Are Log Homes More Expensive Than Traditional Homes?

You've dreamed of owning a log home for years. But are log homes more expensive than traditional brick or wood frame homes?

Like everything else, it depends on a lot of factors. Probably not what you wanted to hear. If I had to give a quick, short answer, I would say yes. But it all starts with a dream!

If you are wanting to build a new log home, the cost would be more than building a traditional brick or wood frame home. I have been in love with log homes since the early 1980's, but it was a brick home, not a log, that I was able to build in the 90's. A square foot of a log home is more expensive than having 2x4 walls. With that said, if you can afford to build your dream log home, go for it. You'll love it!

While a new log home is more expensive to build, don't discount looking for a log home that's already on the market for sale. When we lived in South Arkansas, we loved driving up to the Ozark Mountains and Branson, MO every chance we could. The countryside is beautiful. In 2011, we bought a few acres on top of a mountain on the Arkansas side of the state line as "carrot motivation" to move up this way one day. The land was cheap and we dreamed of putting a log home on it and having a great view. The land has a 60 mile view. It is steep and we would go back home thinking "it's just too steep to build". Yet every time we made a trip to Branson, we'd stop by, walk around and say, "we can do this!".

When the time came a couple of years later that we were able to make a move to the Ozarks, we had a home builder meet us on our land. He was well versed in building log homes and businesses on mountainsides, but it would be very expensive. For us anyways. So I began looking at what was on the market. I found a beautiful log home with almost 10 acres. It was twice the footage that we were living in and the large kitchen and open floor plan was awesome. It had an attached garage with the circle drive we've always wanted. It was our dream home. But the price was over our budget.

I continued to shop the market, but watched that home. For a year! The price started dropping. Then it dropped again ... and again! Finally, it was within our budget, so we drove to look at it. The owners had moved to Florida, and though furnished, it had been vacant for awhile. We fell in love with it and our offer was accepted (with the condition that they'd throw in the old Scagg mower that was out in the shop so we could mow this place.)

So we did. We bought it. It's been 7 years ago this month. We had a lot to do (more posts ahead), but it's been totally worth it. We could have never built a home with the square footage this one has and the land it's on for the price we paid. It's an older home, but well built. It's only 15 miles from our "carrot motivation" land we bought.

Happy Day! We just bought a log home! 

If you have a dream for a log home, don't give up on it! There are many log home manufacturers with different floor plans and options. Some build turn key homes, some construct shells, and some sell the logs, nails, caulking, if you are a DIY kind of person. One of our favorite log home manufacturers is Satterwhite Log Homes if you want to check them out. We have the Lone Star floor plan that has been revised. I bought one of their home plans in 1982. They were in Longview, TX at the time and we drove to walk through some of their model homes. It wasn't until 2016 that I'm actually living in one of their homes. Quality logs and very insulated! They have grown over the years and now have places in Gunnison, Utah and Ellijay, Georgia.

There is definitely upkeep and pros and cons about living in a log home. That's for another post, but if you love nature and the coziness that a log home brings, you won't mind taking any cons with the pros!

I'll see you soon!

May God bless you and yours,

Laurie Ann