Tom and Emilia Mason wanted a weekend home near relatives. After eight years in China for Tom’s job, Emilia wanted to reconnect with her grandchildren. She had a piece of family land cleared for a home near her relatives.  It was the beginning of a home building experience. While visiting Tom’s granddaughter who had an Ulrich cabin, Tom was impressed by the craftsmanship. The Masons made an appointment to tour model homes at the Ulrich Cabin Builders sales lot. Within five minutes of walking into the first model cabin, the Masons felt comfortably at home, convinced they also wanted an Ulrich cabin. Sales associate Chris Fenn patiently guided the Masons as they worked through customizing their 32×44 Moose Creek Cabin, explaining possible options. Emilia has a large family, so she wanted a large living room and space for a big dining table. “Porches are one of my favorite things. I love my porches,” she says. Tom does the cooking and wanted a big, custom kitchen. “Chris was great to work with all the way through,” Tom says. “The customer care that Ulrich provides is beyond anything that a normal contractor would even think about. Ulrich has done everything we’ve asked.”  Ulrich strives to provide a better home building experience. While the Ulrich team was building the porch, Emilia realized she wanted certain details changed. The crew immediately figured out how to accommodate her wishes. “Not only does Ulrich build the product correctly, their sense of pride and the way they handle themselves with their customers is pretty unique,” Tom says. “If something is not exactly right, we’ll discuss it,” finding the best approach to fix it. The Masons say their Ulrich Moose Creek Cabin fits them perfectly. Laughing, they explain, “This is our last home. This is where we’re going to stay.” #MooseCreekCabin #TomandEmiliaMason #WeekendHome

Jim Rolewicz co-owns Scenic Hill Vacations in Brenham, Texas. Jim is no stranger to cabin construction. His company has built twelve cabins on location for their vacation rentals which makes him a cabin expert. When it came time to build a cabin for his personal use, Jim didn’t want to go through the hassle of building a cabin from scratch on his property. He started looking around for cabin builders who offered a prebuilt solution — something he could simply move onto the property, already finished out. He liked what he saw online, and visited our headquarters in Cleburne for a factory tour. He was impressed with the construction quality and attention to detail. Brian Pokrifcsak, our Vice President of Cabin Sales, worked with Jim to customize the windows and interior layout. Rather than selecting a two bedroom cabin, Jim purchased a separate Ulrich cedar cottage to serve as his office and laundry room next door. About three months later, Jim’s new cabin rolled up to his property. Given the recent rain and narrow driveway, getting the cabin into position was a challenge. Our crew persevered, and soon Jim’s cabin was set up and ready to use. Jim wishes they had known about us years ago. It would’ve saved this cabin expert a lot of hassle and headache if they could’ve skipped the on-site construction, and instead had their rental cabins pre-built and delivered. #JimRolewicz #portablelogcabins #finishedoutcabin #logcabinsforsaleintexas #UlrichCabinsforVacationRentals

For Bill and Sheree Williams, Christmas 2019 was special. It was the first Christmas in their Ulrich log cabin. Christmas decor is a big deal for the Williamses. Bill pointed out that the placement of the windows along the front of the cabin was designed specifically to showcase their Christmas tree. Sheree has a flair for interior design, and she transformed the interior of the cabin into a “Hallmark” cabin, replete with lights, her collection of Santa figurines, and a tree that brushes the ceiling. On the outside, Santa waves beside the front door, and lights wrap the rustic cedar porch railings. Bill also outlined the roof in multi-colored lights. Situated on 20 acres, the cabin looks across a scenic valley. The front and back porches offer a great view of beautiful sunsets. The Williamses are very pleased with the energy efficiency of their cabin. Their cabin is the Ulrich Moosecreek 101, a 32×44 cabin. At 1,400 square feet, the cabin is the perfect size for Bill, Sheree, and their dogs. The Williams’s love their cabin. While they did need warranty work on their cabin, they are pleased that we took our warranty commitment seriously. They continue to recommend Ulrich Cabins to their friends. #BillandShereeWilliams #ChristmasCabin

