(ARA) - Options, accessories, alterations, choices, selection -- call it
whatever you want, how we live today is all about customization. Whether you are
shopping for a pair of shoes, an automobile or even a home, you can have it made
your way. The options we have in front of us are limited only by our
imagination. For example when building a new home, we have the option to create
our own design. Imagine trying to design your own automobile from the ground up,
a bit overwhelming to say the least.
Overwhelming was the mindset of Joe and Angie Dawson when they tried to find
their perfect home plan. After ten years of dreaming and sketching, they were
left looking through plan book after plan book. Trying to find a cookie-cutter
floor plan that worked for them seemed impossible.
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Knowing they wanted the natural beauty of wood and a distinctive look, a log
home was their first choice. They called Wisconsin Log Homes to schedule a
design consultation to get started. When they arrived at the corporate
headquarters in Green Bay, Wis., the Dawsons literally had their thoughts and
dreams in a shoebox. They had accumulated all these ideas, but had no clue how
to put them into action.
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The sales consultant guided the Dawsons through their shoebox by going through a
few simple exercises to help them understand how they wanted their home to look,
how they wanted their home to feel and how they wanted to live in their new log
home. Here is a sneak peak at how the Dawsons got their custom design plans
underway:
Get Organized. Most of us accumulate a rather hefty stack of magazines,
newspaper clippings, and catalogs when starting a project of this caliber.
Invest in a three ring binder and create tabs with labels of each room of your
future home. Get organized by tearing out the pages that have interest to you
and put them in the binder under the specific room. All the photos and ideas
will now be at your finger tips. Keep it up to date and keep it handy.
Understand where you live now. If you don't know the square footage or room
dimensions of your current home, now is a good time to grab a tape measure and a
pad of paper. Once you have an inventory of your current home you can then
evaluate whether you need to make rooms large or smaller. In addition, when you
are reading blueprints you can relate to your current rooms to give you a sense
of size.
Creating a wants and needs list. This is a pretty simple exercise. Make a list
of all the needs in your home. For example, some items on your "needs" list may
include a stove, refrigerator, or a two car garage. The "wants" list may include
items such as a jacuzzi tub, fireplace, large deck, or steam shower. Implement
the needs list into your design first and the wants list second as your budget
allows.
Get your ideas on paper. Before the first shovel of dirt can be dug you have to
have a plan. Whether you sketch out your ideas on a table napkin or hire an
architect, your project will not get underway unless you take the ideas out of
your head and get them on paper.
The team at Wisconsin Log Homes helped the Dawson's discover a log home design
beyond what they had imagined. "I was so pleased when I received my first set of
plans. The design team was able to incorporate all my wants, needs and desires
into the plan. They really listened to what I had to say. And the pictures were
worth more than 1,000 words." Now living in their log home, Joe and Angie
routinely comment on how everyday is like a vacation, such a relaxed atmosphere.
Their only regret is that they didn't build their log home dream sooner.
If you want to live the log home lifestyle like the Dawsons, but don't know
where to start, give the folks at Wisconsin Log Homes a call. All homes are
created by visions and dreams of people just like you. Start by obtaining the
Wisconsin Log Homes planning guide filled with more than 100 plans and ideas.
From there they can create your personalized home, and discuss the best way to
get it built. Their helpful team can be reached by calling (800) 844-7976, or
visit their Web page at
www.wisconsinloghomes.com.
About the Author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
How to Hire the Right
Home Building Contractor - Know what questions to Ask!
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New Home Construction Bid Sheet
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Planning
to build your dream home and want to be your own General Contractor or looking to hire one? Do you know what questions to ask to ensure your
hiring the right contractor for your project? The New Home Construction Bid Sheet from
HomeAdditionPlus.com provides an extensive contractor questionnaire, to
help you ask the right questions to potential contractors, thus ensuring
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it provides estimated home building costs and time intervals for each
phase of the home building project, as well as extensive advice for the
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How to Finance your Home Remodeling Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
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