Do you prefer a mountain life aura for your cozy log cabin home, or something more little-house-on-the-prairie-esque? The aesthetic of your home is simply one of the many considerations that should be addressed before choosing a lot to build on!
Pros of Sloped Land
Many people interested in building a log home love to go with sloped, mountainside land for the beautiful views and surrounding area. Here’s some good reasons to purchase a sloped lot for building!
- They are cheaper: Sloped lots are often much cheaper than flat lots of the same size. However, the main reason for this is because of how challenging it may be to build on a sloped lot.
- You can use a design that includes a walkout basement: If you build on a hill, it’s also possible to build in an outdoor exit for your home from the basement. This also means you could create your home with more square footage with a smaller footprint within the lot space. It also may end up being slightly less expensive because you won’t have to pay for extra logs or more foundation.
- Go for cozy and dramatic in one: From the top of the hill, your log home may feel smaller and more cozy. However, when you look at it from a lower vantage point, guests will see a dramatic multi-story home!
- Integrate it into the land: By building the home in conjunction with the contours of the land it is sitting on.
Cons of Sloped Lots
- They are cheaper (initially): As stated above, it’s amazing that these lots have less expensive purchase prices, but that’s because of how hard it is for many people to build on uneven ground. You may have to spend more on excavation and concrete to make sure the house fits snugly into the landscape.
Pros of Flat Lots
- Great for limited mobility: If you or your family have a hard time going up stairs, flat lots allow for a ranch style home that doesn’t require any stairs or steep driveways.
- They could have strong curb appeal: Many people love the look and feel of ranch-style homes. When you don’t have multiple stories to build, you can even put that budget towards fun nooks and intricate angles.
- Higher chance of fire and weather safety: Unlike a multi-story home, any window could be a safe exit in case of a fire. Severe weather like harsh winds or storms are also less likely to affect your home when it is single level.
Cons of Flat Lots
- The lot may be on a floodplain: Flatland is amazing for building, but you will have to make sure you aren’t buying a lot that is a floodplain. The gorgeous riverfront view may be worth it at first, but as soon as a heavy rain comes in, your log house could suffer from some serious water damage.
- Watch for bad design: A flat lot could have a home built right on top of the land rather than built into the ground. This is a good idea financially, but with a bad design, essentials like plumbing could prove to be an issue.
Once you’ve made the big decision to build on a flat or sloped lot, contact us at Frontier Log Homes to get building! Call us at 970-249-7130 to learn more about our log cabin kit options.