Bill and Brenda Piganelli spend their workdays serving people as a firefighter and as a Family Nurse Practitioner. During time off, they enjoy spending time in the country caring for their livestock and pets on their 12-acre mini ranch. Some years ago they purchased a small Ulrich Barn Builders cabin so they could stay on the land over weekends. Eventually, they decided to move to the ranch permanently in order to better care for their animals and enjoy more time outdoors. The Piganellis wanted the cabin built more quickly than regular contractors could. They toured the Ulrich Barn Builders lot, then spent several years dreaming over house plans for their mini ranch. “When we met with the salesperson, it was a breeze. We got all our options, the way we wanted all our rooms to be,” Brenda said. Bill and Brenda were happily surprised by how individualized the Ulrich cabin could be. They chose a 28×42 Moose Creek Cabin, eliminating the hallway and one closet, swapping out a desk in the kitchen for more cabinets, and modifying the bathroom. “We always wanted a log cabin, but not necessarily the log look,” Bill said. Because Ulrich Barn Builders can customize any building, the Piganellis were able to get the cabin feel with cedar wainscot on the bottom half of the walls, with pine for the upper half and the ceiling. The couple was surprised at how fast Ulrich was able to build and deliver their new cabin. They were also impressed with Ulrich’s service. After the cabin was delivered, they found a few glitches with the electricity. These were quickly resolved when one of the Ulrich electricians stopped by on his way home from work the same day to fix the issues. The cabin is angled on a rise so the Piganellis can enjoy the view for miles out over the valley. “We’re just real excited about living here,” Brenda says. #BillandBrendaPiganelli #countrycabin #miniranch

Les Guyse and his wife Cathy built a house in the quiet, peaceful community of The Orchards on the Brazos River near Cleburne, Texas. They planted a salsa garden with several varieties of tomatoes and peppers, which Les spends a lot of time tending. He needed a shed for his garden tools and equipment. They chose to visit the Ulrich Barn Builders lot because of their good reviews. He and his wife were impressed with the quality and precision of the storage sheds. The Guises’ worked with sales associate Westin Ulrich to customize a shed for their needs. Les says Westin was knowledgeable, never pushed to make a deal, and was clear about expectations. The Guises’ chose a 12×20 Premier Portable Garage, the perfect size to house their three mowers and a small garden tractor. The garage was custom painted to match the siding and trim of their house. Due to the size of the shed, it was built onsite. About the building crew, Les says, “There’s nothing about the shed that I was unhappy about. They were quick, efficient and kind.” The building crew did exactly what they said they would do. Because the area is sandy, the garage later shifted. Ulrich quickly came back out and releveled the building. The Guises’ added a Texas star to the gable end of the garage. They plan to add racks and storage for garden tools that they use in their salsa garden. About his experience with Ulrich, Les says, “If you want a good shed, quality materials, you know where to go.” #LesGuyse #SalsaGarden #PremierPortableGarage

Why would a retired English professor want a she shed? If you think it has something to do with a writer’s place, you’re correct. Many women are finding it’s much easier to relax and enjoy their hobbies when they’re not inside their home. Toni Howell is no exception. She loves having a place that’s uncluttered, and away from all the things that “should” be done in her home. Toni enjoys writing and aspires to build a body of published work. She’s already written a novel that she hopes to publish. While she already spends 1-2 hours most days in her Ulrich writer’s cabin, she hopes to bump that up to 4-5 hours, allowing her to make some serious progress on her writing projects. When Toni and her husband Lee saw this cabin shell at our retail store in Cleburne, TX, they knew right away that this was the one. The interior is roughly 12×12 ft, and the porch adds another 4 ft for a total size of 12×16 ft. It’s our Retreat, with heavy duty framing and a loft area above the porch. The Howell’s added insulation, sheetrock, and lighting to convert it from a shell into a finished studio for Toni’s artistic pursuits. A porch light and potted plants give it that extra pop on the exterior. Inside, Toni has a wicker chair for relaxing with a book, and a writing desk for her laptop. The three windows allow generous natural light, and the air conditioner keeps it pleasant during the summer. Thanks for your business, Toni! We wish you many happy hours of writing and great success with your projects! #ToniHowell #Writerssheshed #RetreatCabinShell

Pavan Mula grew up on a farm in India and prefers country life to the city. He found a property, away from his job and where his family could enjoy nature and he can make sure all the stress is gone. Although he looked online at several cabin companies closer to home, they would not show him the building process. The first time Pavan visited Ulrich Cabin Builders and toured the factory, he fell in love with the Ulrich cabins. He toured a model cabin which had the floor plan he wanted and a loft area which his children love. He says, “It didn’t take me long to make a decision to buy an Ulrich cabin.” The factory tour sealed the deal for him. At Ulrich, Pavan observed, “They have the confidence to show what they’re doing—not just the end product, but the process. That shows the confidence they have about their own work.” Pavan loves the woods on his property and wanted to leave as many of the trees as possible. He was impressed that an Ulrich salesperson made the three-and-a-half-hour drive to look at his property and determine how the 16×52 Homestead Cabin would be delivered and which trees to fell. Once the rain finally stopped, cabin delivery went well. Pavan says, “Those two delivery guys, they are awesome. They know what they are doing.” His daughter Mihika says, “I feel happy and excited to come here!” One weekend the Mulas set up a movie outside for the kids while Pavan was grilling. With friends and family working on projects, making s’mores by the campfire, enjoying a zipline, archery and other sports, he says it is very festive. When he and Sai enjoy hot drinks on the deck in the quiet mornings, he says, “All the stress is gone.” #PavanMula #HomesteadCabin

