Living In The Barn?

[Golfgar4]

No, I didn't get kicked out of the house /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif. My wife and I are beginning the planning process for building our "compound", which will be on 10 - 20 acres and will include a house, a barn/workshop, and an art gallery/custom frame shop. As we discussed various options and styles, she wondered if anybody has ever, or does now, live upstairs from the barn/shed? She's thinking that if we build the barn/workshop first (she recognizes that I need some place to put the tractor - not bad, huh?), and build the second floor like an apartment or condo, we could live there while the house and gallery are being built and then we wouldn't feel like we were being rushed to get them finished. Is there anyone who has done something similar or is currently living like that? What are some of the pros and cons that we could expect?

 

[Alan L.]

We don't live upstairs, but we do live in a 900 square foot apartment inside our 40 by 60 metal building. Its been just fine so far.

 

[Mark_in_NH]

It sounds to me like a feasible and intelligant plan. One of the things that I believe you will need to consider and check on would be certain building and fire code requirments. Seeing how you would have living quaters Over a shop / barn they may require you to have fire rated doors and sheetrock, exterior entrance for escape purposes etc. etc. Your local building code officer should be able to inform you of the necessary laws and requirments you would need to adhere to.
I personally think it is a great idea, it provides you a place to live, a place to work, a place to store those expensive and valuable building materials for the house. And when your all done, you will have a fantastic office getaway or a rentable apartment. I say go for it.

 

[Golfgar4]

Alan,

Thanks for responding. Any unique problems you've discovered?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I know somebody who planned to do this. A friend of mine, who makes his living as a contractor, and his wife bought some land, got drawings, and pulled permits, then found out that the neighbors wells had all gone bad (salt) and put everything on hold. The land is up for sale.

Anyway, they couldn't find an engineer to sign off on a platform-framed apartment as a second story to a pole-framed barn. They had to platform-frame everything down to the ground under the apartment, with a suitable foundation. They could still build the rest of the structure as a pole barn if they wanted. This is from discussion with my friend; I never saw the actual drawings.

Since the National Building Code probably doesn't address this exact situation you may find different requirements in your area.

Another issue may be zoning regulations. A lot zoned for one single-family home might not be able to have an occupied over-the-barn apartment and a house under construction. Again, local rules will differ.

My wife and I went ahead and built the house we wanted, and followed it up a couple years later with a pole barn. A lot of my stuff spent the first couple winters under tarps.

 

[billbobtlh]

I designed my 30x36 house w a barn laundry and workshop downstairs. Frame construction made it easy to finish. Mistake may have been not moving the kitchen downstairs after closing in the bottom. I have agreat view from up there but lots of groceries go up those stairs.

 

[Golfgar4]

Mark,

Thanks for the comments. We are aware that we need to know what the various codes are, but that shouldn't be a problem. First, my wife designs homes so she has a pretty good idea of what's required already. Second, although we don't know these people personally, we do know of a few people that are currently living in similar situations, so I guess it can be done.

Concerning the use of the space after the house is built, I figured that I'd make it into a TBN Fan Club meeting place. Think anybody'd go for that /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif?

 

[Mark_in_NH]

If your club house will have valet tractor parking and if Muhammed will provide a vending machine for those really great TBN hats, I'll bring the first case of beer.

 

[Golfgar4]

<font color=blue>If your club house will have valet tractor parking and if Muhammed will provide a vending machine for those really great TBN hats</font color=blue>

I can live with that /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. For the grand opening I figured I'd get Muhammad to come out and drive a tractor through a red ribbon, and then we'd have all the local dealers represented in a raffle of at least one tractor from each dealer/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. Of course, just like the dealer open houses, we'd have to have all the free hot dogs and Cokes a guy could eat and drink /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif!!

 

[Mark_in_NH]

How about if all us TBNr's pitch in and buy Birds Kubota and we could display it as a center piece in the club house.