Log home kits: why you shouldn’t buy them
One of the biggest problems with “kit” log homes is the price — most log home kits are even more expensive than stick-built homes these days. But for just a moment, imagine that you have an unlimited budget and are planning to build or buy a log home. How would you know if it is any good?
Unfortunately most buyers wind up buying log home kits from the salesman who tells the best lies, such as:
- “We use a shrink to fit notching system that gets tighter with age”
- “The log home you are buying is built in the Scandinavian Chinkless style” (when in fact almost all chinkless log home kits are built with the vastly inferior Canadian Chinkless style)
- “Our logs are peeled with draw knives because it gives them more character”
- “Our logs are machine-peeled for better quality control”
- “Our logs are run through a lathe to insure they are all the same size and they fit together better, so they will last longer”
Log home kits and sales tax
Did you know that most states charge sales tax on log home kits? This can easily add 10% to the cost of your kit, so be sure and check this out before you buy a log home kit. If your state charges sales tax on most things, chances are good they will charge sales tax on your kit.
What’s worse is most people don’t realize this until very late in the process, and get a bill for an extra $6000-$10,000 after they’ve already bought the kit. So be aware of this possibility. You can avoid it of course, by not buying a kit and by building your log home from scratch the right way instead.
Further reading about log home kits
We’ve put together a couple of pages about how to protect yourself when choosing the log home that is right for you. Take the time to read these articles and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop us an e-mail. We’re always available to answer log home questions by e-mail. Our e-mail address is on our contact page.
Timber says
April 15, 2009 at 5:23 amFound this the other day. People should know there are rip offs in any industry. I am planning on building my own LHBA method log home soon. Read this thread before you sign any contract or hand your hard earned money over to someone. Don’t put money down ever on a kit cause its on "Sale" either! Especialy if you are not planning on building right away. We students would agree to stay away from the small D logs or any milled logs etc. Read this –there are so many other stories that would take to long to post up here! http://www.loghomeu.com/forum/topics/amerlink-1
spiralsands says
August 10, 2009 at 2:18 pmOver this weekend, my sister’s boyfriend told me that he was building a log home on property in North Carolina. He admitted that he had purchased a kit home despite the rotting disaster that is my sister’s kit log home. It’s probably too late for him now but he should have looked at what she had to get fixed on those rotting ‘D’ logs. The expensive repairs included chinking inside the keyed tops of the ‘logs’ where water accumulated and leaked into the wood. There were lines of synthetic chinking all over the house to fill in these flaws where water had penetrated the keyed D logs. Also, she had to install a huge window up in front, not to get a better view of the neighbors, but to harvest some of the good D logs to replace others that were rotting in other places on the cabin. What a mess.
So they are building another one now. Gluttons for punishment.
Frances