More Winter in Minnesota

More snow and an extension of winter with another snowstorm. For now, I don't mind it. I've said before that it is tough to beat the coziness of a log home in the winter. Add falling snow in a wooded setting and it is even better. Anyways, snow or no snow, the spring building season is getting closer by the day. Last weekend was the Lake Home and Cabin show in Minneapolis. The show was very well attended and quite a few people talking about building in 2011. A lot of questions regarding log home packages and prices, building schedules and how to get going on plans.

A few weeks ago an email came in from someone that found my log home website through google. It was an inquiry that was a first for me. The email asked if we would be interested in restoring a full log home that had partially burned from a chimney fire. It was close to home so I drove over to take a look. It is unreal what the homeowners went through but they all made it out safe and got their pets out as well. The house could be saved but one full log wall will have to be taken down and about a third of the roof system was beyond repair. The logs were delivered last week and it is a very interesting project to be part of. I believe the fact that the home was built with full log helped slow the spread of the fire which in turn saved the house.

As you are researching log home companies, dealers and going over plans keep in mind the package is only part of your log home equation. Wild River Log Homes who builds log homes in Minnesota reminds us that the build costs, well and septic are other parts of the budget as well. Too many people get caught up in the package and "forget" about the other factors that will be involved which in turn impact the total price. No two log home packages are the same so it is up to you to determine why the prices range so far between them. Some include exterior doors and windows and some don't. Also, if you are contacting dealers representing log home companies are they full time dealers? Quite a few in the log home business are part time dealers. Can you reach them during business hours? Will they be around during construction or at least reachable in case jobsite issues flare up? It is a long term relationship between you, the log home company and/or the dealer. You need to be comfortable with all involved and they need to be reachable when needed.

February

Well, here it already is February. Between building, snowplowing and fitting in some snowmobiling, January blew right on by. Quite the winter here in Minnesota. But, I guess if we are going to have winter we may as well have it. Finally got time to plow a two day old snow fall today. Good to get that out of the way. Plenty of emails, calls and a successful log home open house over the weekend to keep me busy. Also involved in a reconstruction of a full log home that burned a few weeks ago. It is a good thing it was full log. If it wasn't, the damage probably would've been a lot worse.

As I mentioned earlier, log home packages have changed with the new year. Make sure you analyze the log home package offerings so you are making closer comparisons. It can be confusing and it is left up to you to sort it all out.

With winter here log home and home show season is here. This is a perfect time to get out and about to get your log home researching done on log home packages and pricing.

Between keeping some job sites cleared out of snow and working log home shows there hasn't been a whole lot going on beyond that.