"I have a vision" in the words of that famous man.................. who founded SpecSavers.

That one day, housing, as we know it, will be totally unaffordable and the human race will need to look in other directions than concrete and steel, bricks and mortar, stone and cement.
Already, the enlightened are building from logs, structurally insulated panels, steel-frame, timber-frame, light aerated concrete block, straw homes, wattle and daub not to mention, mobile homes and park homes. And amazingly enough, some of the aforementioned date back past Roman times and some before that.

With the advent of Huf Houses and Park Homes the discerning buyer has something else to choose from rather than traditional building methods. And they have gone for it big time and are living happily ever after.

Today’s modern building methods and legislation applying to compulsory solar hot water systems and insulation have opened up a whole new market. In the UK now for instance there are over 2000 ‘campsites for Park Homes, most have a Log Cabin section set aside for Log Cabin lovers.

Here is where the future lies in property…….Build it And They Will Come. These are not loose words as there are Steel-Frame homes worldwide as there are Log Cabins and every other form of the aforementioned building methods. This is not a Field of Dreams.

…………………And the vision is to get a group together, a group with some financial clout (I’ll organise the land) and together we'll talk about building a Holiday Park and a Retirement Park in alternative building methods.

If you feel you have anything to contribute towards this vision, let me know.

Do log cabins keep their value like a concrete house does? I have 2 homes in Spain, one in the country and one near the beach - my next door neighbour in the campo has a wooden house, it looks lovely from the outside - it sits on a concrete base.

I have always wondered about cockroaches and other animals such as the "carpenter bee" that like to set up home in wood - drilling holes to make a nest. Is this a common issue with a wooden house, or is there treatment required yearly to prevent this?

Interesting questions and I can only pass on knowledge I have picked up over the years on the subject of timber homes.
In the case of log cabins and keeping its value, there is no real reason why it should diminish in value. I would dispute its a diminishing asset but a lot depends on where it is and what it is.
You do'n't get Huf Houses getting cheaper over the years. Now a 'Shed' may well go down in value but if you look at some of these 'Wood' houses they are spectacular both in design and siting.
Wood is a great insulator, concrete is not, thats why houses are built in wood in all cold countries. and in those countries pine grows slowly. In northern canada and Russia it takes years for a tree to get fully mature, it grain is as tight as Mahogany and is regarded as a 'hardwood' yet a pine grown on the equator will reach maturity a lot earlier and certainly is a softwood.
You don't find many infestations in hardwood and all timber would be tanalised and treated for insect infestment anyway.
Finally, wooden homes look great on short stilts to keep them off the ground (concrete) with a wrap around balcony complete with pool or Jacuzi no need to enlarge carbon footprints with concrete slabs.

If the house is used for rentals and creates an income whilst unoccupied by the owners, it becomes a business and if rental occupancy is high, its the business thats for sale. Example. A cabin costing 100k in theory may well yeild 20k a year. 5 years down the line you're in clover and rents do rise. Especially on beach and golf course areas.

Hi Lena

Thanks for your reply and no Huf houses don't appear to lose value - I have not seen one in person but watched Grand Designs and have been amazed at how quickly they are erected and how nice they look afterwards.

I think I will have to get friendly with the neighbours so I can be nosey

Interesting post

Hi Ownerinvest,

This thread believe or not is being oggled by a guy in Pula (hello Danko) in Croatia on the Adriatic, its opposite Venice. He has a stack of land out there and is making his own style of Park Home Istraway.hr

amazing eh!

I have noted your "vision" and I am most interested. I am operations director for a UK based Timber Frame manufacturer with a base nr Malaga. We supply/erect anywhere in Europe and have erectors/engineers/designers resident in Spain. Our main aim has been to develop eco embracing, affordable housing with the latest technology built in and all our products meet the requirements of Eurocode 5. I know we can supply at a very competitive prices and can build up to 7 floors high. If I, or my staff can be of any assitance to you or you need any technical input please contact us. We also have a selfbuild website with a lot of information on MMC - if you want details please contact me, as I am not sure if I am allowed to post commercial details on this forum.

Chris in Spain