Barn Pros - feedback, anyone?

[Stuka]

I'm interested in Barn Pros products, they seem to have a good variety. The text says these packages include everything except the nails, roofing, and slab.

I'm especially interested in the models that have the studio or apartment in the hay loft area. Such as this: Barn With Living Quarters | Barn With Apartment | Barn Pros

Anyone heard anything about these kits, pros and cons?

thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[BeezFun]

Very attractive, haven't heard of them but prices seem very high. For the smallest structure on the page you point to, base price is $50K and that's without concrete, roofing, windows, stalls, nails, utilities, drywall, fixtures. Design also requires being bolted to a slab, which means the slab has to be engineered and not just an after the fact pour. I'd guess by the time you're done that's $100K for a 1000 sq ft barn/apt, which is $100 per sf construction cost. Have you looked at Menards? They have some pretty decent plans for buildings like that.

 

[murphy1244]

Pole barns in my area are around 12.00 a square foot.

 

[Stuka]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I will check Menards.

 

[Stuka]

Well, Menards appears to be a regional business. They're in Minnesota and I'm in Texas.

This site sells just the plans and they suggest $8 - 10 sf. Do you think they are including the cost of the slab?

 

[ENG18LT]

You may want to check out Hansen buildings, a couple friends have used them with good results. I am pretty sure they deliver nation wide.

 

[BeezFun]

Well, Menards appears to be a regional business. They're in Minnesota and I'm in Texas.

Didn't realize they only go south to Kansas city. You must have some equivalent big box that sells barn and house kits.

This site sells just the plans and they suggest $8 - 10 sf. Do you think they are including the cost of the slab?

The page says price of shell materials for the barn is $8-10 sf, so no, it doesn't include concrete because the concrete isn't part of the shell.

 

[BeezFun]

You may want to check out Hansen buildings, a couple friends have used them with good results. I am pretty sure they deliver nation wide.

Ditto on that, I'm working on a quote with them right now. Seem really good.

 

[Obed]

Stuka, what are your intentions? Is this going to be your permanent dwelling? Apartment for a rural property on which you will visit or live in just part of the year? A temporary place to live until you build a house? When we had a rural property 90 minutes from us, we wanted a place to store the tractor, etc. and an apartment where we could visit. There are lots of garage plans available with upstairs living spaces that would have suited our needs fine if we hadn't decided to sell that property.

The buildings you referred us to looked very attractive. However, if the cost ends up being $100/SF, I'm afraid you could never get your money back out of it. Buyers just wouldn't be willing to pay the same dollar/SF for a barn as for a house. If you want an apartment in a barn, you should do it as cheaply as possible so you would lose as little as possible if you had to sell. In our area, out-buildings (barns, sheds, workshops, etc.) don't add as much value in dollars to the property as they cost to build.

If you went with the garage with upstairs apartment, you would get more of your money back if you sold than if you built a barn with an apartment. You could market the property as having a house, something that would be tougher to do with only a barn.

Now if you have lots of cash, and the price doesn't impact your world, then go for it if that's what you want.

Obed

 

[Stuka]

Stuka, what are your intentions? Is this going to be your permanent dwelling? Apartment for a rural property on which you will visit or live in just part of the year? A temporary place to live until you build a house? When we had a rural property 90 minutes from us, we wanted a place to store the tractor, etc. and an apartment where we could visit. There are lots of garage plans available with upstairs living spaces that would have suited our needs fine if we hadn't decided to sell that property.

The buildings you referred us to looked very attractive. However, if the cost ends up being $100/SF, I'm afraid you could never get your money back out of it. Buyers just wouldn't be willing to pay the same dollar/SF for a barn as for a house. If you want an apartment in a barn, you should do it as cheaply as possible so you would lose as little as possible if you had to sell. In our area, out-buildings (barns, sheds, workshops, etc.) don't add as much value in dollars to the property as they cost to build.

If you went with the garage with upstairs apartment, you would get more of your money back if you sold than if you built a barn with an apartment. You could market the property as having a house, something that would be tougher to do with only a barn.

Now if you have lots of cash, and the price doesn't impact your world, then go for it if that's what you want.

Obed

Obed, thanks for the feedback! (I have been following your thread for a year!)

Thankfully, these people here have pointed out the $/sf is pretty high for the BarnPros route. I have ordered a brochure, to see exactly what their kits consist of. They do look nice, but like most people, I want to get a good value for my investment.

I probably will plan this out over the next two years before I act. My intentions are to make this my retirement dwelling. I like the gambrell "barn"/garage with upstairs apartment, because it looks like an affordable way to have a decent garage/workshop space with living quarters. Ideally, the apartment space would be around 800 sq ft, with the same on the downstairs garage.

If you went with the garage with upstairs apartment, you would get more of your money back if you sold than if you built a barn with an apartment.

