A cosy and luxurious log cabin can bring a lot of joy into your life and your garden. A log cabin could also improve the value of your property or provide you with a means to generate income if you decide to let it out to holidaymakers during the summer months.

However, building a log cabin can be a complex task, and should not be underestimated. The good news is that there are affordable log cabins for sale which can be self-assembled without the need for having to get too technical with designs or plans. Log cabin kits are a great way to get the cabin you deserve without having to worry about sourcing materials, either - simply follow the instructions and enjoy a wonderful log cabin in next to no time!

Of course, there are several things to consider before purchasing a log cabin kit. This is what you’ll need to think about before you start building your new cabin:

1) Are you abiding by local authority regulations?

To avoid trouble with your local planning authority or headaches with the neighbours, it’s a good idea to find out whether you’ll need planning permission for a log cabin before you begin any construction work. You may need to look at the development information for your property, which you should be able to obtain from your local council planning department. Many log cabin kits are designed to meet planning criteria, which means in most circumstances you won’t require planning permission.

2) Are your foundations solid?

Before you begin assembling your log cabin, you’ll want to ensure that you’re building on solid ground. Ensure that the foundations for your structure are level and flat before you start construction. Ensure that your foundation beams and wall beams are all correctly placed, any base which isn't level, solid or badly made can put  strains on your log cabin. This can in effect increase the chance of bulking, warping and split/strain on the logs. It is best to make sure the base is completely level.

3) Will you need assistance?

While it's possible to build cheap log cabins for under £4,000 without needing much in the way of manual labour, it’s worth considering the complexity of the task at hand. It’s likely that you’re going to need help lifting and positioning the wooden beams used to construct your log cabin, so it might be worthwhile asking friends and family if they’d like to pitch in. You might find it easy to entice people with a free stay - after all, who could resist a weekend in a log cabin in exchange for having helped assemble it?

4) Will you need to register as a business?

If you’re intending on using your log cabin for commercial purposes, it’s likely that you’ll have to register your business endeavour with HMRC. You’ll be expected to pay income tax on any revenues if you decide to let your log cabin out on sites like Airbnb.

5) Will your log cabin need gas and electricity?

If you’re intending on powering your log cabin, you’re going to have to give some thought as to how you’re going to do this – will solar power suffice, or will you have to connect it to the mains? Will you use LPG or electric to heat your cabin? What about water? It’s worthwhile putting plans in place for amenities prior to beginning construction, as it’s a lot easier to get things right the first time than it is to retrospectively amend your cabin to accept power/fuel from other sources.

If you’ve got any other questions about building a log cabin, why not contact us today? A member of our friendly and experienced team will be more than happy to answer your queries.