Plan For Outdoor Comfort Also

So you have started the planning process for your dream house. You have a lot picked out and you've picked one of the log cabin house plans that you loved. You know how the house will be situated on the lot because you knew how you wanted it to face so you could get the best south sun in the winter and the least hot sun in the summer. You've picked out all of the environmentally friendly materials to use so you are comfortable in a toxic free house and you have the dream house wired for technology. It will turn on the lights when you want and turn off the air conditioner when you don't need it. Everything is wonderful so far in your planning stage.

The next step though is just about as important as what you decided for the interior of the log home plans. For those who spend a great deal of their time outside, this part of the planning is extremely important. This is the landscape design and it can be just as fun and as frustrating as the interior design. There are many options from which to choose and some of them must be incorporated in your luxury house plans.

If you plan on having a gas grill or fire pit you need to plan for that up front. It is much easier to at the very least if not necessary. Another big item that needs some fore thought is a pool. To dig it prior to the house being finished may save you time and money. Find out from a professional pool designer. If you plan on having any solar in the yard to heat the pool or Jacuzzi then you should also incorporate that so it can tie in easily.

In order to plan well for the landscaping you need to do some tasks. One would be to determine the traffic patterns of the new home. Where are the walkways, the entryways, the driveways, where is the shade and where would it make sense to have shade? Track the sun to see where it is during the day and figure out where it will be in the winter and the summer. You'll need this to figure out where to put shade trees and where not to have certain plants. If possible see how the land reacts to water, especially rain. Do a soil test to determine if you have great soil for plants or clay that will make it difficult to grow certain plants. Last thing you might want to do is draw a small scale model of the property. When putting in your drawings of plants remember that many of them will grow so make sure you have scale full grown plants to measure where to put them. Finally take the plans to a nursery and get some professional advice if you need it. If you don't really have any desire to do the design, hire a landscape designer to do all of this for you.

As long as you are happy with your log cabin house plans then planning the landscape on the log home plans will be fun. If you choose not to plan the landscaping then get a copy of your luxury house plans to a landscape designer and work with them to create the outside of your dream home.