Posted by admin | Posted in Log Cabin Tips & Ideas | Posted on 12-12-2007
Tags: cabin, lake, travel, vacation, wisconsin, wisconsin lake cabin rentals, wisconsin lake cabin resort, wisconsin lake cabins, wisconsin lake cabins for rent, wisconsin lake cabins for sale
Building on the Lake
You've purchased your lake lot and are thinking of building. Maybe it has an outdated structure on it. Maybe not. You've saved and dreamed of building for years. Most likely you don't have plans drawn up yet. But you do have an idea of what you and your family likes and what you want. Now you're asking yourself, "Where do I begin?" Good question.
Most people contemplating having a lake home designed and built are at a loss of where to begin. This is by far the majority of people we come in contact with. It takes a full service "design/build" general contractor versed in all aspects of lake home construction who can take your dreams, desires and partial ideas, forming them into a true lakehome your family will cherish the rest of their lives.
Where do you begin? You begin by contacting a "design/build" general contractor who specializes in lake home construction. A skillful design/build contractor can take your ideas, develop plans and ultimately construct your new home with an ease you thought wasn't possible. No longer do you have to hire an architect seperately from the contractor and try to get both firms to work together serving as the middleman. Design/build firms bring architects in early and utilize a team approach to serve you better, and thus removing customer need to arbitrate between design and construction efforts. Result is a far smoother construction experience that produces a superior end product.
In your first meeting with the design/build contractor he should bring in the architect and environmental expert so you can come away with the most pertinent information possible relative to your project. Usually a small design fee or retainer is required to start the design process. Plan on spending between $1,500 to $2,000 on this phase.
And size of contractor isn't necessarily a positive or negative using the design/build approach. But quality of the team is vital. Listen to what the team says. Understand what they see as challenges and especially center in on proposed solutions. Measure their responses. Do they seem to be experts in their respective fields? Are they genuine? Are they tuned into you?
There are three basic aspects to your project that must be nailed down before the first shovel hits the ground. They are design, construction and environmental disciplines. Design deals with creating elevations, layouts, how you will live in the home and identifying desirable material selections. Construction aspect provides ability to generate solid numbers from the plans and goes on through the actual building process. Lastly, we all know environmental issues can play a big role in and have significant impact upon design and construction efforts...especially for projects on water. Therefore it is critical that all three aspects become part of the preliminary design process early on if you want the most elegant lake home on your property for the money.
For example, soils tend to be less suitable near water. That means special considerations need to be factored in that will prevent the new structure from excessive settling and movement. There could be wetlands on site or bluffs. All of which need to be identified and solutions thought out clearly up front in order to prevent costly corrective measures on the back end. These are just a few. There are many more issues in all three aspects of your project that play into the final product.
Where do you start? Find a quality team. Look for a team approach. And when you are in front of them the first time, apply yourself to establishing whether the team is able to guide you through the myriad of issues to a successful conclusion. When you do, you will be one step closer to the realization of your dream.
About the Author
Jim Raboin heads up BlueStone Construction & Project Management, LLC ...a design/build lake home general contracting firm serving Minnesota and Wisconsin lake country.
Peg & Scott's new cabin up north der in Wisconsin
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