You’ve got big plans for building your dream home, whether it be a log cabin, timber home or hybrid, but where do you begin and what can you expect along the way? Follow along with our step-by-step guide, detailing every aspect of the new home construction process, from prepping your property to move-in day.

The wood interiors of a log or timber home offers endless appeal. Often, their beauty is paralleled only by the scenery surrounding them. Feeling immersed in nature while still being surrounded by the comforts of home is what log home living is all about, and that’s why Ward Cedar Log Homes offer plenty of plans that make indoor-outdoor living effortless.

Check out these three plans with great indoor-outdoor connections, from generous porches and covered decks to second-story balconies:
 

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.

Just about every morning for the past 58 years, Adrian Atkins has woken up surrounded by the warmth and rugged charm of his Ward cedar log home. Adrian’s love for the Ward brand began when he was still in high school in the early 1950s. “My dad, a building contractor, took us to where they were making the logs,” he recalls. “It took us all day to tour the place, and I fell in love with it.” After becoming a civil engineer, Adrian also took on the title of Ward representative. In 1964, he built a five-bedroom Ward home to share with his wife and three children. (With open cathedral ceilings and the primary bedroom on the main, the design was ahead of its time.)

Ah, spring. It’s all about new beginnings, which means there’s no better time to give your log home a freshening up. Just like the interiors of your home get a boost from a spring cleaning, the exterior of your log, timber, or hybrid home benefit from a little extra attention, too.

Most homeowners admire the exterior of their homes often but from afar — say, when pulling up to the house or doing yard work — but performing an intentional visual inspection of your logs and timbers is important to keep them in tip-top condition. The warmer weather that spring brings makes it an ideal time to perform an annual once-over of your logs.

Here are three common log home threats to look out for (plus an action plan!) as you ready your log home for spring: