Lately, I keep getting asked “What is a Barndominium?” So before I give you my take on it, I will tell you what Wikipedia says (from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia): “The barndominium, a combination of the words barn and condominium, is a new type of building growing in popularity, especially in rural areas of the United States. These homes have been seen in environments as varied as Texas ranches and Connecticut equestrian communities. A non-traditional structure, the barndominium is a steel frame and sheet metal building, originally designed as a storage building or barn structure that has been repurposed by the addition of living areas to previously open space. This type of building is typically built on an existing property or multi-acre homesite and the structure often acts as a dual purpose living and shop or workspace areas. These homes offer features not usually found on typical homes including oversized roll-up doors and single enclosed areas large enough to hold things like boats and recreational vehicles”.
We are starting to see more and more of these pop up in the Texas Hill Country. In fact, we just recently built living quarters in an existing barn. Not only are these made of steel or metal, they can be constructed of wood. Living quarters can be on the ground level or the upper level. This all depends on if you are designing the structure or using a preexisting barn. Some preexisting will only allow the build out at the ground level.
You will need to get a full set of drawings (architectural designs) as you would if you were building a regular home. Your plans can include living area, bedrooms, bath rooms, porches, garages, animal stalls, mechanical rooms, and more.
Everything you use in building a home is done here too, plumbing, electrical, drywall, insulation, painting, etc. If building out of metal, you can dress up the outside with stone, stucco, brick, or just leave as plain metal. Floors can be kept as concrete or mixed with other selected materials.
I have seen some barndominiums that are not sealed very well. This was someone just taking a metal barn and turning it into living quarters. I would highly recommend if you go this route, get someone that has the experience to help seal it and more. In the country, this is only inviting some of those local critters inside. If you have rolling doors or just a slab with the building on it, there are many more things you need to take into consideration if you are turning it into a home. Contact a builder to help you determine the needs for making it a comfy home and a bit more secured.
For all Your Real Estate and Building needs or questions, call Debbie at 830-833-4249 or 713-818-6658.
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