Log Home Kits




LOG HOME BUYING PROCESS
Overland Trails is the North Georgia representative for Heritage Log Homes. Heritage was established in 1974 and has been providing quality log home products ever since. The following information explains the process of buying a log home from Overland Trails Heritage Log Homes. The first step is to come up with a plan. You can find a design in our design catalog, which has 42 standard plans, or you might have another plan in mind. In most cases we can design and build any plan you desire. There are a few things to keep in mind while you are picking out a plan. Most people are on a budget of some kind. Our kits average about $45.00 per square foot for the shell of the home (log kit). There are two things that can cause that price to be higher, wrap-around porches and our Round Timber Roof system. These features will also cost you more in labor. As you look through our catalog and at plans from other log companies you will notice most of the homes are a 1½-story design. This is the most economical house to build. On a per-square-foot-basis, two story homes and single level homes will cost you more money. We will be more than happy to help you design any home that you would like to build. Once you have decided on a plan and are ready to proceed you can lock in the price of the kit package for up to a year with a 10% deposit. If you are planning on building within a year the deposit will keep you from incurring any price increases, which typically take place in the spring and in the fall. After you have made the deposit we will begin drawing the first preliminary plans on your new home. Depending on our schedule it usually takes from 3-5 weeks for you to receive your first set of drawings. Once you receive those plans you need to review them and either approve or correct them. If you are on a tight time schedule for the construction of your home then the quicker you get the changes back to us the quicker we can get to your actual working drawings. A contractor will not be able to give you an accurate quote on your home until he sees the working drawings of the house. There are different ways we can handle the construction of your home. If your house site is within a 30 mile radius of Ellijay we can build the house to the turnkey stage, which is basically finished and ready to move in to. The average turnkey construction in our area is around $150.00 to $175.00 per square foot. Another option is to “dry-in” the house. This is basically where the contractor will come in and stack the logs, install windows and exterior doors, build the roof structure, and construct all decks and porches. (You will need to clarify with the contractor exactly what you want done, because everyone’s definition of dry-in can vary). Once the dry-in is complete you can act as the general contractor and find all the subcontractors to complete the job. This is a great way to save money on building a home, if you have the time and talent to make it happen. For those customers that will be building outside our 30-mile construction radius, we will work with you to find a qualified contractor. Please keep in mind that these contractors are not employees of Overland Trails Heritage Log Homes. They are all independent contractors. We recommend that you check their references and go see their work if at all possible. We are not responsible for the builder, but if there is a problem with the log home due to manufacturing we will stand behind it 100%. Another option for building your home is to do it all yourself and our system is much easier for the novice to construct than many others. Our logs are pre-cut and numbered for assembly and our Thru-Bolt system makes it ‘quick and easy’. We also provide you a trained Technician to come to your site and assist you in putting the first course of logs down. This will make sure you start on the right foot and will make the rest of the construction process much easier. If you need assistance later in the process we are only a phone call away! In addition to the initial deposit there are two more payments required to receive your log package from Heritage. Once we have set a delivery date for your home then 45 days prior to that date a 40% payment is due. When the logs are delivered the remaining 50% is due, and it has to be paid with a certified or cashiers check. The trucks will not unload until they have the check. Freight and tax are an additional cost. The freight is figured at $1.90 per mile per truck with a $600.00 minimum. The tax rate is the rate for the county that you will be building in. We hope this information is helpful for you in understanding how we work here at Overland Trails Heritage Log Homes. Please don’t hesitate to ask us for more details on the “buying process”. Thank you for your interest in Overland Trails Heritage Log Homes and we hope we can work with you on your log home project. Sincerely, Overland Trails Heritage Log Homes Ed Grant, President


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