Log home Advise Needed

My brother is considering building a log home as his site is located beside woodland. Have had a look at some sites that you can buy the house as a kit or a have it built, does anyone have any recommendations? Should he consider buying it abroad if he decides to go the kit route? Also need some advise as to how to go about finding an architect to design it or would a normal architect do? Also should he expect problems with planning? He is based in Meath.

Built a log home last year and got it from Finland. The company we dealt with had a brochure of house plans which you could modify to suit yourself. You could also come up with your own design and they'd do it for you. Planning was the same but I'm in Waterford. Would you be better off getting it imported from USA because of the dollar?

Read this excellent blog about the trials and tribulations of a guy building one prefabricated in Finland. It's quite long, but very funny in places and well worth the effort.

http://www.stevecarter.com/build/build.htm


I wish I had that site

Im my experience where these log cabins run into difficulty is when the client needs a mortgage to pay for it....
In order for a mortgage to be taken out on a property it must be shown, by certification by a qualified professional, that the structure complies to building regulations.
These log homes are generally non-irish, therefore are constructed to different building regulations... therefore it is almost impossible to get a professional to 'certify' them..... therefore no mortgage given, therefore no log home....

I have seen plenty on my travels throughout ireland, so either the clients:
1. payed for it without a mortgage,
2. the system is certified to comply with irish building regulations,
3. a professional certified that it complies to regulations (unlikely),
4. the mortgage was given without need for certification (unlikely),

My only advise is to do plenty of homework before putting in any order...

He'll probably do this anyway but ... make sure to check with the planners to see what they think of log homes, before putting in the planning application. Our architect had a chat with Cork CC and they wouldn't let us build a log home, because of where our site is - open field. Means we've had to re-think , but at least we hadn't put in the application.

M

Hi NickyK, what company did you use and would you recommend them? Did you use their architect or did you have your own? Yeah he is considering the US but will have to look into transport costs first.

He has arranged a pre planning meeting so fingers crossed they wont have a problem.