There has been a rise in barndominium constructions over traditional houses, as they offer traditional-style aesthetic home designs while combining comfortable living spaces with modern facilities and lush green surroundings.
A barndominium can be cheaper than a house as the house owners can become their contractors and decide every aspect of their living space. With the basic amenities and a pre-existing barndominium design, a barndominium is usually cheaper than a traditional house.
1. What is a Barndominium?
With the extremely high prices and low inventory rate, unpredictability surrounding the US housing markets led consumers to seek alternative options to live a quality of life. Among these alternatives, one of the trending options is a barndominium.
Also known as barndo, these buildings are based on an open concept. They are made from metal or wood and generally involve a working space and living quarters. While the southern part of the US is more likely to use steel-frame barndominiums, wooden-frame barndominiums are more prevalent in the midwestern region of the US.
Barndominiums are among the incredible sheltering options, which require low maintenance, fit its budget, and are energy efficient. With the versatility in the design options, these houses are barns made of metal, which is cost-effective.
While providing more flexibility for commercial and residential projects, they can be ideal for many people.
2. Difference Between the Cost of a Barndominium vs Traditional Home
Differences in design, materials, and construction style influence the construction cost of a barndominium as well as a traditional house. Below are the factors that affect the cost of building a barndominium compared to a traditional home.
2.1. The Design
The architecture of a barndominium involves a combination of authentic external barn design features with beautiful, modern, livable areas in the interiors. Featuring multi-purpose and big rooms that can be used in numerous ways, most barndominiums are based on open-concept buildings.
These are designed to maximize interior space and offer economic advantages. Another impressive feature is the vertical wooden style for the exteriors, which is inspired by traditional farmhouse designs.
Furthermore, there are more options available for designing materials for barndominiums that look authentic and are durable as well. Durable siding options save maintenance costs and are suitable for a prolonged period.
2.2. New Construction vs Renovation
Constructing an entirely new barndo or turning an existing one into a new livable space through renovation are the two methods to build a barndominium. While comparing the house vs barndominium building projects, both methods provide different challenges and benefits that affect the cost of a barndominium.
For instance, an existing barndominium can easily be turned into a beautiful, livable housing space by simply changing its interiors without spending thousands of dollars on the structure. People who follow this strategy find barndominiums much cheaper than traditional home buildings.
2.3. Ready-Made Barndominium Kits
The rise in demand for barndominiums developed the idea of ready-made barndominium kits for people who do not want to design their structures. To get a barndominium house in a shorter period, ready-made barndominium kits are an affordable and excellent option, which saves time as well.
Some companies deliver a ready-made barndominium structure directly to the building’s property and let you take care of the rest. Meanwhile, other companies provide all the necessary materials to make the barndominium according to your chosen design.
Barndominium kits that offer $20 per square foot are among the cheapest ready-made barndominium kits, which are extremely affordable compared to investing money in hiring workers to design an original one.
2.4. The Cost
Calculating the actual construction cost of a barndominium vs. a traditional house can be complicated. However, an estimation can help.
One of the most common estimations states that building an entirely new barndominium with basic facilities will cost around $30 – $40 per square foot, whereas building a traditional home takes around $100 – $200 per square foot.
Constructing a small-scale project of around 700 – 800 square feet might not show much difference between the cost of a barndominium and a house, but this difference becomes more visible when a project of 2000 – 3000 square feet needs to be done.
Furthermore, this is merely an average illustration based on the base price when comparing the costs of a barndominium vs. a house. When building a high-end barndominium with luxurious amenities like granite countertops or glass doors, this estimation can go up to approximately $125 per square foot.
For people who want to build an authentic and luxurious barndominium with all the high-end facilities, comparing the cost of a house and a barndominium becomes difficult. People can choose to add extra amenities, styling, and other demands to their list while constructing a barndominium, which will undoubtedly raise the cost and hence cannot be compared with the cost of housing.
2.5. Labor Costs
Another factor contributing to the cost of a barndominium vs house building is labour. However, the quality of materials also plays a significant role in the costing system. One of the most common materials used for the barndominium exteriors is board and batten siding by TruLog, a simple design technique that allows separate panels to lock securely.
As compared to the brick cost for a traditional home building, it is clear that a barndominium’s design won’t need much labour like conventional homes. Further, modern materials can save both money and labour time.
Conclusion
Building a barndominium is generally cheaper than building a traditional house. It costs less when constructed with pre-existing barns with basic amenities. Over the years, the demand for housing in a barndominium has risen, especially in the United States, due to the high cost of properties. However, living in a barndominium also requires low maintenance costs, which makes it economically effective for people who want to own a house on a fixed and specific budget.
Last Updated on by Sathi