m Home for Less!
September 2011
• Mix & Match Exterior Finishes - Opting to incorporate a variety of exterior materials such as stone, board and batten, cedar shake and even stucco.
• Consider Solar Tubes - Solar tubes bring in natural light and cut down on installation and material costs in comparison to skylights.
• Driveway Strategy - Keeping your driveway short can save thousands in grading and compacting.
• Hunt for Bargains on Appliances - Check out “scratch and dent” sales centers run by manufacturers and retailers. Many times you can save up to half price on new units!
• Simple Roof Line - Keep your roof simple with a single ridge line instead of “hips and valleys” or multiple roof planes. • Ceiling Height - If you love cathedral ceilings, go ahead and enjoy one in your great room, but keep ceiling height in other rooms lower (in the 8-ft. realm). This not only saves in construction costs, but in heating and cooling. • Opt for Conventional Roof System - You can reduce your costs by a third without sacrificing appeal by using conventional truss or rafter roof system in attic, with smaller, decorative timbers and non-structural tongue-and-groove decking vs. large, structural timbers with tongue-andgroove decking overhead in the great room.
• What Hasn’t Worked in the Past? Now’s the Time to Fix it! - Often it’s the little things such as extra lighting in the master closet, a quiet exhaust fan in the bathroom or a computer workstation in the kitchen that make life easier and more convenient. Think about what hasn’t worked in your past home-along with how and where you want to spend time in your new one. Invest a little more in the spaces that mean the most to you! Article Submitted By: Ed White & Greg Watson, Sales Associates for Honest Abe Log Homes. Article adapted from: Log Homes Council. (n.d.). 16 Secrets of Affordable Log Home Design, You Can Create Your Dream Home for Less!. Retrieved August 29th, 2011 from: http://www.loghomes.org/content/16secrets-affordable-log-home-design