Barndominium/Shop or "real" House?

[aircommuter]

Checkout those air operated clear plastic tube elevators.

 

[EddieWalker]

From what I've seen, a lot of home designs follow a trend just like fashion, but in homes, they seem to change every ten years, give or take. The last trend seemed to be the Farmhouse style with white board and baton exteriors, cedar posts and accents, and a massive amount of white on the interior.

Lately, I'm seeing more and more Barndominium's being built as spec homes, and new custom homes. They all seem to be based around a massive open area with the kitchen, dining and living room all together. From what I've seen, I really like the way they turn out on the inside, but I'm not a fan of the look on the outside. The all seem to sell very quickly, and from what I'm seeing, there is a demand for more of them.

I think that if you build a nice shop with a small living area, you will increase the resale value of the land if there is a place to build a nice house somewhere near by. Having a separate house from the work shop is going to give you the best price when selling in the future, especially if the house is done well, and not too unique in architecture. The A frame design will be more challenging to sell.

No matter what you think today, every house and piece of land will be sold by somebody, at some time. Building for the highest return should always be part of every decision when building anything on your land.

 

[ETD66SS]

From what I've seen, a lot of home designs follow a trend just like fashion, but in homes, they seem to change every ten years, give or take. The last trend seemed to be the Farmhouse style with white board and baton exteriors, cedar posts and accents, and a massive amount of white on the interior.

Lately, I'm seeing more and more Barndominium's being built as spec homes, and new custom homes. They all seem to be based around a massive open area with the kitchen, dining and living room all together. From what I've seen, I really like the way they turn out on the inside, but I'm not a fan of the look on the outside. The all seem to sell very quickly, and from what I'm seeing, there is a demand for more of them.

I think that if you build a nice shop with a small living area, you will increase the resale value of the land if there is a place to build a nice house somewhere near by. Having a separate house from the work shop is going to give you the best price when selling in the future, especially if the house is done well, and not too unique in architecture. The A frame design will be more challenging to sell.

No matter what you think today, every house and piece of land will be sold by somebody, at some time. Building for the highest return should always be part of every decision when building anything on your land.

That was actually the plan with the Barndominium. I am on 60+ acres, nearly fully wooded. My long term goal is if I build the shop with living space, someday I'd like to build a traditional style log home: Welcome to Handmade Houses! - Handmade Houses with Noah Bradley I am actually an LHBA member (Log Home Builders Association), took their log home class, but was not impressed with the construction methods. I also own a Hudson Oscar 330 Pro sawmill for generating logs/timbers etc.

However, in order to realize that plan I would have to be able to remove the living space from the shop (delete the kitchen & bedroom basically) and transfer it to the log home otherwise my taxes would be rather insane. I don't trust that is an easy task in New York State. Then I would convert the old living space in the shop to serve some other function. And I'd be building the log home as a retirement option so would probably do it without a basement.

But yes, I really fear the possible future nightmare in NYS of transitioning from one living space to another on the same real property. I think the town assessor would not be kind and when I'm retired I'd be paying silly taxes without any income. So that is why I redesigned my house as a stick frame to look at that approach. So that if needed, the property would likely sell easier.

 

[MHarryE]

I kind of started your way on a smaller scale and expanded. First, having parents and in-laws with mobility problems and watching others, it was single story electrical hydronic slab heat. Living area about 1800 square feet and shop area 1200 sf knowing we wouldn't be living here at first, only weekend home and shop. Once we moved 3 years later, we added an additional shop 1800 square feet and 10 years later 3600 sf for storage. All housing was post , OSB and steel. First shop, attached to living, does not have the OSB but is steel inside and outside with 10" walls. Hard to believe its been 20 years now and we wouldn't change a thing on the construction but interior. We live in Northern MN where snow loads and insulation, plus not having to bundle up to walk out to the shop are great, and our insurance person said no problem attached as long as the protection between shop and living quarters were extreme.

 

[ETD66SS]

as long as the protection between shop and living quarters were extreme

What is extreme?

 

[Henry007]

So, been wanting to build at a lot that I have owned for nearly 20 years now. I think I am finally in a position to do so, albeit at the worst time to build... That's my luck.

I have attached my shop/living space design. Talked to various residential and post frame builders. Many of them suggest bookshelf framing the garage and upper living space portion of the structure. Most of them recommend sheathing the garage and living space walls with 7/16" OSB and the living space roof with 5/8" OSB before the steel siding and roofing is installed. One of the builders thinks that's just a waste of money and that the steel provides the anti-racking for wind loads just fine. Thoughts? Will drywall in the living space be subject to more cracking without the sheathing?

The 10 X 12 OH door bay will be for a 2 post asymmetric truck lift. The 14 X 14 sheet roll doors will be in a 48 X 48 area where I'd like to have a 5-7 ton bridge crane someday. Want to go with sheet roll doors to make sure the doors do not interfere with the future shop crane.

The living space is minimal, per the municipality, I cannot go under 900 sq-ft living space, this design ends up at around 990 sq-ft.

