www.barnagreatlakes.com
Barna Log Homes, Inc. - The Great Lakes Regional Headquarters for Jim Barna Log Systems
1530 E. Blackmore Road
Mayville, MI 48744
989-843-4936
www.barnagreatlakes.com
Barna Log Homes, Inc. - The Great Lakes Regional Headquarters for Jim Barna
Log Systems
1530 E. Blackmore Road
Mayville, MI 48744
989-843-4936
Springtime has finally arrived!
Here in the Great Lakes region, this means that the building industry is getting
very busy. This year has been no exception. We are looking forward to many new
houses delivering over the coming months. You will get the opportunity to see
many of these new construction projects as well as a myriad of existing log
homes. Our annual log home tour will be June 24. We generally have 15-20
homes open for viewing at your own pace. We are also planning a log raising
where we will demonstrate (on location) many of the specifics of log home construction.
Contact us if you are interested in attending either of these events.
Click
HERE for other log home events.
Featured Article - General Contracting Your Own Log Home
The general contractor plays the most important role in a construction project. He/she is responsible for all aspects of the project from the initial site preparation all the way through the finishing touches. So who will general contract your home? Do you need to hire one or can you do it yourself? Even though there are many general contractors who have plenty of experience building log homes, many log home customers choose to do the general contracting on their own. Two of the biggest reasons these customers choose this route is to save money and to have a hands-on role in constructing their own home. For those of you who are considering general contracting your own home, we have compiled a list of tips. This list is a small sample of the information that was covered in one of our recent workshops on General Contracting.
Top
Ten Tips For General Contracting Your Log Home
(highlights from our March general contracting workshop)
1. Start your planning early.
"The sooner the better" applies to blueprints, financing, and site
preparation. These three areas often seem to take longer than anticipated.
2. Do your homework BEFORE jumping into the project. The old adage applies here:
to fail to plan is to plan to fail! Do your research on all aspects of log homes
and building before you begin.
3. Determine a realistic budget and timetable for building. Make sure you plan
enough time for building and add in extra time for uncooperative weather and
other delays. Always add a little extra to your budget for unavoidable cost
overruns- they are normal with contracting your own home.
4. Take the time to choose your subcontractors wisely. This step, although not
foolproof, can often make or break the success of your project. You will rely
heavily on subcontractors to make your project run smoothly, so try to choose
ones that have your best interests in mind.
5. Choose a "log-home-friendly" bank to do your financing. A bank
that is familiar with log homes or at least with owner-builders will save you
a lot of headaches in the log run.
6. Find out what your local building inspectors require. Our log homes are designed
to meet national construction codes, but your local building department has
the final say on what does or does not pass code in your township. Do whatever
is necessary to see that your home complies with all the codes, no matter how
insignificant the item may appear.
7. Become familiar with waivers and other types of legal forms. If you have
a question about a certain type of form or document, have someone explain it
to you. Get any necessary paperwork signed and back in as soon as possible-
don't let the hold-up be you.
8. Develop a positive relationship with your subcontractors. A six-pack of Pepsi
or chocolate chip cookies can pretty much guarantee a productive day's work.
9. Ask for help if you're feeling overwhelmed or don't understand something.
You are probably not the first and you most certainly won't be the last person
to ask that question. It can save a lot of misunderstandings and frustrations.
10. Remember Murphy's Law for building a home: It will usually take more time
and cost more money to build than originally expected.
BONUS TIP: Mr. Jim
Cooper is a 15 year veteran of the log home industry. He has written two books
that would be very helpful to anyone planning to build and/or general contract
a log home.
Click HERE for information on either of
these two books.
Feel free to contact
us any time!
Barna Log Homes, Inc.
1530 E. Blackmore Road
Mayville, MI 48744
989-843-4936
greensloghomes@msn.com