Dreaming of a serene lifestyle in a
natural setting? If so, that flatbed truck
ahead of you on the interstate could be
carrying your next home.
Log homes have long been reputed to
be strong and sturdy, but with large
price tags and lengthy construction estimates.
Now, modular home-building
technology is helping to streamline
the construction process and trim costs.
“ Our sales have been growing every
year,” says Chip Smith, owner of Blue
Ridge Log Cabins Inc. in Landrum, “ and
they were double last year what they were
the year before.”
Smith plans to build a new, 85,000-
square-foot plant adjacent to Blue Ridge’ s
existing facility within six months.
Blue Ridge Log Cabins builds log homes
in a factory setting, then transports the
homes in sections to the owners’ property to
apply finishing touches such as decks,
dormers and porches. Each home is built in
two sections, completely wired and
plumbed by on-staff licensed plumbers and
electricians and upfitted with kitchen and
bathroom appliances and fixtures.
The sections are lifted via crane onto a
truck and then driven to the customers’
property, where a crane lifts each section
into place. The roof is “ flipped up,” the two
sections are joined together by a “ marriage
wall” and the home is ready for occupancy.
Buyers are responsible for their own
foundation and grading work.
“ We can usually have any home up, onsite
and ready for move-in within six
months [from the time of contract],” says
Buddy Parton, Blue Ridge sales representative.
“ The only way the weather affects us
is that we won’ t set a house if it’ s pouring
rain. When we do set a house, we start at
about 8:30 or 9 a.m., and when we leave
that day, the house is completely dry.”
The process also allows Blue Ridge to
construct custom-designed homes comparable
to site-built homes at a fraction of
the cost. Smith refers to Blue Ridge’ s
homes as “ systems-built construction.”
“ We’ re able to control the environment
and be more efficient from a manpower
standpoint and with materials,” Smith says.
“ There’ s nothing prefab about what we do.”
Modular log homes are being marketed
to baby boomers as retirement
homes and to younger buyers who are
eager to enjoy a life more in concert
with nature. It’ s what Smith calls “ the
log home lifestyle,” and he says that
way of life is on the upswing.
LeAnne Carswell, a real estate agent
with The Carswell Group of Keller-
Williams Realty in Greenville, notes that
log homes in general tend to sell for more
per square foot because more work is
involved in the construction phase.
Parton mentions a $150,000 home Blue
Ridge built for a customer that was later
resold for $350,000.
But resale value is not the only concern.
Appearances are important because loghome
buyers typically intend to stay put.
“ Most of the time, they want the land to
put one on – wooded with acreage, with a
view,” says Carswell. “ These people are looking
for getaway places – second homes.”
The thermal conductivity of pine logs
ensures energy efficiency of the finished
homes, a plus considering the location of
most Upstate log homes.
“ In our area, they’ re more toward the
mountains, (S.C.) Highway 11 and above,
and over toward Table Rock,” Carswell says.
Meanwhile, Blue Ridge expects to begin
work soon on a project with the Eastern
Band of the Cherokee Indian Nation that
will involve building more than 200 log
homes. Blue Ridge is the only log home
contractor involved.
“ They’ re making an effort to improve
quality of life up there,” Parton says.
“ We’ re not just helping build homes;
we’ re helping to change lifestyles.”