| So you have started the planning process for your | | | | the house being finished may save you time and |
| dream house. You have a lot picked out and you've | | | | money. Find out from a professional pool designer. If |
| picked one of the log cabin house plans that you | | | | you plan on having any solar in the yard to heat the |
| loved. You know how the house will be situated on | | | | pool or Jacuzzi then you should also incorporate that |
| the lot because you knew how you wanted it to | | | | so it can tie in easily. |
| face so you could get the best south sun in the | | | | In order to plan well for the landscaping you need to |
| winter and the least hot sun in the summer. You've | | | | do some tasks. One would be to determine the |
| picked out all of the environmentally friendly materials | | | | traffic patterns of the new home. Where are the |
| to use so you are comfortable in a toxic free house | | | | walkways, the entryways, the driveways, where is |
| and you have the dream house wired for technology. | | | | the shade and where would it make sense to have |
| It will turn on the lights when you want and turn off | | | | shade? Track the sun to see where it is during the |
| the air conditioner when you don't need it. Everything | | | | day and figure out where it will be in the winter and |
| is wonderful so far in your planning stage. | | | | the summer. You'll need this to figure out where to |
| The next step though is just about as important as | | | | put shade trees and where not to have certain |
| what you decided for the interior of the log home | | | | plants. If possible see how the land reacts to water, |
| plans. For those who spend a great deal of their time | | | | especially rain. Do a soil test to determine if you have |
| outside, this part of the planning is extremely | | | | great soil for plants or clay that will make it difficult |
| important. This is the landscape design and it can be | | | | to grow certain plants. Last thing you might want to |
| just as fun and as frustrating as the interior design. | | | | do is draw a small scale model of the property. When |
| There are many options from which to choose and | | | | putting in your drawings of plants remember that |
| some of them must be incorporated in your luxury | | | | many of them will grow so make sure you have |
| house plans. | | | | scale full grown plants to measure where to put |
| If you plan on having a gas grill or fire pit you need | | | | them. Finally take the plans to a nursery and get |
| to plan for that up front. It is much easier to at the | | | | some professional advice if you need it. If you don't |
| very least if not necessary. Another big item that | | | | really have any desire to do the design, hire a |
| needs some fore thought is a pool. To dig it prior to | | | | landscape designer to do all of this for you. |