Alternative Homebuilding Options
Tired of renting? Ready to build your first home? Or maybe you’ve just heard the buzz about nontraditional homes, and are exploring whether they could be a good option for you and your family? The alternative housing movement continues to grow across America, and for good reason. As long as you’ve got some land of your own, then a barndominium for sale or a pole barn for sale are both real possibilities you can consider. At the same time, it helps to understand what the differences between pole barns and barndos are, so you can decide which home type is really better for you.
What Are Pole Barn Homes?
Pole barns have been around for a very long time. Unlike a standard stick build that’s framed with studs, a pole barn or pole building is supported by wooden post frames. Pole barns are typically constructed as large agricultural structures with high ceilings, large interiors, and no basement. They’ve traditionally been used for housing tractors, harvesters, equipment, horses and livestock, hay and feed, etc. More recently, pole barn homes have been erected on the same building template, with wooden features in the framing and exterior, and with the interior then being finished out for residential usage.
What Are Barndominiums?
Barndominiums (or barndos) are a newer steel home design that began gaining popularity in the 1990s. Unlike pole barn homes that are based on wood, barndominiums feature steel framing and a steel exterior. As the name suggests, a barndominium is more or less a cross between a metal barn and a condominium. The exterior can be designed in a manner that’s modeled after the look of a traditional barn, while the clear-span interior can be designed and finished any way the homeowner prefers.
There’s More to Like About Steel Barndos
While pole barn homes and metal barndominiums can look similar on the outside, there are some significant differences between the two. Many assume that pole barn prices will be lower than barndominium prices, but a barndominium can actually be more cost-effective both to build and to maintain over time. Here are a few key points worth noting:
> Initial building cost
Sometimes a pole barn home can be initially less expensive than a metal barndominium, but oftentimes not. A steel-framed home is generally around 30% cheaper to build than a wood-framed home. And the larger your home design, the more you can potentially save by going with steel. A steel-built home requires less upkeep, too.
> Flexible in design
If you’re looking for a spacious interior layout with high ceilings, a metal building home can deliver as well as a pole barn home. Plus, steel frame engineering needs no interior columns or supports, so you actually end up with more usable interior space.
> Fast construction
Metal home construction is designed and engineered to be a more streamlined process. Each building component comes pre-measured, pre-welded, and ready-to-install, so your steel home shell goes up fast, with minimal on-site labor. You can even choose to purchase a DIY metal building home kit you can put up on your own, if you prefer.
> Energy-efficient, too
A properly-insulated metal home can actually be up to 40% more energy-efficient than a comparable wood-framed home. Surprised? Steel framing is dense and compact, meaning there’s more available roof and wall cavity space to be filled with insulation. More insulation means less demand on your air conditioner, which equates to lower heating & air costs. It’s hard to beat a well-insulated metal barndominium for energy efficiency!
> The unparalleled strength of steel
Galvanized steel is naturally more sturdy and long-lasting than wood. It’s more resistant to weather threats and moisture threats, and is also more pest-resistant, fire-resistant, and even earthquake-resistant. For these reasons, a steel-built home can save you more on your insurance premiums, too.
> Eco-friendliness
The steel used by Metal Barn Central for construction includes a percentage of recycled content, and is itself 100% recyclable. And with prefab steel construction, there’s essentially no job site waste, which means less of an impact on your local landfill.
How Much Does It Cost to Build a Barndominium?
That’s a great question, and the answer ultimately depends on important factors like the size of your building, the gauge of steel you choose for the framing and paneling, and which building customizations you choose to include. But no matter which option you decide, a steel-built home from Metal Barn Central is a very cost-effective option. You can get a great barndominium home shell for less than $50k, and then you can hire your preferred subcontractor to finish everything out for you.
Let Metal Barn Central Provide Your Perfect Barndo Home Solution
Can a metal barndominum really be a good home building solution? Absolutely. Our steel structures are incredibly strong and durable, and they’re fully customizable too. We’ve been providing custom barndominiums and metal building homes for years, and we’d love to serve your home building needs, too.
We source American steel whenever possible, and each of our steel structures is individually tailored by an American building manufacturer partner. Our team of building experts is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and we’re more than capable of getting you whatever you want in a custom metal building home shell. We also deliver and install at no extra charge in 46 US states!
Looking for good home financing solutions? We’ve got you covered there, too. With our preferred financing partners, we offer attractive metal building home mortgage plans that can include the cost of the land, the metal building, the foundation, and all interior finishing costs.
There’s no need to wait any longer, when you can get the new home construction solution you need right now. Reach out to us online, or connect even faster by giving us a call at (980) 365-8481 today!
