Barndominium in Florida: Yes or No?

So, you’ve got an idea of building a house, got some research taken and heard from the proud homeowners that their barndominium had turned out 50% cheaper than a traditional house would be. Plus later maintenance is so much easier on the budget. And is the point where you start considering such an option  A Barndominium is a relatively new concept in the property market, growing fast though with many people getting interested in the idea. What is a barndominium? Is constructing it really cheaper than building a traditional house? Is the tendency the same if we are buying or renting a ready-made barndominium? What are the pros and cons of such a type of household? We are going to try to answer these and other questions to help you decide if you’d feel comfortable living in a barndominium built especially for you.

What is a barndominium?

Barndominium is a house in a barn-style or made out of an original barn. It is usually made of steel, metal or wood and can be used for living as well as for working. At the start of this type of property trend it was based on bar-to-home conversions. Now it is becoming more popular to build the barndominiums from scratch. Some specific features of a barndominium are a lot of space and light, plain straight lines that give much freedom of choice in design. Your barndominium may have a look of a traditional country house or a contemporary loft. It may have a touch of colonial style nicely combined with classicism or anything you can think of. That is one big advantage of a barndominium: you are not limited to traditional walls and barriers, you’ve got all the freedom to create your own comfortable space. Since the trend is becoming more popular it is easy to find a perfect match and we at MyReProperty are always there for you to consult and offer a nice choice of property near you that is available for sale or rent.

Why is a barndominium better than a traditional house?

We can’t state unequivocally that a barndominium is better than a regular house. It is definitely a matter of taste. But there are some obvious advantages that a barndominium obtains and thus, surpasses most of the single houses.

• A barndominium is so much easier and faster to build. An average construction company claims to put it up within half a year. And this can be a significant advantage for a family who is planning to settle down as soon as possible. This may be connected with getting married, expecting a baby or any other reasons. 
• The fact that most barndominiums are constructed from steel or metal makes them very durable in the humid climate of Florida. And in the long run that brings us to another very important advantage: barndominiums require very low maintenance which is another strong budget saving point. 
• A well-built barndominium is not only perfect for your customized design but also very efficient when talking about energy saving. Statistically, an owner of a barndominium saves from 20% and up to 50% on electricity and heat. 
• Last but not least, barndominiums are much safer in terms of burglary as well as against natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes.

How much does it cost to build a barndominium? 

The cost of building a barndominium may vary from $63 to $136 per square foot. The cost depends very much on the footage, location, amenities, design, costs of the materials used for the interior and the exterieur, and the prices of the building company’s services. Still building a barndominium is a cheaper alternative to make your dream of owning a house come true rather than building a traditional house. 

• Location: if you decide to build a custom barndominium, the first step is to find a piece of land that your new home will perfectly fit into. And we are not only talking about the landscape, it’s mostly about a perfect cost/location ratio that you need to think about when you choose the land. The ideal case is when your barndominium is not very far from “civilization” such as your work, scholls, hospital, shopping malls, entertainment facilities. Yet, the closer all those amenities are, the less isolated your new home would be and the more expensive it would be as well. So, choosing the right location may be the first and the most important step.
• Design: ordering a drawing of your future house is another very important step, but not the first one. The reason for that is that the engineer who is going to design the drawing for your house will have to base it on the conditions given by location. Otherwise the amendments required for the drawing later on will cost you more than the initial drawing. Another good and more economical option is to buy a ready-made floor plan which can be customized for your barndominium during the process of building. An average floor plan can cost between $1500 and $2000, a customized one may be around $4500 The recommendation in this case stays the same: do it after you know the location of your barndominium.
• Materials: while it is obvious that simpler materials will cost less, don’t let your brand new barndominium look cheap inside and outside. Contact your local designer company for some specific recommendations on what materials can be taken cheaper versus the once that should never be economized on. An experienced designer will also be able to help you find good materials at a reasonable price.
• Your building company’s services: here we alway recommend using a local company. That will make things faster and can save you quite a good deal of money. Consider several options while looking for your perfect builder, do not hesitate to contact several alternative companies before you sign up for the deal. Remember that the biggest cost of the barndominium is finishing it with electrical, heating, air conditioning and water systems. So, pay special attention to this part of your contraction plan. You have to be sure yet before the building starts that you have budgeted everything close enough to finish it successfully.

It is true in general that building a barndominium is cheaper than a regular house but the difference is only obvious if you are building a big barndominium. A house less than 1700 square feet will not let you save some reasonable money.

How to buy a barndominium in Florida?

We should admit that the traditional houses are still much more popular than barndominiums. One of the reasons for that is that the exterior of a barndominium is not appealing to everybody. The other reason is lack of inventory: there are not very many barndominiums available for sale. In certain regions you won’t be able to find them at all. That is why those who have decided to settle in a detached barndominium prefer to build a customized house from scratch. This does not mean that there is no chance for you to buy a ready-made barndominium. Some construction companies make them quite successfully. Or you can contact our real estate agents at MyReProperty for more detailed information and a choice of barndominiums available for sale and rent at the moment.