Just a couple of generations ago, the homes that our grandparents and great-grandparents lived in were often an extension of their farm. Extensive root cellars in the basement for storing produce and enormous pantries to keep canned vegetables were most likely an integral part of every home built in the recent past. In some cases, homes might have been constructed above a barn or shed, essentially combining the barn and the house into one structure. Fast forward a generation or two, and this unique home style might be making an unexpected comeback.
“Barndominums” are one of the quickest growing trends in home styles across the United States. Both practical and aesthetic, this unique home style offers valuable benefits for active homeowners looking to add space for a specific hobby, or business, without constructing a separate physical structure. Below, Rise provides a complete breakdown of the benefits and drawbacks of building your barndominium.
What is a Barndominium?
A barndominium is just what it sounds like: a combination of a “barn” and a “condominium.” This definition might invoke images of “The Little House on the Prairie” or some other rustic farmhouse style of home. However, most barndominiums built today are immense, metal structures. Barndominiums combine a living area, usually built above (or around) a larger open space that can be used as a barn, a workshop, a shed, or for some other hobby requiring extra square footage.
When Was The Barndominium Invented?
The concept of combining the home with a barn has been around for hundreds of years. The Low German House, for example, is a type of vernacular architecture found in Germany and the Netherlands that combines living quarters, byre, and barn under a single roof. Many Amish and Mennonite communities across North America continue to attach their homes, barns, and workshops into single buildings.
The term “barndominium,” however, appears to have first surfaced back in 1989. Karl Nilsen was a real estate developer who, in the 1980s, was creating planned communities around the “theme” of raising horses. Just as many country-club homes are built around a golf course, Nilsen though that horse-lovers should have their own planned communities with ample space for their equine companions.
According to a 1989 New York Times article, Nilsen’s horse-lovers community planned to sell homes with fenced pastureland for each family to manage their horses. Instead of building a separate stable, Nilsen planned on creating a barndominium concept. His concept placed the living quarters of the home on top of a full stable underneath. Though the real estate project never completely took off, the idea of a modern home that incorporated living quarters for both humans and animals began to take hold around the country.
What Does a Barndominium Look Like?
Most of the barndominiums built today are large, open buildings constructed from a steel frame and sheet metal siding. Their large, open nature gives them the appearance of a storage building or barn structure. The interior living space is built around and above a sizeable free area and is generally modern. The finished home incorporates all of the essential comforts and amenities that any other house would have.
Where Are Barndominiums Being Built?
One of the most popular regions in the country for barndominium construction is in the western states such as Texas, Wyoming, and Montana. Large amounts of open land and high horse ownership (Wyoming has 5.1 humans for every horse) are driving this trend. However, barndominiums can also be a practical building style for homeowners who want extra storage space or a large open area for other activities. For example, homeowners wishing for a safe and protected place to store their RV or boat might consider a barndominium to repurpose the open space as a large, indoor garage. People who enjoy woodworking, carpentry, pottery, or other hobbies might also be able to design a studio or workshop into the design of a barndominium.
It is worth mentioning that some contracting companies are building and selling wood-framed structures that they call barndominiums. While most barndominiums are constructed almost entirely from sheet metal and steel framing, wooden barndominiums are also possible.
What Are The Benefits of Building a Barndominium?
One of the main benefits of designing a barndominium is that they are straightforward to customize to fit your own needs. The large, open building plans make customization reasonably easy. Though the living quarters are usually located on the second story of the home above the barn, workshop, or storage area, single-story barndominiums are also popping up around the country.
Barndominiums are also generally quite energy efficient. The steel framing and sheet metal siding make it relatively easy to completely seal the building envelope, one of the most critical features of energy-efficient passive homes. According to WD. Metal Buildings, a leading builder of barndominiums in Texas, most barndominiums have with energy-efficient windows and high-efficiency spray foam insulation.
Furthermore, many barndominiums include solid, stained concrete floors and nine-foot ceilings. These features allow for large windows to be placed on the home’s south-facing side. This design method is an essential part of passive solar heating, which allows heat from the sun to enter the home through large, energy-efficient windows. Then, that heat is stored in the thermal mass of the concrete floors.
Other benefits of building a barndominium include:
- Quicker construction time: The large, open floor plan generally allows for shorter construction times, reducing cost.
- Durability: Barndominiums built from steel framing, and metal siding will generally last a lifetime and better withstand the elements.
- Adaptive Design: Because barndominiums can be designed as a work/live space, they are an excellent option for people who want or need to work and learn from home. Their open interiors also make renovations and customizations easy, allowing homeowners to create a home for a lifetime.
Are Barndominiums Safe?
