Home Market
Many people are drawn to log homes, and the appeal of log homes has fueled the development of a modern log home industry. Over 400 manufacturers, ranging from small sawmill operations to sophisticated, full service housing companies, serve this growing market.
Log Homes have been a part of America’s housing heritage since colonial days. Abundant forests and the availability of large trees made log shelters an easy solution to housing demand. Because early log homes or cabins were often used as temporary structures or interim residences, they were often hastily constructed, poorly sealed and ill maintained.
Working with minimal tools and primitive knowledge, almost anyone could build serviceable shelter that would last the few years necessary until a “proper” house could be built. Later, from the vantage point of that “proper” house, many who started life in a log cabin looked back with nostalgia on the rustic structure.
Today, few people start life in a log home (although there are probably more today who can claim a log home heritage than at any time in the last few generations). The appeal of logs has become one of nostalgia for simpler times, a more “natural” lifestyle, and perhaps breathing room after a day spent battling modern technology. Log home living today is not just about housing, it’s about lifestyle. This has important implications for valuing the structure and its marketability.
The log home market of today can trace its beginnings to the late 1960s or early 1970s when a “back-to-the-land” ethic inspired many to look toward self sufficient lifestyles. Until then, log cabins occupied the niche of “vacation homes,” seasonal dwellings, constructed inexpensively with only basic amenities. Suddenly, more people were looking for a permanent residence they could construct (or at least participate in construction) themselves. As log homes shifted from seasonal to permanent dwellings, they increased in size and were filled with the same amenities as conventional homes. Several characteristics of log home enthusiasts contribute to the overall high quality and value of log homes. First, log homes are usually built as someone’s dream home.
Second, log home shoppers usually spend considerable time researching the product before they buy. It is not uncommon for a log home purchaser to spend several years and amass large amounts of information before actually purchasing a home. Third, occasionally log homeowners become involved in supervising or actually participating in construction of their home. The homeowner is sometimes responsible for the actual design of the house. As a result, the quality of the home may reflect the owner’s design, management, or construction skills (or lack thereof). Since most homeowners take great pride in their homes and spend considerable time preparing to build, quality tends to be higher than in conventionally built homes.
A final characteristic of log home enthusiasts is their dedication to owning a log home. Most are not interested in another type of housing and will purchase a conventional home only if circumstances prevent them from owning a log structure. They are prepared to pay the same or more for their log home dream. A study by the National Association of Home Builders confirmed this by finding no difference in re-sale value of log homes when compared to other types of housing.
