What I Wish I Knew Before Building A Barndominium

The barndominium has taken modern construction by storm in the last decade or so. Changing what looks like a barn into an actual living space, perhaps once a radical idea, has become a part of the modern home landscape. The reasons for its popularity are many. However, barndominiums tend to offer homeowners a few key things:

• a unique aesthetic
• a nod to the rural in crowded suburban environment
• a return to simplicity

Perhaps more than anything else, barndominiums offer homeowners a change of pace from the stale, cookie-cutter homes that populate every new subdivision everywhere.

This is why I chose to go the barndominium route. While I loved my parents’ home, I wanted something that reflected my personality a bit more. I wanted more open space and more use of reclaimed materials that could be easily integrated into construction.

And I got all of that. But the problem is that there were things that I didn’t bargain for in general. For example:

• ‘Many companies offer low cost barndominiums, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that what they provide is something you can live in.
• My push for customization made my home mine, but if I ever wanted to sell my home, I wonder if I did myself a disservice.
• Barndominiums cost about as much as ‘standard’ homes, but gauging a value of the home is tough considering there may not be others nearby to compare
• Restrictions may exist based on the appearance of the home, zoning regulations, and even height regulations

Finally, there is a certain Texas-based couple famous for their home makeover show. I’ve adored their work for years, but few things blew me away more than their barn-to-living space transformation. This, of course, was the birth of the modern barndominium phrase and craze. I’ll admit — I bit and I bit hard on the trend, as did many others. The thing is there is an operative word to point out…trend. I chose my living space on a fleeting idea that is, to be sure, cool right now.

But what about in a few years? How will this living space work when I choose to have a family? Will this barndominium be a worthwhile investment as time goes on once the trend becomes less prominent? These were the types of questions I didn’t ask. And while I love my home, I sometimes wondered whether or not I made the best long-term decision.

Still, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Even though they were not involved in the construction of my home, T. Locke Construction have become ideal consultants for what my barndominium can become as time goes on. They’ve been at the forefront of creating customized homes for their clients for over twenty years. They also understand what it takes to bring a one-of-a-kind vision to life. Perhaps most importantly, they’ve got the expertise and experience to help me look at remodeling and reworking of my living space to make it work for whatever the future may bring.

Whether it’s a barndominium or any other living space in central Texas, T. Locke Construction in Austin offers a construction company you can trust.