Part One
The Property
After looking at many parcels of land on which to build their dream home, our showcase 2007 homeowners discovered this lot while on vacation in northern Wisconsin. A newly developed subdivision offered lots for sale on the lake where they vacationed with their family. There were many attractive properties in the development, but they fell in love with one particular lake lot that had towering hardwoods, ferns and giant boulders that they wanted to incorporate into their landscaping. What made this property the most attractive, however, was that it was positioned between two lakes. They knew that this was the place to build their dream home. There were a number of great features about this location, but the most obvious was that it has views of two lakes; the large lake has 412 acres on which boaters can ski or wakeboard and an unnamed lake of about 5 acres, perfect for fishing. The property has xxx’ of frontage on the large lake and xxx’ of frontage on the small lake. Needless to say, the views are incredible. This perfect northwoods retreat property is secluded and private, yet the amenities of civilization are just minutes away. This brand new subdivision has blacktop road, natural gas, electric and cable utilities. A new hospital and cardiac clinic located 1 mile down the road, many retail stores, restaurants and a YMCA facility are very near as well.
Buying the land
It is always a good idea to put in your offer to purchase, a contingency that the lot must first “perk out” for a conventional septic system. A mound septic system will cost more and you may have to negotiate further based upon the perk test results. This does not apply to lots that have city sewer and water.
It’s a good idea to always have a lawyer represent you when you purchase land. Remember, the realtor is working for the seller and their best interest. Your lawyer represents you and your best interest and will be sure that everything is good from a legal perspective.
Budget
Of course the excited future homeowners wanted to design their home to enjoy the view from every room of the house with many large windows. They started by getting a ballpark price from Golden Eagle Log Homes and Coffen Construction in Minocqua, Wisconsin. Originally they wanted to build a 10”x 10” full log home. After consulting with the experts at Golden Eagle Log Homes, they realized that because of the massive windows in their design a split log was the best choice for construction. The Golden Eagle split log system uses butt & pass corners cut from full logs, so it is virtually impossible to tell the difference between the split log and full log.
They received a ballpark price from Golden Eagle Log Homes and Coffen Construction and the quote was within their budget. They could proceed with the plan service.
Floor Plan
The plan boasts of window walls on both sides of the house with a prow facing the big lakeside. You can literally see though the first floor from one lake to the other. They designed the home for entertaining a large number of people, keeping in mind a traffic flow pattern from the house to the lake etc. This could very well be someone’s primary residence, however, they are using it as their vacation home. This home has 5 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths and main floor laundry room.
The main level has an open concept to enjoy the lake views from every angle. An open kitchen design has an oversized center island/snack bar that allows for multiple cooks and ample seating. The dining area has a nine foot table that was custom designed for a big family. The view from the great room is unbelievable, and has a wood-burning fireplace with raised hearth. The master suite has a large walk in closet, patio doors which lead to a private deck. The master bath has double vanity sinks and a six foot soaking tub. The loft level has a comfortable seating area and a guest bedroom suite, which rivals the main level master suite. The views are even more incredible from the loft level.
The lower level basement has 9’ ceilings and two walkout patio doors. It is completely finished with in floor heat. The upper levels are heated with forced air natural gas. The basement level has a gas fireplace, wet bar, hot tub and a pool table. The lower level is where you will find more bedrooms and 1 bathroom.
Special Features
One of the most unique features of this home is the spancrete basement underneath the 3-stall garage for ultimate storage. Both garage and basement levels have in floor heat. The rest of the home is heated with forced air natural gas. There is a whole house sound system and a security system w/ webcam security system, so they can monitor the house from their main home via the internet. There is a Kohler generator to keep things running in case of a power outage. The house has a nice combination of split log, stone, tongue and groove. The home is professionally decorated and has unique faux finish paint techniques with embossed areas on the drywall. There are several hand carved posts and a hand carved mantel in the basement. The basement also has stone wainscoat and split log walls.
