Building a Luxury Log Home vs a Custom Log Home

When you start planning and designing your custom log home you are likely to turn to some luxury log home designs and plans for inspiration, but what is the difference between a luxury log home compared to a custom-built log home?

Luxury Log Home

A luxury custom log home is a one of a kind home. A luxury log home tends to not only be a custom design, but every element from the flooring, bathroom faucets and showers to the bedroom closet and kitchen sink are built specifically for this one and only home.
When building a luxury log home you can expect to have a very large budget due to the quality and customization required for each detail in the home. The cost per square foot is significantly higher due to the fact that you are ordering premium products and are unable to order items in bulk. The time frame to complete the project can also be much longer as you have to wait for each item to be built specifically for the project.

If you plan to build a luxury log home you will want to ensure you have the financing to do so. Some financial institutions can make lending a bit difficult because in some cases the value of a luxury log home can depreciate faster then custom built or standard homes.

Custom Log Home

If you don’t have the pocket book to ensure every element of your log home is luxury designed just for you, then a custom log home may be better suited for your needs. A custom log home can give you the benefit of both worlds, designing a home that is custom to you and your family’s needs, while saving some money in the process.

At Artisan, all of our log homes are custom designed to meet your needs. You can look at current designs and plans to get ideas and inspiration but we will always customize the final plans with the details needed to make your home your own. Even if you find a design that is exactly what you want there are always little customizations due to climate, location or species of wood. No two custom log homes are identical. When it comes to materials and amenities feel free to go for the cheapest, middle or top of the line on the things that matter to you.

We all dream of having a luxury log home but for most of us having a custom built log home that we can call our own is really all that we are looking for.

If you would like to explore some of our custom log home plans and log home galleries you can check them out here.

If you would like to know more or have any questions about custom log homes. Please feel free to visit our Log Home 101 section or contact us at info@artisanlog.com.

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Building a Log Home: Contract Types

Advantages and disadvantages of the two most common types of log home builder contracts.

Financing the cost of your log home can be a stressful process for some, but it doesn’t have to be. When entering into a contract with your log home builder there are typically two types of contracts they offer: Cost Plus Contracts and Fixed Rate Contracts.

Cost Plus (Cost+) Contracts

Also known as build plus contracts, cost plus contracts are a great option if you aren’t building on a tight budget and deadline but want to have some flexibility as you build. These contracts start off with a basic design and log shell price. As you start to build and construct your log home, materials and other add-ons are chosen and added to the budget. Your builder can likely provide you with a very rough estimated cost for the overall project but without identifying the exact materials it’s likely that you will exceed your original budget.

Advantages

If you don’t know exactly what type of flooring, cabinets or amenities you want to have in the home and you’re not ready to make those decisions at the design phase, a cost plus contract is a good fit for you. You can confirm material and amenities as the project moves along, giving more flexibility to the entire project. We also find that clients who prefer higher end finishing’s prefer cost plus contracts so they can budget accordingly and ensure the custom work aligns perfectly.

Disadvantage

A proposed budget is often in place but majority of the time you will see project overruns because clients tend to upgrade more often and make last minute changes that can cause revisions to already completed work. Secondly, because materials can’t be purchased at the beginning of the project you may run the risk of having items being slightly more expensive at the time you need to purchase them. Just like any project, when changes occur, timelines need to be adjusted and can extend the project completion dates.

Fixed Rate Contracts

If you are one of those types of people that like to know all of the details, costs and timelines of a project before you start then you will want to have a fixed rate contract. Before the building of your log home starts you will have a detailed budget and timeline for the overall project. It is extremely important that you know what is included in your budget and what isn’t and we also recommend reviewing all of the subcontractor quotes so that you don’t have any surprises.

Advantages

If you have a set budget or timeline for your log home to be completed, fixed rate contracts are more likely to stay on time and on budget. If you have a simple design or know exactly what you are looking for you may even notice some cost savings since your log home builders will already know all of the details for the project before they start so materials can be purchased in bulk or they can identify the best time of year to buy specific materials.

Disadvantages

All of your building and finishing material have to be chosen before the projects start to allow for the project to stay on time and budget. Making all of these decisions at the start of the project can be overwhelming so make sure you talk to your designer, log home builder and other trades to have them answer any questions or concerns you have. If you realize after the fact that you do need to make a change you likely can still do it but it may affect the overall project cost and deadline.

To sum it up, if you have a tight budget, timeframe and know what you’re looking for, a flat rate contract may be best for you. If you aren’t exactly sure what you want all of your finishing’s to look like and are still considering additional add-ons but don’t have a tight budget or deadline ,cost plus may be the best option for you. Regardless of the type of contract you enter into with your log home builder make sure you ask a ton of questions, review all of the quotes, budgets and arrange to have weekly or monthly budget update meetings with your general contractor to ensure there are no last minute surprises.

Have a question or want to learn more? Contact Artisan Log Homes at info@artisanlog.com and we’d be happy to help you out

Related Articles 

• How much does a log home cost?
• Log Homes 101: Everything you need to know about building a custom log home
• What are the best logs for building your log home?

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