Modular log cabins are the kind of cabins you’re picturing right now in your head. They are the kind featured on the covers of picture books about Jeremiah Johnson, and the kind on the Log Cabin Maple Syrup logo. They’re picturesque, popular, and surprisingly quite cheap.
So how much do modular log cabins homes cost? The kit to build a modular log cabin can cost anywhere from $14,000 to $30,000. Kits are sets that a company will ship to you with all the tools and wood you need to build an entire cabin. This cost does not include the furnishings, sinks or cabinets. Modular homes cost 10% to 20% less than traditional homes, as low as $50 per square foot.
So, now the big decision is whether or not you’re going to do anything with this new information. But, as we all know, the price of something is not the only factor you have to take into consideration when buying anything.
There are costs and benefits to weight, and quality to assess. You have to make sure you’re in the right area and that you have the right kind of attitude to make this sort of thing work.
What Defines a Modular Cabin?
A modular home is a home that is not built on site. These tend to be smaller because there is less space than usual when building them.
They also need to be extremely sturdy so they can survive vehicular transport to the site where they will eventually stay. During construction, they are not exposed to the weather at all, so they are generally better quality at the very beginning.
Modular homes are smaller and cheaper than traditionally build homes or cabins. The main difference is the location of the construction site.
Because modular homes are built in a different place than they are eventually set down in, there is a transportation cost associated with the building of the home. Most companies include the transportation cost in with the initial cost.
A modular log cabin is a cabin with obvious, defined logs. In cabins like rustic or hunting cabins, they are made out of flat, treated wood. But in modular log cabins, you can see the large logs used to build the walls of the cabin.
These logs are also treated. You have to use treated wood to build a cabin if you want it to last longer than just that year or season. Treated wood can last longer in the elements and throughout bad weather.
Treated wood also ensures that you will have fewer problems with rodents and other pests that might want to burrow into your wooden walls. What you see as home termite only see as food.
Modular log cabins also typically have a porch. This doesn’t the function outside of being curb appeal, but you’ll find that most modular log cabins have them.
I suppose it is nice to sit on the porch on summer evenings, playing the harmonica and eating peaches. Or maybe that was just something I saw in a movie somewhere.
Modular log cabins, like most cabins, are normally just one floor. The point of a log cabin is to simplify and go back to the basics. You don’t need to build a log mansion.
However, because of modern advances in technology and construction, it is now possible to build a two or even three-story modular log cabin.
Pros and Cons of a Modular Log Cabin Home
Many people chose to go the “modular home” route because it is so much cheaper than having a traditional home built on site. There is another, cheaper way to build houses, and you know them as trailer homes.
Manufactured trailer homes are cheap, but they are a lot lower quality than modular homes.
Manufactured homes are even cheaper than modular homes. They are crazy affordable, but really only work for a small family. My cousins (all six of them) lived with their parents in a double wide for ten years, and just looking at that thing made me feel claustrophobic.
These homes are also limited to only one story, and they don’t have to conform to the same codes that other homes have to conform to. This means that their walls are thinner and the construction is more flimsy in general.
If you live in a manufactured home, get ready for cold winters and horrible wind storms.
Manufactured homes are also only ever leased, meaning you can never own it. Everybody wants to be able to own their own home, it makes them feel responsible and like an adult.
They are also prone to depreciation. They’re hard to add on to and you can never really customize or improve them to fit your needs, or just spruce up whenever you feel like it.
Modular homes, though more expensive, are more valuable in the long run. You can customize them, add on to them, improve them, and really do anything you want.
Because they are treated as an actual house by banks, you can lease it others, mortgage it, and sell it as you please. It’s yours, and it’s an actual house.
Modular homes are also higher quality. They are built out of the weather, so they stay in good condition while they are being built. They are typically finished within six months of starting constructions.
They can be transported almost anywhere on a truck. They have a foundation, and thicker walls, so you are guaranteed a more comfortable, longer lasting living space.
Despite all the pros of having a modular home, there are some cons too. Up front, you’re going to have to pay more for your home than you would if you were just putting a down payment on a conservatively sized traditionally built home.
You’re going to have to pay for the whole shebang in one go, right at the beginning. That’s going to be up to $30,00 out of pocket, in cash, and that’s a little stressful.
However, even though you’re going to be losing a lot all at once at the moment, you’re not going to have to pay for much else the whole rest of the time you own the cabin.
Popular Areas for Modular Cabins
Cabins are most often found in places with mountains. This much should be obvious to you. Have you ever seen a cabin in the middle of an Arkansas swamp? Mostly, the west and the north of the United States are the most popular places.
If you can point to a place on the map where there were mountain men, then you’ll also be pointing to a place where you’re going to find a lot of cabins.
The cabins that most people think of that are deep in the woods or high on a mountain side were most likely built on site. It’s hard to get an entire house up a cliff with just a crane.
Modular cabins are found in less dense wooded areas, or on farmland. Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Pennsylvania, or New York are just a few states in which you will find a lot of cabins.
Because modular cabins have to be transported via a ginormous truck, you’re going to need a place where there is enough room for one to turn around.
Plus, you’re going to need a crane, so you’re going to need a big enough space for that as well
Even though most people like building cabins so that they can find a place to be alone in the woods, you’ll often find cabins in populated areas as well. Far from just functional, cabins are also beautiful and appealing to live in.
Places with a medium-sized population often have the best rates for buying land that you can build on or transport a modular home to.
Related Questions
How much does a hunting cabin cost? A hunting cabin is a small, bare bones cabin, so it is cheaper than a modular home. On average, a hunting cabin will cost about $20,000.
Which companies sell log cabin kits? There are a lot of companies that provide a service where they will build and deliver a modular log cabin home for you, customized for your needs. There are also services that will send a kit to you that you can use to build your cabin yourself.
Battle Creek Log Homes, Southland Log Homes, and Riverwood Cabins are all companies that are widely known as excellent sources for log cabin kits.