Cozy Log House in a Peaceful Setting - Wait Till You See The Fireplace!

This beautifully handcrafted log house built by Amish builders has a great partial view of Mt Rainier.

This three bedroom, 2 and 3/4 bathroom cabin building brings in a lot of light, showing off a grand entryway with vaulted ceilings, and a serene park-like setting in the back yard. This is a fully maintained turnkey log home with lots of features including an open kitchen, stone fireplace, custom wood windows, a large outdoor deck with mountain views and an open balcony overlooking the entry. This stunning log house is for sale and priced at $569,950. Shop Tiny Homes

Designing and building your vacation cabin building is another way to get the wood cabin that best suits your family's lifestyle and needs.

There are several steps you can take when considering your cabin building to get the wood cabin design of your dreams. Properly planning your wood cabin will also save you time and money throughout the log house build, and be on your way to realizing your beautifully designed log home.

To start, you want to choose a building site on your plot of land.

You can begin planning as soon as you purchase your plot. Study the site to determine the best spot to locate your log house. Hire a civil engineer or a land surveyor to help prepare a site plan that shows the property lines, building setbacks, the easements and rights of way, along with the location of trees, ponds, streams, roads and buildings on adjacent sites. You will need this information to properly locate a septic system, plan a walkout basement or position a swimming pool. Using a photocopy of your site plan, you can keep track of your property's natural features. You want to note its topography, the sun's orientation, the best views and existing tree cover. If possible, it's a good idea to visit the site at various times of the day and during all of the four seasons. You can plant stakes and string to map out the boundaries of your log house and to help you visualize the size and layout of your design. Bring a ladder with you when you go and stand on it so you can get a good idea of what the views from the windows will be. Then take photos of your building lot and house site.

Once you have a good idea of how you can site your log house to take full advantage of its location, you can brainstorm with your family to come up with a list of features that you want in your dream log house design.

List the activities that each family member does at home, both as a group and alone. You want to think about what makes a house a home for you and your family. Think about whether or not you need a formal dining room, a home office, a workshop and more. You also want to consider how you entertain, both indoors and out. Think about how many bedrooms and baths you need, and where you will eat most of your meals and how many people will usually eat together. By properly planning your wood cabin you will have a vacation home that best suits your lifestyle and needs, and will hopefully save you money too.