Building New vs Buying

Building New vs. Buying Old: Weighing the Pros and Cons

If living in a log or timber home is your desired destination, there are two potential paths to get there: You can buy a pre-existing log home or you can build new. While buying an older log cabin comes with a perk or two (namely, you can move in sooner rather than later), when you line up the pros and cons, building a brand-new log, timber, or hybrid home with Ward Cedar Log Homes beats buying a pre-existing home every time, if we do say so ourselves.

But don’t just take our word for it. Check out three stand-out differences between buying new vs. old.

Factor #1: Longevity

Buying new with Ward: You know what you’re getting. The quality of our logs and construction system, known as the Comfort 5 System, hasn’t changed in decades. Every home we build is constructed with air-dried cedar and features a drip edge, tongue and groove joinery and Perma-Chink Energy Seal exterior caulking to ensure your home is air-tight and protected against the elements. Ward log homes are legacy homes built to last, and each one comes with a 20-year warranty that covers all log components against structural defects.

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Buying old: When buying a pre-existing cabin, you can’t be sure of the quality of the logs or construction system you’re inheriting. Logs that look solid to the eye now can be prone to problematic checking or cracking over time and — most importantly — air and water intrusion that may not be noticeable until it causes serious problems down the road.

Factor #2: Maintenance

Buying new with Ward: Because all of your mechanical systems, including plumbing, electrical and heating, will be up-to-date, and your building materials will come from quality manufacturers you can trust, like Andersen® Windows and Therma-Tru® Doors, hands-on maintenance will be at a minimum. The only thing you’ll have to worry about is how to spend your leisure time.

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Buying old: Older log cabins typically come with older mechanical systems and building materials. In addition to the financial burden of repairing worn-out mechanical systems and replacing older building materials when they fail, you’ll want to consider the cost to your time and mental energy. When you buy old, your log home lifestyle may quickly include the hassle of dealing with a leaky faucet or trouble-shooting a faulty HVAC system.

Factor #3: Lifestyle

Buying new with Ward: Each one of our plans embraces today’s modern lifestyles, with open-concept layouts that encourage gathering and plenty of energy-efficient windows that usher in natural light and create a sense of spaciousness. Easy access points to the outdoors expand interior living space and promote an indoor-outdoor lifestyle, proven to boost well-being. Choose from one of our dozens of pre-existing plans — with modifications to suit your family’s wants and needs — or let us draw up a totally custom plan just for you.

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Buying old: There is a certain charm of an older log cabin, but the fact is, many older log homes are not built for today’s lifestyles. Often, in older log homes, interior walls partition off the kitchen from the living and dining area, creating a cramped feel and restricting gathering, while smaller windows limit natural light and reduce sight lines to the outdoors. Most importantly, when you buy an existing log home, you are buying a layout that was suited to someone else’s family, with little room for adapting the design to your needs.

Ready to embrace a log home lifestyle in a quality built home designed with your family’s wishes in mind? We can help you get started today on your new log or timber home today.