The Mystery of Log Home Packages
Mountain Creations Log Homes provides cedar log home packages. One of the most common questions we receive is "what is included in your log home package" and many variations from that. This article attempts to answer many of those log home package or log cabin kit questions many of you may have when considering a log home.
What is included in the LOG HOME PACKAGE OR LOG CABIN KIT?
As many of you research log homes, you will find that no two log home companies include the same components in their log home package or log home kit. This makes it very difficult to compare one log home package to another. Mountain Creations has taken a much simplier approach to this problem. Rather than focus on the log kit price, we like to talk about and provide our customers with the total construction costs to build your cedar log home.
Log Home Packages vs. Log Cabin Kits
Let's first tackle the difference between log home packages and log 
cabin kits. There is no difference between the two. Some companies put together components for your log home and call them packages while the same materials could be called a kit by another company. Kit or Package, Home or Cabin, it's all the same.
Why Do Some Companies Include Windows and Others Do Not?
You have some log home companies that will simply sell you logs for your new home all the way to those companies that include everything from kitchen cabinets, door handles, and interior doors. There is a big gap there between what is offered in a "kit". So, what's the best way to go? Mountain Creations Log Homes feels as though we should provide all of the materials we manufacture or ones that are manufactured to our specifications. These are items that the typical consumer could not obtain from the big box lumber yards. We do not include items like windows and doors in our log home packages as we do not manufacture these items. We would much rather establish a relationship with a major window supplier like Pella and refer our customers directly to a local representative. Otherwise, we would purchase those same windows, establish a profit margin, and then sell them to you for a higher price. Why not go directly to the window manufacturer and purchase your windows with no middle-man and receive factory direct customer service if any issues arise. In addition, due to the relationships Mountain Creations has established with many suppliers, our customers receive General Contractor pricing. This is a better alternative in which you save middle-man profits, have the ability to purchase exactly what you want for your home, and receive factory direct customer service.
Log Home Package Pricing...Can't I just multiply the kit by 3 and have the final cost for the home?
Let's talk log home pricing. Some log home companies will tell you to use a multiplier to establish the final construction cost of your log home. They will say multiply the package price by 2 or 3 and that will be the final cost of your home. This methodology does not work. Each home is unique and requires more effort to arrive at a construction cost for the home. Mountain Creations prefers to use a square footage estimate in calculating the estimated cost 
for construction. Our cedar log homes range from $125 to $150 per square foot to construct. That estimate would include ALL components of the home down to flooring, appliances, and kitchen cabinets. The larger the home, typically, the less the home costs to build per square foot. How can that be? Well, there are certain costs associated with each home. Let's use a zero-clearance fireplace as an example. The same fireplace will most likely be used in the 1,000 square foot home as the 2,000 square foot home. If that item costs $5,000, that amount will affect the price of the smaller home much more than the larger home. As a result, the larger the home, the less you will pay per square foot. Other factors affecting the overall cost of the home would include items like decks and porches. Those are not calculated in the square footage of the home, but they are certainly a component of the log home.
What's Included In The Mountain Creations Log Home Package?
For a complete list of materials included in our Log Home Package, please refer to our Standard Materials List page. Mountain Creations includes all of the specialty components needed to construct your log home. We include the log wall system and all of the specialty items needed for the log wall construction, exposed beam 2nd floor system, exposed beam roof system with Energy Star rated insulation panels with fasteners, design services and CAD blueprints, construction manual and on-site assistance if required, and cedar tongue & groove to cover ALL of your interior partition walls. This is important because many cedar log home companies will offer Pine for the interior walls as this is a cheaper item for them to include. Mountain Creations is a solid cedar log home company that proudly supplies Northern White Cedar standard for our 2nd floor, roof system, porch roof system, decking, and interior wall covering. This will assist you in a higher appraisal value as appraisers deem our log homes solid cedar homes rather than just a typical log home. This will increase your investment from day 1.
Building a log home can be a wonderful experience with the proper resources. Mountain Creations can guide you through each phase of constructing your cedar log home. Don't let packages and kits confuse you. The Mountain Creations Family can help make this a smooth and easy process. Call and speak with a representative today and find answers to all of our log home questions.