What if I told you that you could build the house of your dreams for tens of thousands of dollars less than the average home buyer who settles and compromises for theirs?
This house can be 100% customized and built almost anywhere.
Are you intrigued yet?
Pole barn homes are perhaps one of the most understated of all trending homes styles in the housing market.
Tiny Homes and Skoolies (school buses converted into RVs) are awesome in their own right but are also very small by design.
Pole barn homes, on the other hand, can be as small or as big as you want them to be.
Read on to learn why a pole barn home should be your next house.
Amazingly Open-Floor Plans
One of the biggest (no pun intended) benefits of building a pole barn home is the giant, open spaces it accommodates.
The way pole barns are built negates the need for weight-bearing interior walls. Additionally, post-frame construction constitutes building the roof out of trusses, providing the opportunity for some high-rise ceilings.
Therefore, if you enjoy the open-floor plan style, you can literally do no better than a pole barn home.
Low Cost
Financially speaking, pole-barn homes will be thousands of dollars, if not tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than its stick-frame counterparts. When looking to finance a new home, this can be a major factor.
Large pole-barn home kits (3500 sq. ft.) generally cost $40,000 to $50,000 dollars. Granted, that is strictly the structural components or "shell" of the home.
However, a 3500 sq. ft. pole barn home costing $43,000 is much better than a stick-frame home of equal size that generally costs $200,000 at the lowest.
Once the structure is built, finishing the pole-barn home and how much it will cost is completely up to you. You can make it as high-end or low-end as possible depending on your budget.
The good news is, whatever you spend will be a fraction of what a stick-frame home of equal size and quality would be.
Simple Building Plan
Another benefit of post-frame construction is its simplicity.
First, the foundation of a pole barn home is a monolithic slab of concrete. It will be level and cut uniformly and in specific places to prevent cracking as the house settles. This is immediately more cost effective than traditional homes.
Secondly, post-frame construction consists of setting posts deep within the ground and cementing them in. Once the concrete has set, you can build your exterior walls using the upright posts as anchors.
As far as the roof is concerned, trusses are set across the structure from post to post. Once they're set, the remaining roof framework can be built in.
Finally, once the framework is finished, you can begin applying the metal wall and roof panels.
Malleable Interior - No Load-Bearing Walls
Due to the pole barn home construction, all of the weight of the building rests on the upright posts and trusses from the initial build. Aside from the open-floor plan possibilities, this also provides a malleable interior of sorts.
Since none of the interior walls are load-bearing, none of them need to be permanent. If at any point, you are unhappy with the layout of the home, you can renovate!
Terrain Ready
Pole barn homes are like the Navy SEALs of houses. There are tough, durable, and good to go on almost any terrain.
Because their foundations do not require continuous pours as stick-frame houses do, the initial site work is not as intensive. The ground doesn't have to be completely flat or level before you start.
This makes building your dream home in your dream location much easier.
Easy Exterior Add-Ons
Because of the simple and easy construction method of pole barn homes, adding extensions to the exterior after the original construction isn't as difficult as it would be in a traditional stick-frame house.
The process is relatively similar to the initial build. Start with planting the new upright posts and building on once they've set. Any deconstruction, while laborious, will be simple. You simply need to unfasten the wall panels (if necessary) and any excess materials.
Quick Build Time
Not surprisingly, as we have discussed the easy construction of pole barns extensively, the build time doesn't take long.
Admittedly, hiring a crew to erect the building will cost extra money, however, it's at least twice as fast compared to building it yourself.
Pole Barn Home DIY
The above said, pole barn homes do allow homeowners to do most of the structural work themselves.
Necessary equipment such as skid steers, augers, and truss booms will need to be rented or borrowed, but it's more than possible to do the work yourself.
However, make sure you know what you're doing or things could end tragically, costing you more money than you would have otherwise saved.
Super Insulated
Pole barn homes have the option of being built eight inches or larger on-center, which will provide extra room for insulation. With more insulation comes more economic temperature control.
If you use highly economic windows for the house as well, your heating and cooling bill should be relatively low.
Strength and Durability
Finally, pole barn homes and post-frame buildings, in general, are incredibly strong and durable, especially compared to typical stick-frame houses.
Their extra strength comes from the poles secured at a minimum of four feet into the ground. When high winds or heavy snow loads come calling, the pole barn home's construction transfers all of those forces directly into the ground.
Additionally, pole barn homes use heavier, bigger materials. This adds durability and longevity as well as strength to the overall structure.
Real Estate Opportunities
If you're interested in buying a pole barn home, take your time and figure out which option is best for you.
Do your homework and plan out how much everything will cost, including setting the foundation, hiring a crew to build it, insulation, electrical work, plumbing, interior work, etc.
There's a lot to consider when building your own home, and despite their simplicity, that includes pole barn homes.
Conversely, for entrepreneurs, realtors, and contractors alike, there's good business to be had in pole barn homes.
Those interested in flipping houses can see the value in buying and building cheap and then selling for a larger profit.
For more articles containing tips and advice on realty, check out our blog page!
