Planning Your Timber Frame Home

If you are anything like my husband and myself we dreamed of building our timber frame home for MANY years before we actually built ours in 2005. Dreaming about it is the easy part. Starting the planning process is somewhat harder. Planning IS work. The old adage 'failing to plan is planning to fail' has some merit, as do most old adages.  The more research you do ahead of time - the easier it will  be in the long run. 

There will be a series of postings on this blog pertaining to this topic over the next few weeks and months. Remember you can post your input here or email me with questions you may have at Cabin Creek Timber Frames .



I have gathered  some questions for you to consider-  things to ask and answer yourself - before you can realistically begin your planning process.  Be honest with yourself it will make it easier for you in the long run. I'm a notebook fan, consider keeping all your notes and clippings in a BIG notebook or a computer file. 

• Do you know WHERE you will be building your timber frame home?
•  What is your budget? ______________ Be realistic with yourself now.

• What qualities does the property have that may affect your choice of a timber frame plan? How does the land lie?

• Are there any features you wish to emphasize such as a stream, lake site, waterfalls, a distant view, a sunny garden spot, unusual plants, specimen trees, boulders or rock formations, etc.  
•  Is the land FLAT?

• Is the land SLOPING?

• Is the land STEEP? 

These questions will help you consider where to place the entrance of your timber frame home. You do NOT have to always have the entrance on the 'ground floor