If you’re thinking of trying something new and moving into a log home, you need to know what that will mean. There are many financial pros and cons that everyone should be aware of before they consider moving into this kind of home. Only then will you be able to make a fully informed decision. So, here are those financial pros and cons.

Pros

Inexpensive Materials

This is a big advantage for anyone who is looking to build a log home from scratch. It’s much cheaper to buy wood materials like timber or white pine than it is to buy conventional building materials. So, you can save a lot of money on the raw materials that will make up the central structure of your home if you choose a log home option. This also applies to anyone who buys an existing log home and then has to make repairs to it or has to replace some of the wood. It doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice quality either.

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Good Insulation

Log cabins that have been constructed carefully using modern methods can have great insulation. If the property is old, this might not be the case. But you will find that most modern log cabins use a hybrid system, which means that other materials are used alongside the logs. These allow strong insulation to be put in place when the home is being built. This is a big advantage when you want to keep the home warm without spending a fortune. Before you buy, make sure you find out about what the insulation situation is.

Energy Efficient

If you’re the kind of person who cares about your carbon footprint, then living in a log home is definitely a good idea. And because these homes are so efficient, you can also save a lot of money. Timber is able to store heat and release it throughout the day and night. This might sound like something that a futuristic kind of technology might do, but we’re talking about simply timber. It has a high thermal mass, and what this means is that it can keep the home warm in winter and cool in the summer. So, you won’t have to spend as much money on using the heating and air conditioning.

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Durable

This is something that not many people realise, but log cabins are actually very durable. One of the main reasons for this is that they can absorb the ground’s movements. They can do this without the structure of the home being damaged or compromised. This is not something that you can say about all structures, but timber logs are very good at it. It makes them very long-lasting, so there’s no reason that your log home won’t be in existence long after you’ve gone! It’s a misconception that they are weak or fragile, so don’t fall for that piece of misinformation.

Cons

Pest Control Costs

Homes that are made primarily of wood often have bigger problems with pests than other kinds of homes. This is something that you will just have to accept and deal with as best you can. Unfortunately, that’s not something that is going to be cheap. There is no magic cure to this kind of problem. So, what kinds of pests are going to cause you trouble? For a start, you will have to battle with termites, beetles and ants. Some of these insects will even try to feed on the wood, so you have to keep an eye out for problems and take precautions.

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Difficult to Wire

It can be very tricky to wire a log home, and that can mean that you have to spend a lot to get that kind of work done. This might not be much of a problem if you are buying an existing log home because the work will already have been done for you. Although there might still be electrical problems that arise later that could run up pretty hefty electrician bills. And if you are building your log home from scratch, then doing the wiring and manoeuvring all the costs that log homes bring will cost you pretty big.

Maintenance Costs

When you live in a log home, you obviously have to be careful to take care of the wood that forms the structure of your home. If you don’t care for it properly, it can become damaged and then the whole home is put at risk. When the home has been newly built, it will need to be stained. You can get new information from Mountain Home Building Products about that. After that, the wood will have to be treated periodically to keep it in the best shape possible. They also have to be sealed every three years or so to keep the home safe, secure and in good condition.

Often Hard to Sell

One of the main problems with owning this kind of home is that they can be pretty hard to sell. That’s not to say that they’re impossible to sell. But because they are outside the mainstream, it will always be the case that they are a little less appealing. People tend to prefer an ordinary home made out of bricks and mortar. But if you market the property well and make it presentable when it comes to selling it, you should still be able to find a buyer. However, it might take a little longer than it takes to sell most ordinary homes.

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Conclusion

For people who are buying a home that they intend to live in for the long-term, then this can be a great option. But if you are not sure that you will be staying there for long before moving again, you should think very carefully. When a home is hard to sell, and you’ve already had to pay high maintenance costs, then you can take a big financial hit. You could make a loss overall if you’re not careful. But that shouldn’t necessarily put you off because you get something unique when you live in a log home.

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Categories: Real Estate