A New Log Home Is Built For All To See

by Bettyann Kowalski

It is a little like "Abe Lincoln Meets Luke Skywalker". An Iowa City, Iowa, couple is finally realizing their log home dream, but the world is watching while they do it -- via the Internet. If you are planning to build your own log home some day and have access to a computer with a connection to the Internet, it might be a good idea to, yes, "log" onto Margaret and Joost Korpel's home web page (http://www.xroads.net/cabinfever).

What you will find is a hightech building diary written in down home style. It is filled with useful, practical and important information for anyone planning to act as their own general contractor. It's also filled with humor. You see, the Korpels have taken on the project of their lives and are having the time of their lives doing it.

"It's been a lot of fun," Margaret said. "Everyone said it would break up our marriage and we'd end up hating each other. It's been a blast."

As Joost tells it on a page he's entitled It's a Wonderful Life!, "I have always dreamed of moving to Alaska, buying a small acreage (say, 200-300 acres) and building a log cabin with materials found on the land.... Oddly enough, most of my girlfriends refused to have anything to do with me after I explained this marvelous outdoor life I had envisioned. Go figure. One young lady was not scared off by the thought of living in a wood shack and raising nine children in a compIete wilderness. That wonderfully free-spirited lady later became my wife, Margaret."

The couple settled in Iowa, not Alaska and the cabin has become a 2,400 sq. ft. Wilderness log home that was modified by Margaret's brother-in-law, Dave Porter, a builder in Wheaton, Illinois. And there are just two children, Ian and Hannah.

And the personal dream has become a very public happening. Since the Cabin Fever web page made its public debut on May 22, the site has had well over 2,400 "hits."

Working with a graphic artist, Joost set up his first web site for his job as geological information specialist in the Geological Survey Bureau for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. With friends and relatives scattered all over the country and the world, and all curious about the Korpels' building project, Joost decided to create a web page of his own -- just to keep in touch.

A friend with an Internet provider business worked with Joost on the project. It was quid pro quo -- the Korpels got a beautiful web page and the friend had a new site to show prospective clients.

The friends and relatives do indeed keep track of the building progress, but people searching for log home links, or simply by accident, have stumbled on the site. Perfect strangers started leaving notes in the site's "guest book", and the Korpels started receiving e-mail messages as well.

Some people just wanted to let the Korpels know how much they appreciated the site. Others asked for advice.

One read: "We just bought an existing log home in upstate New York. I am looking for info on how to take care of the logs. The previous owner put some sort of oil-based stain on the logs. There is some dry rot. I'm working with chinking for the first time too. Any suggestions for online discussion groups or books to read ?"

Another said: "My wife and I are excited to build our log home. We have just started the footers and so we have quite a ways to go. We have a great log home contractor. The original excavator did a horrible job (off 8-l0" from level) and so on a Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. the contractor was able to get another excavator out to make the pad level so that the crews could start forming up the next day. Impressive. Wish us luck."

Still another added: "We're considering buying a log home here in Kansas but have heard that it's difficult to get financing for one. Also, what does it take to replace a rotten log in an already built log home? Hope to hear from you soon!"

Although Joost doesn't consider himself an expert by any stretch of the imagination -- "I'm just a guy building my first log home," he says -- he does try to help those who ask technical questions, either by his own experience or by steering them to the right resource.

People going through similar experiences are apt to feel a kinship with the Korpels and the fact that Joost writes at a personal level and with humor frees others to write that way as well. "It's like 'Chicken Soup for the Soul,'" he said.

People calling up the web site will find diary entries that are updated as often as possible, photographs, tips on how to avoid pitfalls, sub-contractor agreement forms, the Korpel home plans and budget, and even a copy of a letter sent to the couple's banker explaining why they thought the log home appraisal was "ridiculously low."

The appraisal was approximately 70 percent of the value of the home and land, Joost maintains. The couple had to take out a home equity loan on their present home to make up the difference.

"A log home from Wilderness is virtually a hand-crafted custom built home and comparing it to a conventional prefab or spec home of the same square footage is like comparing a Toyota Corolla to a Lexus, " Joost wrote.

He went on to list the home's components and their higher comparative value to those used in conventional housing.

The letter didn't have an effect on the appraisal and Joost feels that appraisers need more education about log homes. Making the pamphlet "Appraising Log Homes" required reading for all appraisers would be a step in the right direction, he feels. The pamphlet was compiled by Jim Cooper, author of Log Homes Made Easy (and an LHDI columnist), and published by the National Association of Home Builders Log Homes Council.

Log Homes Made Easy is invaluable to the Korpels' project. Not only did it help them make decisions about the home itself, it provided a blueprint for organization. Organization, Joost feels, is the key to the entire building project, especially when it comes time to approach the bank for a loan. "You're selling your management skills," Joost said.

When you're acting as your own general contractor, Joost found, bankers are most comfortable dealing with people who they feel are capable of taking a project from beginning to end. The borrower's time management, organizational and people skills must be apparent.

The fact that Joost and Margaret have designated assignments, that they have relaxed personalities to begin with and they are exceptionally organized helps immensely. "If little things bother you, don't do it (act as your own general contractor)," Joost cautioned.

Living in the Midwest is also a plus when dealing with sub-contractors, the Korpels believe. "It may be a provincial view, but you can generally trust people here,'' Joost said. With 14 sub-contractors working for them, "we haven't had a bad one yet," he added.

Trusting the sub-contractors' judgement is important throughout the process. Joost has learned that when a builder or sub-contractor scratches his head after Joost makes a suggestion, it's the universal symbol that it's time to ask the expert for his opinion -- it's generally correct. And, it could end up saving money in the long run.

When it was time to level the fill inside the foundation, a skid loader had to be lowered by crane into the hole. Once the fill was leveled Joost was set to hire the crane operator again to take the skid loader out. The skid loader operators, however, devised a plan to build a ramp up to the 5' 11" patio door opening and drive the 5' wide Bob Cat out. It made Joost nervous, but "no guts, no glory," he wrote. The operation saved the Korpels another $115 crane bill.

The Korpels estimate that they spend around 15-20 hours a week handling the job of being general contractors. They spend about 5-10 hours at the site itself. Mainly, they're out there to take pictures of the progress -- for themselves and the web page.

Two semi-trucks of logs from Wilderness Log Homes were delivered on July 16, an exciting event for everyone. Joost and Margaret were there to capture it on film.

Joost estimates that the family will occupy their new log home by Oct. 1. Margaret is holding out for Sept. 1. Whenever moving day is for the Korpels, you can be sure that they will share the event with all their new friends on the Internet. It'll be one heck of a big house warming party.

    Copyright 1996, Log Home Design Ideas.