Barndominiums are made of solid wood timbers, steel, and metal components, making them incredibly safe. In some ways, a barndominium is as safe, if not safer, than a traditional home. Timbers, steel, and metal help protect the structure against water damage, severe weather, and wear and tear over the years.
Do Barndominiums Hold Their Value?
The ability for a barndominium to hold it’s value is similar to that of a traditional house. These criteria range from the desire of a barndominium in your area at the time of sale, square footage, age, construction quality, architectural features, and even upkeep.
Are Barndominiums Taxed?
Barndominiums taxation is a difficult question to answer and depends on the tax regulations in your area. Some assessors that value property for local real estate taxation purposes count unheated square footage while others only count heated spaces. Some barndomium owners have said that their local tax office taxed their bardnominium by looking at the square footage and what a comparable house locally would be taxed. Before building or buying a barndominium, we’d recommend consulting your local assessor to understand if and how a barndominium may impact your property tax.
How Much Does a Barndominium Cost?
The exact cost of a barndominium will depend on several different factors. These factors include the size of the home you want to build, the amount of land that comes with the house, the material you plan to use (with metal most likely being cheaper than a wooden barndominium), and the number of interior customizations and finishing in the home. According to one leader in the barndominium industry, homeowners should expect to pay between $95 and $125 a square foot for a full turnkey build. The average cost for a 2,000 square foot barndominium sits at around $220,000, comparable to other types of homes on the market.
How Do You Build a Barndominium?
Building a barndominium by yourself will require some significant DIY abilities. However, a barndominium is generally easier to construct than a traditional 2x4 stick frame structure. Barndominium construction consists of three different phases: the concrete slab foundation, the metal building/framing, and the interior living build-out.
Many homeowners wanting to build their own homes choose to have a professional construction company pour the concrete slab and build and insulate the metal frame of the barndominium. The resulting large, insulated, open warehouse-style interior gives you free rein for all of your DIY home building ideas.
Barndominium Floor Plans
Interest in barndominiums began to take off after an episode of HGTV’s program “Fixer Upper” showcased the experience of a family repurposing an old barn into a beautiful barndominium. Chip and Joanna Gaines found a 1980s barn that already had a comfortable upstairs apartment. The family slowly remodeled the upstairs apartment and the stable area downstairs into a beautiful two-story, 2,700 square foot home.
The floor plan for Chip and Joanna’s barndominium included a large upstairs kitchen and living room. The first story has two family bedrooms and an indoor/outdoor gathering space for entertaining. You can see the floor plans and a few pictures of this beautiful barndominium here.
Pinterest is also full of unique ideas for designing barndominiums. This wood-framed barndominium incorporates wrap around decks and huge floor-to-ceiling windows to help combine indoor and outdoor living spaces. This 40x60 foot single-story barndominium floor plan utilizes the open space to create a massive “family area,” which is excellent for families with several children. If you like the idea of the open spaces in a home but aren’t keen on the aesthetics of traditional barndominiums, this barndominium offers a sleek, modernist design. You can also find several barndominium floor plans offered for free on the WB Metal Building’s website here.
Will Banks Finance a Barndominium?
Bardominium lending isn’t for all lenders, but it’s not impossible either. Many barndominium owners have found financing options through local banks, credit unions, and farm credit lenders. But that is not to say the larger, national lenders are not interested in helping you finance a barndominium either. National lenders will typically apply more scrutiny and look at credit rating, plans, and whether you have a contractor or subcontractor.
How Long Do Barndominiums Take to Build?
The build time for barndominiums can range depending on how you plan to complete the project. Conversions or new builds can take up to 6 months, while prefabricated barndomniums could significantly reduce time. The scope of your project and materials also play an essential part when estimating the build time. It would help if you considered the time to lay a solid foundation and the availability and time it takes for framing, roofing, electrical, plumbing, heating, and insulation.
Can You Buy Barndominium Kits?
Because barndominiums are essentially metal structures covered by sheet metal siding, many companies are beginning to sell the barndominium shell as a pre-fab kit. Of course, a barndominium kit might take away some of the customization ability on the exterior. But, the large open interiors are essentially a blank slate for creative homeowners to create.
General Steel Buildings offers several pre-fab barndominium kits to choose from. Their catalog includes different sizes of barndominium metal shells, including a 60-foot x 60 foot home, a 40-foot x 70-foot barndominium with a large covered deck, and a four a bedroom L-Shaped barndominium.
When searching for the best barndominium kits, it is essential to find companies that offer kits that include everything you need to build the house’s shell. These necessary components are the primary and secondary framing (for all steel), exterior sheeting, trim, closures, fasteners, and stamped building plans. More elaborate kits, such as those offered by Worldwide Steel Buildings, might also come with materials to add overhangs, wrap-around porches, and other customizations.
