log homebuilders. And log homes are quieter, due to the thermal mass that offers energy efficiency and the sound-deadening effects of wood walls, according to a report from the National Association of Home Builders’ Log and Timber Homes Council.
Are Log Cabins Drafty?
Not today’s log cabins. In fact, log cabins tend to have far better insulation than traditional homes, and in the long run, you may save more on your energy costs.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, log cabins generally are 2.5% to over 15% more energy efficient compared to an identical wood-frame home.
So not only should you be warmer in the winter than your neighbors who aren’t living in a log cabin, you’ll probably bring down your home maintenance costs as well.
How Much Maintenance Do Log Cabins Need?
Log cabins tend to need more maintenance than your typical home. For instance, while some homeowners may go years or decades without painting the exterior of their home, you can’t be lax about restaining your log cabin.
“We recommend restaining the wood after the first year, and subsequently every two to five years,” says Matt Esh, marketing director at Zook Cabins in Atglen, Pennsylvania.
Many homeowners do it themselves, according to Esh, but he adds that you can hire someone to do this job.
“The restain does involve using a ladder and a few other hand tools. If you are physically unable to do this, a contractor or a painter should be able to do this rather easily,” Esh says.
If you don’t restain your log cabin, the elements eventually will start to wear down the logs and your cabin could be susceptible to rotting.
Experts also suggest washing the exterior of your home every couple of years, but caution that power washing can damage the wood. You may also need to do periodic caulking and chinking (essentially a type of caulking for log homes).
Are Log Cabins Fire Traps?
Log cabins are generally considered safer than other types of homes and more resistant to fire, in part because they are made of large, dense logs that are too heavy to catch fire at house-fire temperatures.
“Log cabins are not particularly prone to fire hazards,” Esh says. “In fact, the large volume of logs creates an insulation barrier when charred, enhancing safety.”
It isn’t impossible for a log cabin to catch on fire. “Like any structure, a raging fire will still burn any log cabin,” Esh says. But he also says that because of the density of logs, they generally don’t burn as fast as regular 2-by-4 wood boards would.
If your log cabin caught fire, you might be able to put it out pretty quickly. It all starts to make sense if you think of how often you’ve tried to light a log in your fireplace, only to have it go nowhere, until you start adding thinner wood or newspaper to the fire.
[Read: The Do’s and Don’ts of Buying Vacant Land]
What About Log Cabins and Termites?
This seems like a no-brainer. If you’re going to live in a log cabin, termites are going to have a field day, right?
Esh says that this, too, is a myth. As long as the log cabin has a concrete foundation, you shouldn’t have termites.
Why? “Termites cause havoc when there is direct wood to dirt contact,” Esh says. “With a concrete foundation in place, this distances the wood structure from the dirt, causing the termites to not seek further.”
Carpenter bees can be an issue, which is why some experts suggest treating log cabins with insecticide. Staining can help keep problematic insects away, like termites, carpenter ants and powder-post beetles.
How Is a Log Cabin’s Resale Value?
Pretty good. Realtor.com has suggested the resale value is often as much as 30%. Esh says he doesn’t have any hard numbers, but he estimates the average resale value is probably 10%.
“Log cabins can actually have fantastic resale value,” says Seamus Nally, CEO of TurboTenant.com, a website that sells real estate property management software, based in Fort Collins, Colorado.
It’s all about supply and demand, Nally says, pointing out there aren’t a ton of log cabins on the market. “Log cabins are very popular in terms of demand because of their unique appeal, so demand ends up outweighing supply significantly,” he says.
A lot of the resale value depends on the log cabin’s location. “Log cabins fit great into rural areas,” Esh says. “A log cabin with views of mountains is going to have a better resale value than a log cabin in a development.”
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What to Know About Buying a Log Cabin originally appeared on usnews.com
