DIY Builds
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What is a Barndominium shell?

Barndominium kits are typically either metal or wood structures. Some of the kits are only “shells” which are a framed structure with windows and doors on the exterior and an empty clean slate ready to be built out on the inside. It is a shell, similar to a custom-built home in many ways.

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Barndominium kits are typically either metal or wood structures. Some of the kits are only “shells” which are a framed structure with windows and doors on the exterior and an empty clean slate ready to be built out on the inside. It is a shell, similar to a custom-built home in many ways. In the end, you will have designed the interior layout of the Barndominium with a professional company such as Buildmax.com who specializes in custom Barndominium floor plans. Once you have floor plans for the interior and exterior you can proceed to build the whole Barndominium. Finishing the D.I.Y style kit is time-consuming and will take a strong level of organizational skills as well as technical skills. Building your own home, even a kit home isn’t always an easy thing to do. There are many challenges to face even before the first nail is struck.

As you can imagine when I first learned about Barndominium kits I had some fundamental questions, like what all do you get with a Barndominium kit? How much does a Barndominium shell cost with delivery? Which should I choose, turn-key Barndominium kit or D.I.Y Barndominium Shell Kit?

Well, I found that the most serious companies selling Barndominium kits actually provide more than I ever expected. With “delivery” you get a concrete slab, exterior doors, stained concrete floors, energy-efficient windows, spray foam insulation, a roof, and exterior walls. Keep in mind this was just my observation from checking into a few companies online and this seemed fairly standard across the industry. Most of these companies have crews that come out and do the build. Going from one company to the next, they will do things slightly differently or may not provide the same options, so be aware of that and always ask what is included. Never assume you know what you’re getting as each company is different. Depending on what you want to build there are options as easy as finishing the structure in a matter of a day or two. If you want something more complex like most people are going to build, the process is going to be more intensive. The energy efficiency and the limited maintenance of the structure is the real appeal, and in some cases, you can build a barndominium for cheaper than a stick-built home of the same size. Kit homes were made popular by the price. Builders were putting on stick-built homes at the time allowing for you to buy a complete package for a set price. It streamlines the home building process and makes it easier for the home buyer/builder when they can pay one price for all the materials to be packaged, organized, delivered & erected all on-site and for a set price. It is a more hands-off, turn-key solution to the home building process. Many people like kit homes because they do not have the skills or know-how to put the project together, procure materials, and subcontractors that many first-time home builders do not even know where to start when building their first time so a kid home is very appealing in that regard. Different companies provide different services so I cannot stress enough how important it is to thoroughly understand the services offered, what is included, before deciding if a kit home is right for you

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The bottom line for many first-time builders is going to be affordability with barndominium kits typically costing under $10,000. It’s definitely a no-brainer for someone who has no idea how to build a home, what goes into it, what material materials are needed, and the overall process of building. This allows building a home to be accessible to everyone with a turnkey option. A kit home gives you the freedom to worry about interior design aspects, landscaping, colors of the interior and exterior appliances, and other amenities. This gives you the free time to focus on the things that are important to you. Your build will make for a much more pleasant building experience than being stressed and not knowing if you are doing something right. The peace of mind alone makes a barndominium kit the right way to go for so many people. The flexibility in the design process is a huge plus. Everyone wants creative freedom when it comes to their own barndominium. Nobody wants a cookie-cutter home that looks the same as their neighbors and everyone deserves to be able to express themselves through the design process. Below I have compiled a list of exclusions from a barndominium kit manufacturer. These are all of the things this particular kit manufacturer does not include with their barndominium kit. This specific company does no construction whatsoever. The list below is all the things not provided, that you will need to find from other companies or contractors in order to finish your barndominium kit include:

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NO Foundation Design

NO Anchor Bolts

NO Wainscots or Exterior Finishes

No Insulation Package

No Landscaping

No Site Work or site prep

No Interior Walls & Finishes

No Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical

No Interior Design & Floor Plan Layout

No Doors and Windows

No On-site Inspections

No Taxes & Freight

This is essentially a $10k shell you can finish on your own time with as many D.I.Y projects as you can handle and hire subcontractors to finish out whatever projects you lack the skills or manpower to finish. For many first-time builders this is a terrifying path to a new barndominium, but for many, they have the skills and desire to build and design This is the perfect option and they wouldn’t want to build their barndominium in any other way because they can save much more money. Overall, doing much of the work themselves and are in control of the building process. These are the kinds of people that would benefit from a barndominium kit highly; motivated individuals seeking to build their dream barndominium.

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