Barbara Lyons sold her house in New Jersey when she retired. Her son offered her a piece of his property in Leonard, Texas, and took her to Ulrich Cabins to find a safe haven and a cozy home. She chose a 16×38 Bear Lake Cabin with an open living room and kitchen, one bedroom and a bathroom. “I wanted to have a nice little cabin that I could take care of, that I’d be comfortable in, and this fit the bill,” she says. She enlarged the cabin as much as possible. The size is easy to care for, but it’s also big enough for one or two people. They chose a site close enough for the grandchildren to run over, but far enough away for both homes to have privacy. As a retiree, “Instead of actually living with your children, this works out much better,” Barbara says. In the loft, “The grandchildren keep all their toys up there instead of downstairs under my feet,” Barbara smiles. The grandchildren romping through her Ulrich cabin show how solid and well constructed it is. Her days are filled with cross stitch, knitting, playing games with her grandchildren, and practicing piano. Barbara loved that as soon as the cabin was delivered and the utilities were hooked up, she could move right into her Ulrich cabin. The whole process was smooth, with the team at Ulrich taking “care of any problems that did come up.” “I like the all wood look, because wood gives you that warm feeling. The smell of the cedar is very comforting,” Barbara says. “It’s a safe haven for me.” #BearLakeCabin #BarbaraLyons #RetireeCabin

The number of homeowners embarking on renovation projects has increased during the pandemic. In a Houzz report summed up on CNBC, it was revealed that there was a 58% annual increase in project leads for home professionals last year. Indeed, it is now apparent that being stuck at home for prolonged periods of time pushed many homeowners to re-evaluate their living spaces and take on improvement projects to improve their lives at home. But aside from making your home more functional or better suited to your lifestyle, home renovation projects can also increase the overall value of your home. That’s the point we want to focus on here, specifically with regard to adding detached structures. How much will a detached structure add to your home’s overall value? There are a lot of different detached structures that you can add to your home. Essentially, a detached structure is just any permanently installed structure that is separated from your home, but not from your property. Garages, gazebos, and sheds, for instance, are common examples. Naturally, value added depends largely on what sort of structure you wind up building, as well as how large, practical, or well made that structure is. To give a general idea though, numbers show that adding a detached garage adds about 65% of its original value to that of the home during resale. You can expect the added value of other detached structures to fall around the same number, in relative terms. Furthermore, you also have the option of researching what features or functions might be most “in demand” for a given structure, and focus on those to enhance ROI marginally. How to maximize your investment? Building a detached structure is also an investment that comes with risks. If you don’t plan thoroughly, you might ultimately be left with a structure that’s more of a liability than an asset. To make the most out of your home renovation project then, and maximize that ROI down the road, start by thinking about how you can fund your detached structure. There are a lot of ways to finance a home renovation project, but the two options that are usually chosen by homeowners are home equity loans and personal loans. An article on Marcus explains the distinction between the two, with home equity loans typically involving lower interest rates and better terms than personal loans. That said, a home equity loan also demands that you list your home itself as collateral –– meaning that failure to make repayments can result in foreclosure. On the other hand, personal loans have no collateral requirement and can be obtained simply and quickly. Choosing between the two is a matter of personal preference based on financial circumstances and tendencies. But it’s important to decide how you want to finance your renovation project early on, one way or another. Aside from funding, there are also some additional considerations to keep in mind with regard to maximizing your investment. How your location will affect the detached structure, for instance, is definitely worth thinking about. Consider as an example that external garages in areas with harsh winters will need more robust heating systems –– adding to initial cost, but also resale appeal. You should also think carefully about the aesthetic of your detached structure. While it might seem tempting to keep up with the latest design trends, it’s best to choose one that can stand the test of time. A post on Architectural Digest lists some foolproof design trends that can help get you thinking along the right lines, with ideas like subway tiles, exposed brick, and wide-plank oak floors all being potentially applicable to a detached structure. Conclusion All in all, a detached structure can be a great addition to your property if you want to increase its value and gain extra living space at once. It’s an involved project, but a manageable one if you give it proper consideration. For more informative and inspirational posts on detached structures, please feel free to continue exploring our blog here on Ulrich Lifestyle. Article specially written for www.ulrichlifestyle.com By Ashley Royce #HowMuchValueDoesaDetachedStructureAddtoYourHome