I have also attached an ICF design as the "real" house option. Both designs are of my own making, but RA's have looked at both and they will be stamped, which is required in my area.

One of the builders is looking at both of these designs and will be pricing out the builds for me. (For either design I will be helping with labor wherever I can digging my own trenches, etc, but I do have a fulltime job) If they are similar in cost, what would you build? This would be my final residence, so the decision is a life decision...

I really want a shop ASAP because I am almost 50 years old and sick of working on my equipment outside in the weather.

At the same time, a "real" house would be nice as opposed to living in a barn. Not to mention it is an upper story with stairs that I will have to deal with the rest of my life.

If I were to build the ICF house, that puts out my shop probably at least another 5 years.

The ICF house design has a decent garage and will have provisions in the floor for the asymmetric truck lift. So I will have somewhat of a shop to tide me over until I put up a larger structure for working on my equipment. (Not an contractor of any sort, equipment is personal/hobby stuff).

So, been wanting to build at a lot that I have owned for nearly 20 years now. I think I am finally in a position to do so, albeit at the worst time to build... That's my luck.

I have attached my shop/living space design. Talked to various residential and post frame builders. Many of them suggest bookshelf framing the garage and upper living space portion of the structure. Most of them recommend sheathing the garage and living space walls with 7/16" OSB and the living space roof with 5/8" OSB before the steel siding and roofing is installed. One of the builders thinks that's just a waste of money and that the steel provides the anti-racking for wind loads just fine. Thoughts? Will drywall in the living space be subject to more cracking without the sheathing?

The 10 X 12 OH door bay will be for a 2 post asymmetric truck lift. The 14 X 14 sheet roll doors will be in a 48 X 48 area where I'd like to have a 5-7 ton bridge crane someday. Want to go with sheet roll doors to make sure the doors do not interfere with the future shop crane.

The living space is minimal, per the municipality, I cannot go under 900 sq-ft living space, this design ends up at around 990 sq-ft.

I have also attached an ICF design as the "real" house option. Both designs are of my own making, but RA's have looked at both and they will be stamped, which is required in my area.

One of the builders is looking at both of these designs and will be pricing out the builds for me. (For either design I will be helping with labor wherever I can digging my own trenches, etc, but I do have a fulltime job) If they are similar in cost, what would you build? This would be my final residence, so the decision is a life decision...

I really want a shop ASAP because I am almost 50 years old and sick of working on my equipment outside in the weather.

At the same time, a "real" house would be nice as opposed to living in a barn. Not to mention it is an upper story with stairs that I will have to deal with the rest of my life.

If I were to build the ICF house, that puts out my shop probably at least another 5 years.

The ICF house design has a decent garage and will have provisions in the floor for the asymmetric truck lift. So I will have somewhat of a shop to tide me over until I put up a larger structure for working on my equipment. (Not an contractor of any sort, equipment is personal/hobby stuff).

I highly recommend installing an elevator lift. You indicated this would be your forever home. When I was your age, I moved into a home with only a four foot rise from the attached garage and soon found that steps were not for me. Please consider this.

 

[ETD66SS]

I highly recommend installing an elevator lift. You indicated this would be your forever home. When I was your age, I moved into a home with only a four foot rise from the attached garage and soon found that steps were not for me. Please consider this.

I'm quite amazed how much this has come up. I did put some thought into my options about age & stairs, but not to the degree expressed by many here...

 

[bigwave]

My shop design has 18ft walls partly due to needing the headroom in the second story living space, but also due to my desire to have a bridge crane. Most of the builders are recommending 4 ply 2X6 columns, one of them recommending 3 ply 2X8 columns. None of them said stick frame, maybe due to wall height...

I'm doing a 60 x 72 x 18 Ft H post frame residence / garage. Used 3-2x8 posts at 8 ft OC on sides, set wood posts on Permacolumns that bear on 24"diameter polymer footing pads. Secured footing pad to permacolumn with 2 galvanized eyebolts to take care of uplift. Backfilled 30" auger holes with dense grade aggregate for ballast.

Recommend 3- 2x8 cols over 4-2x6; no more material and slightly more strength, due to increased depth (thickness) of timber.

FWIW; I like your shop design over the A-frame design, only thing I saw; make garage wider; go measure your vehicles with both doors open all the way.

 

[aircommuter]

If you are going up from a shop to the residence above all you need is a scissor lift. Then you can use the lift for other things in the shop. That’s how I access the mezzanine in my shop.

 

[ETD66SS]

only thing I saw; make garage wider; go measure your vehicles with both doors open all the way

I went back and forth between a 30ft vs 24ft wide garage. I settled on a 24ft wide as I wanted to keep the living space above as close to the minimum 900 sq-ft as possible for tax purposes.

The garage I grew with is 32 ft wide, dual 9ft x 7ft doors and a man door all on the front wall. I know it can be a little bit tight but what I have will work. And tbh, they will most likely wind up being spaces for project cars and not daily driver vehicles.

I might actually change the doors to 9ft x 7ft vs the 10ft x 7ft I have in my current design.

The area under the deck will be where I park my daily driver truck.