Far in the future

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Comment by Shad on August 24, 2008 at 7:58pm

Wow - What great answers. And all pretty much what I was telling myself while on vacation (hence the reason for my delay in responding. Apologies!)

The binder is a great idea, both for ideas and for keeping the fire lit. So thanks to all for the great responses. And Rob, there's a good chance I'll be 'seeing' you this week at your seminar. Thanks!

Comment by Dianne on August 21, 2008 at 10:32pm

Oh Ted, I so understand what you've just described! I still have several sets of cut-outs for my furniture that we kept moving around and changing wall dimensions to fit...

Keep that dream going...

Comment by Ted on August 21, 2008 at 6:05pm

Hi Shad.

I just love Dianne's comments and insight. You can tell that she has been through the construction wars, so I suggest that you take heed to what she has to say.

I have a slightly different perspective on the subject of research, sure it's a good idea to do all the research you can, start files cut out pictures, etc., etc. But for me the main reason I do it is to keep the fire lit under me. Knowing that I may be a couple of years away from starting any construction I sometimes get a bit depressed thinking about how far away it is and start to wonder if it will ever really happen.

That's when all the research and design ideas and drawings that I have done come into play. I drag them all out, spread them on the bed and go through the collection, piece by piece. I make changes, re-draw floor plans, design new kitchen layouts, make cutouts of furniture and move pieces all over the place and guess what, my battery gets recharged, my psyche takes an upward swing and all is well again. Once more I'm a believer.

So by all means, do the research but also use it to renew your soul if doubt creeps in.

Ted

Comment by Dianne on August 20, 2008 at 3:31pm

I can see the consensus is it's never too early to start dreaming and planning! I heartily agree. It's always best not to have to make decisions on the fly while the construction is going on, so the more you know and plan before going into the project the better off you are. If you find something you like remember it and document it...you may find something better in the future, but you have a starting point.

When we built 30 years ago we didn't have any log home magazines or the internet available. To the best of my knowledge there was only one log home company serving all of New England. We really didn't have a choice of companies. We didn't have a choice on type of logs. They had 20 different models available but the most popular one (the one we chose) was the only one built throughout New England. We did end up visiting that same model each time we took a trip and checked with the company as to what models were in the area we were planning to visit. We got a real feel for what could be done on the interior, but I honestly think that model was our only choice if we wanted to see several different examples of a finished home before making our choice.

The trick was getting a builder who had done several and learned all the tricks to hide the electrical in the walls and get us overhead lighting. He also gave us great advice on getting the most from our floor plan. He really helped us move interior walls around to get the most space available. What looked great in the models for unused space (you know that "head room issue" on the second floors), he offered solutions for and really was the one who talked us into a second dormer in the front of the house (for which I was eternally grateful). Back in those days hiding the electric wires in the wall was considered too much labor for the benefit it provided. Our builder was willing to put that effort into our home. These days all builders do it, or at least they should.

Today with computers the logs fit together much smoother, the corners appear cleaner, they take most of the bark off and plane down the branch stubs. I used to have frayed wood in some corners...a problem to keep clean without getting splinters in my hands. And the kiln drying and borates they add can only be an improvement over what they used to call "an insecticide dip". When we built years ago log cabins were still thought of as rustic vacation homes. Both our families tried to talk us out of building one as our primary residence. We knew our minds then...and apparently we still know what we want as we are well into building our second log home.

About 5 years ago we attended a log home show (our first ever) and we were both totally amazed at how the industry has expanded. As part of our entrance fee we received a subscription to a log home magazine (free for a year), and we'd sit each month and discuss all the options now available. In hindsight that may have been where our retirement project began, yet we didn't know it at the time. We were both still 10-12 years from retiring and still thinking of keeping our original log home to live in for the winters and living on our boat full time for the summers during our early retirement years.

Times change...we retired 5 years early...and all those magazines we'd poured over month after month suddenly became useful information. So my advice to anyone just dreaming and wondering is to learn as much as you can as early as you can. There is so much good information out there these days, too much to learn when you suddenly need it the most. So take your time and just absorb and dream so you are ready when that day finally comes!

Comment by Shelley Martinez on August 20, 2008 at 12:25pm

Hi Shad - I went to log home shows, read every magazine and book and visited log raisings for 4 years before we built our home. And I'm still learning! One thing you might want to do that was very helpful to us is put together a binder and start filling it with information such as log home articles (I loved their checklists such as questions to ask your builder, advice on building on a slope, etc. These articles never go out of style), design ideas that you like, brochures, etc. It became my log home bible and I referenced it often when I was interviewing log home companies, builders and vendors. It's never too early to start research so that you can make an informed decision when the time comes to build your dream!

Comment by Terry & Shelley S on August 20, 2008 at 10:55am

Hi Shad....I agree with the majority. It's never too early to start researching your dream. In 2006 my husband and I set a goal of three to five years and the time has just flown by. Being the "planner" that I am, I'm thankful we did start so soon. There are are alot of serious decisions & things to consider, so I think during the dreaming/researching phase, it's important to have fun with it by attending log home shows, seminars, open houses, reading log home magazines & books, and visiting websites. I can't tell you how much fun we've we've enjoyed it so far. The more you know, the better you'll be prepared when it's time. Hope this helps. Best of luck to you.

Comment by Rob Romine on August 20, 2008 at 10:05am

Hi Shad--I just noticed your comments and would like to say that it is never too early to start research. I don't think you would have been online and joined the "Neighborhood" if you thought differently. The information that we cover in our webinar is not timeline specific, and should help you get an idea of the who, what, where, and why of planing your log home.

I agree with Donna in that this is a FREE seminar, and can be viewed from the comfort of your own home. If you are not able to attend the LIVE session, I suggest that you click the link to view a previously recorded session.

Hope to see you next week :) Rob

Comment by Anne on August 20, 2008 at 7:49am

HI Shad - I love your blogs - We started planning in earnest about five years prior to ground breaking. This was when a floor plan started to emerge along with some early budget work. I also began compiling lists of resources. I can say that five years was not too soon. The more knowledge you load yourself with, the better prepared you will be when the time comes. I was still tweaking things when the logs were being processed! In fact, I'm struggling right now with a design / lay-out error that I wish I had put more thought into. Also, what we thought was a seven to ten year plan turned into five - so things may move faster than you think! The "dreaming" you are doing now is really educating and preparing yourself. Have fun planning and learning! ~ Anne

Comment by Donna Peak on August 20, 2008 at 12:55am

Hey Shad. I'm sure a lot of people have that question and my thought is that only you can answer it. Based on your blogging (and having the pleasure of meeting you in person) I get the impression that you're a bit of an information junkie, so for you, I'd think it's never too soon to start. Other people might experience information overload, and in that case, years worth of research could create more confusion than it would clear things up. If the seminar talked about current design trends, then I'd advise you to wait as trends can change a lot in a decade. But the agenda is about how to research, budget and build (in addition to design), and those basics aren't likely to change much. And since it's free, you have nothing to lose.