Log Homes of the Smokies: Log Home log Cabin Articles

ARTICE LIBRARY: TIPS FOR SELECTING A FLOOR PLAN

With all of the options presented, picking the right floor plan for your log home or cabin is not as simple as it seems. Here are a few suggestions to help you narrow your decisions.

Make use of your existing house to help you design your new one

One of the ways to assist in selecting a plan for your brand new house is to review your current home, and use it as a benchmark for your new design. By using your existing home and comparing it with your new home, you can usually improve items and areas as a "correction" of your previous home to your specific desires.

Create a list of the characteristics you like, and a list of the items you don't like inside your current residence. Note the items and areas you do not currently have in your home but would want in your new home. Identify items you think are issues in your home today (insufficient space for storage, hallways too narrow, family area too simple). List the kinds of rooms you desire, and the distinctive attributes of each of those rooms.

Organize your initial plans

Launch a scrapbook with photos and sketches of the styles of log homes and specific features that work for you. An organized scrapbook could save you time and offer a way of plainly communicating with your designer and builder. Since you can study the pictures inside your scrapbook, particular characteristics will stand out. Locating these characteristics will assist you in narrowing your search for any log home designer or supplier. For example, if your scrapbook pictures show mostly handcrafted log homes, you can focus pursuit on those log home vendors that offer that particular design and style.

Start with a simple "box" design

Produce a scaled floorplan sketching of your current residence, along with room and building measurements. Then create a rough layout of the home using squares and rectangles for the rooms. Utilize the dimensions of your old rooms as a reference to upsize or downsize depending on your need in the new home. If the kids have grown up and moved out, you may not need as much space anymore, or if your needs have grown, you can take that into consideration as well. Setup the boxes within a simple pattern that meets your desired wants. Consider hallways, closets, and storage spaces. This would provide a good grasp of not only your overall floor strategy, but additionally your all around home dimensions and square footage requirements.

Make use of personal computer

You could make use of your computer to help you layout your home. There are a number of home design computer software products accessible that will help make the preparation simple and easy and some are even free online. These are often a good first step in the overall design process.

Seek out regular plans

It is possible that there is a blueprint already available which closely meets the needs you have. Identifying it is usually not easy, however. The Web is among the greatest explorative locations, and can provide a plethora of plan, or ideas for plans. Sites like, CoolHousePlans.com and HousePlans.com [add hyperlinks here] are great examples of a good starting point to begin your research. Besides the "log cabin" or log home" categories, plans in the "country home" or "cottage" categories also work nicely for log homes. If you find one or two of these designs, but it still doesn't exactly fit your needs, a custom drawn blueprint will be easy to create through the supplier you purchase your log package from.

Obviously, log home providers have their own plans, many of which are variations of standard layouts which have proven to be popular throughout the years. Log property magazines (in addition to their related internet sites) also provide plans. Numerous publications which contain only log property plans can be found in many different forms.

Plans are often custom-made

Any kind of log home floor plan could be altered to meet your requirements. It's not necessary to pick one of the regular plans supplied by log home providers. You can utilize the design from one company as the basis for developing a plan to be used by an additional company. The truth is your simple plan doesn't even need to be a current log home design.

Keep in mind, on the other hand, that log homes designs are typically more difficult to find compared to traditional homes. In general, the less corners you've got, the simpler the design, the more affordable the home will be to construct.

Allow your log home manufacturer to help

We partner with architects with high-end design software to customize a plan for you based on your specifications and the land it will be built on. If you do research on your desired log home, you are already ahead in the process. While we are very good at helping you determine your goals and overall home design, ultimately you know what you want more than we do initially. Time and good communication will help us to help you through the process.

While some areas of the design are simple and straightforward, some hidden areas can cost a great deal of money if you don't have a knowledgeable staff to help guide you along in the process. It is extremely important to speak with our experts at the beginning of your planning procedure to make sure you can get exactly what you want, all while maintaining the budget.