I'm a little fuzzy on what you mean here. Garage with upstairs apartment vs. barn with upstairs apartment; what is the main difference? The style of the dwelling? To me, the barn is the same as a house, except a different style roof, and fewer windows, but the windows could be part of a barn, right?

Thanks, look forward to your comments.

 

[MarkV]

Stuka it may not apply to you but if you have to get a building permit in your area I would check out the rules before you move forward. Some areas frown on a living space in a barn type of building and other areas require standards for a living area that make it more practical to build a conventional stick built structure to met the standards.

MarkV

 

[Obed]

I'm a little fuzzy on what you mean here. Garage with upstairs apartment vs. barn with upstairs apartment; what is the main difference? The style of the dwelling? To me, the barn is the same as a house, except a different style roof, and fewer windows, but the windows could be part of a barn, right?

Thanks, look forward to your comments.

Stuka,
The difference would primarilly be in the method of construction. What I mean by "garage" is something that is stick built like the garage of a house using 2x4 or 2x6 framed walls (or possibly concrete blocks) and roof trusses or a stick built roof. By "barn" I mean a pole barn or metal building or some other construction method not typically used for building a residence.

A secondary consideration is the style of the building, whether it "looks" like a barn or a garage. You can build a gambrel roof structure out of framed walls, pole barn structure, or metal building. Our area has framed houses styled like a barns with gambrel roofs but they aren't barns, they are residences. The resell value of that style of house around here is lower than a traditional looking house. In your case, I don't know how much a barn "style" garage apartment would affect the price versus a traditional looking garage with an apartment.

I would suggest getting input from an experienced realtor in your area before you make your final decision if investment value is one of your goals. Many realtors would welcome helping you out on the chance they might get referral business from you later.

When we designed our house, resell value affected many of our decisions. We did some unique things that only we would want and knew we would never get our money back for certain extras. That's ok if you realize that up front, can afford it as a luxury, and plan accordingly.

The bottom line when building anything, it's good to know before you start what it will cost and what it will sell for. The difference between the two can be shocking, especially if the structure is non-traditional. You obviously are doing your homework so you I bet you will do ok.

Obed

 

[barnsandbuildings]

Have you ever checked out Barnsandbuildings.com> they build nation wide and include everything needed, they build the barn from scratch and include everything in the price.

 

[PoleBarnGuru]

Dear barnsandbuildings....

I've been in the post frame industry for over three decades and somehow had never even heard of you folks until I stumbled upon this post! As we both began our careers in Oregon, and about the same time, I was surprised to not recognize your names, but Oregon is a large state.

Nice presentations on your website - more real photos and fewer sketches would tend to lend more credibility.

As you build nation wide (just a suggestion) you should include all of your Contractor Registration numbers on your website, as well as a link to the local Better Business Bureau you belong to. Displaying the NFBA logo as a member of the association also lends itself to clients seeing you as being an outstanding business in the industry.

Best regards to you.

Mike the Pole Barn Guru

Follow me at: Pole Barn Guru Blog

 

[BeezFun]

Nice presentations on your website - more real photos and fewer sketches would tend to lend more credibility.

Isn't there a vendor forum where you guys can critique one another? I don't see a thing in your post that addresses anything the OP asked.

 

[PoleBarnGuru]

Absolutely a valid point, BeezFun.

In response to the original posting, I happen to know the folks at BarnPro's personally, great people. If what you are looking for is a high end, uber-custom building, they are probably the best.

If you are looking at affordable concepts on a budget, we might be your answer.

Follow me at: Pole Barn Guru Blog

 

[TedJ]

I found this forum by looking up barn pros and some others. I just wanted to comment another company I heard about on RFD TV was Barn Kings. They seem to have a bit lower square foot price and have been good to work with so far.

Might give them a call.

 

[PoleBarnGuru]

TedJ ~

Having been in the post frame industry for over three decades, I had never heard of Barn Kings, so checked out their website. My concerns after looking it over - #1 no where on their website does it say where they are located; #2 They have used "cord" rather than "chord" in their truss terminology. While it may just be a typographical error, being knowledgeable about the components you provide and having total attention to details are important. Especially when this much investment is being made. #3 They are not members of the industry trade association - the NFBA #4 The do not appear to be BBB members, nor could I find a report on them with the BBB.

They may be 100% legitimate and provide an excellent product at a reasonable price. My encouragement would be to proceed with caution, is all.

Follow me at: Pole Barn Guru Blog

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Obed has very sound business advice in the above posts. Many times my "wouldn't it be fun to" ideas have bumped into the barrier of "how much of the cost will actually be added to the value."

 

[PoleBarnGuru]

I'd agree Obed does have some sound input. Whether the building is stick framed or post framed (pole building) has far less to do with resale value than does the street appeal. If the ability to recoup one's investment from a resale is the prime motivator, then getting a realtor's advice during the planning phases would be more than prudent.

Follow me at: Pole Barn Guru Blog