Building a Barndominium: 5 Things You Should Know
With the durability of a barn and the charm of a traditional farm house, barndominiums are quickly growing in popularity among rural homeowners, offering country dwellers a one-of-a-kind working and living space.
Before jumping on the band wagon though, find out if a barndominium home is right for you. Here are five things all barndominium homeowners should know before building a barndominium.
Research Local Building Requirements
As you would with any build, you need to know what the building requirements are with your local county and township. Some municipalities or counties may limit what you can build and how close to property lines it can be, so research the building codes, zoning and permits in your area.
Before you buy land, it’s best to know how you intend to use the property and make sure what you’re looking to build will be approved by your county and township. You don’t want to get too far into the planning process only to have to start over.
Be Transparent with Your Lender
While the unique design of barndominiums draw people towards this style of home, not all lenders can finance this kind of property. Features such as slab-on-grade foundation and steel siding with a large attached shop can pose a challenge.
Because of this, it’s important to be transparent with your lender about what you want to build. To avoid issues down the road, like losing your financing midway through the loan process, do some digging to find a trusted lender who is familiar with barndo homes.
At Compeer, we understand. We specialize in rural properties and offer clients a one-time close on our home construction loans.
Find Builders with Barndominium Experience
Research builders who are familiar with barndominium designs and understand what makes a barndo more unique than a traditional home. This includes subcontractors as well as general contractors.
During this fact-finding mission, you should also determine how involved you want your builder to be in the overall construction process. For example, are they working on the project start to finish or do you want to serve as your own general contractor?
Not all lenders allow clients to serve as their own general contractor, but we at Compeer do in our effort to champion the rural hopes and dreams of our clients.
Design Barndominium Floorplans to Fit Your Needs
Think about how you want your space to function. Your layouts should reflect what’s most important for your everyday use, whether that’s more storage space or a large shop for hobbies.
If you plan to use part of your barndominium for commercial purposes, consider separating the workspace from the living space with a barrier to create work-life balance in your home.
Don’t forget to plan ahead for long term accessibility. Barndominium designs can include zero entry to accommodate folks with restricted mobility and is a helpful feature for elderly houseguests and for you as you grow older. However you decide to design your home, customize your barndo to best fit your lifestyle.
Reach out to a Lending Officer Right Away
Even if you don’t have your barndominium plans finalized, speak with a lending officer as soon as you can. Gather financial documents such as your credit score, W2 and tax returns so you and your lender can begin working on a budget.
At Compeer, you don’t need to have your floorplans or contractors ready to go in order to begin having that conversation. Use our map to find a rural mortgage specialist near you.
Like any building project, there’s much you need to consider before getting started, but especially with nontraditional homes as unique as barndominiums.
Home is where the heart is, and if your heart is set on building a barndominium, Compeer Financial can help. Learn more about our home construction financing options today!