Michelle Hill has lots of crafting ideas in her head but not enough room in her house in Eustace, Texas. Her crafting business, Shelle’s Custom Creations, had taken over the house, and she had no room in her kitchen to cook. She needed a craft barn! Michelle and Kyle began to look for a portable craft barn to contain her crafts. They weren’t satisfied with the buildings they saw, until they found the Ulrich website. Kyle was impressed with the manufacturing process and the building materials. Intending only to look, they visited Ulrich’s sales lot in Tyler. Kyle was so impressed, he purchased a 12×24 Rancher cabin shell with lots of windows that same day. He noticed the eave and vent system made a big difference in the temperature in the building. They chose the Rancher because the lofts provide more storage. Kyle finished out the crafting barn himself over the next six months. “She’s never in the house now,” he laughs. Michelle has a central work table, a desk for her computer, and lots of shelving. She makes candles, wreaths, and custom tumblers. Michelle loves spending time in her craft barn, relaxing with music while she works. “It makes me feel good when people get excited about things I made for them,” she says. Moving the crafts to the cabin shell freed up their house for daily living and having guests. “It’s been a good change,” Kyle says. “I’m hard to please,” Kyle says, but he likes their Ulrich cabin shell. “I would buy another one in a minute.” #MichelleHill #RancherCabinShell #CraftBarn

Mike Lackey’s garage in Blum, Texas was too full. With all their tools and mowers in one stall of the garage, one car was left outside in the weather. The Lackeys chose to invest in a storage shed to protect the car as well as make a good space to organize their tools and mowers. Mike shopped online for a shed, looking at cost and proximity. Having seen videos from Ulrich Barns, they visited the Cleburne location to see inside the storage sheds. Mike was impressed by Ulrich’s 2×6 construction, sturdy floors, and heavy-duty door hardware. The Lackeys chose a 14×28 Premier Gable Cabin Shell, customizing it with taller walls and shed doors on the side. To maximize storage space, they chose to have only two gable windows. They chose metal instead of shingles for a seamless roof. The ceiling is high enough to hang up bikes. They enjoyed visiting the factory when their shed was partly completed. Delivery went very smoothly. For now, Mike is using the storage shed to store lawn tools and supplies, not for a shop. With the doors open, they have room to use the shed as a sitting area where they enjoy iced tea or hot coffee. The vents in the roof keep the temperature regulated even in a Texas summer. They’ve added skirting and encircled the shed with a gravel bed and planted Texas sage and nandina bushes. “We got our money’s worth with Ulrich,” Mike says. “This is what we wanted. This is the way I wanted it built. We’re still enjoying it, three years after we bought it.” #MikeLackey #lawnandtoolstorageshed #UlrichRancher

Pat and Linda Tucker bought a property at Old Bowie Lake so they could spend time with their children enjoying the water. Since the existing cabin was in bad shape, they tore it down. Visiting Ulrich Cabins, Pat and Linda fell in love with the log cabin style and wanted it for their lake house. Pulled between several cabin designs, they needed a cabin to fit between their property lines. They wanted a loft for play space as well as extra sleeping space when their children’s friends visited. The Tuckers morphed several Ulrich cabin styles into one till they got what they were looking for. Nearing completion, the building foreman suggested a full length covered front porch. The porch has added a lot to their living space. The loft and porch are Linda’s favorite parts of the cabin, “the icing on the cake,” Pat says. A 16×42 cabin is the perfect size for the Tucker family, giving them a bigger bedroom. Ulrich cabin designer Chris Fenn offered helpful suggestions for various finishes and the location of the stairs. Pat says designing the cabin was an easy process, and “we got exactly what we wanted.” The Tucker children have grown up at the lake, where the family reads, goes paddle boating, and grills out. Linda laughs, “Everything tastes better here!” Now they’re looking forward to sharing the cabin with their grandson. Spending their weekends at their Ulrich lake house cabin gives them time to rest and connect as a family. Pat says,  “We come up here and get our batteries recharged.” #16x42cabin #PatandLindaTucker #LakeHouse #Bigporchcabin