Want to build your own barndominium? Here’s the resource you need

Georgie Mihaila
6 Min Read
Photo credit: Mike Higginson / Shutterstock

*This article was sponsored by Barndominium Life, the #1 media brand covering the barndominium space.

Back in 2016, Chip and Joanna Gaines transformed a horse barn into a modern-day living space for the Meek family in what later became known as one of the greatest Fixer Upper episodes of all time.

And while that particular renovation drew scores of HGTV fans to watch the Season 3 episode of the popular home renovation show, the barn conversion also had a lasting impact on the house design landscape, catapulting barndominiums into the mainstream — and making them one of the most hip, desirable, and fun options for dwellings to emerge in recent years.

Loved for their distinctive charm, low building costs, and versatility, these barn-like structures converted for residential use cater to a wide range of lifestyles, from those seeking a lovely country retreat to individuals looking for a contemporary urban oasis with a hint of rustic charm.

Barndominiums are having a moment

The ability to customize the living space, combined with the spacious floorplans, appeals to a diverse demographic, making barndominiums a viable option for families, professionals, and retirees alike.

And with the increasingly higher costs of housing, coupled with the never-ending rise in interest rates of the past couple of years, barndominiums have stepped in to provide a much-needed alternative to traditional homes.

In fact, Google Trends shows an explosion of web searches from users interested in learning more about this alternative housing option. Starting in mid-2020, Google searches for the term “barndominium” have shot up, and have been on a roll ever since.

Google Trends chart showing the rise in popularity of barndominiums.

Where to learn about the barndo life

Naturally, the rise in popularity brought about scores of websites and blogs catering to this growing interest and teaching people how to design, build, and decorate their own barn-like structures.

But the leader in the space is the aptly named BarndominiumLife.com, a comprehensive website dedicated to celebrating the barndo lifestyle.

As the #1 media brand covering the barndominium space, the website offers a wealth of information, presented in various formats — like blog posts, videos, instructional guides, floor plans, and more — to help their readers build their dream barn-like home.

Started by a building expert with a burning passion for barndominiums, Barndominium Life has attracted a talented team of writers, designers, and contributors who willingly share their knowledge with readers across the U.S.

Their goal: to help address the pressing issue of housing availability — and to educate and accelerate the rate at which barndominiums are built.

And they’re offering all the tools one might need to get their structure off the ground, from cost overviews to design and interior inspiration and state guides (that provide relevant local resources based on your location).

They even provide granular advice to address specific pain points for barndominium owners that we didn’t even know existed, like tips on what the best cell phone signal boosters are for metal buildings.

Seeing increasing interest from people looking for housing alternatives due to the current state of the market, they expanded their services to also include pre-made building plans.

Buy barndominium plans and build your own

Starting 2021, BarndominiumLife upped the value they offer their readers by adding ready-made barndominium house plans.

With budget-friendly prices, BarndominiumPlans has a wealth of stock house plans covering the most popular barndo designs and configured for several layouts and square footage.

Shortening the process from the idea level to execution, each one of the site’s pre-made building plans offer the perfect starting point for people looking to adopt the barndominium lifestyle.

Barndominium building plans with prices.

And they’ll even help their clients customize the designs with the help of their skilled designers.

BarndominiumPlan’s lead designer, Christy, holds a degree in Architecture and Interior Design and specializes in designing spaces that are both cool and functional, mixing old-fashioned charm with modern style to spectacular results.

Buying a ready-made barndominium plan costs $1,550, and they also run promotions from time to time — so make sure to stay tuned if you’re looking for a discounted rate.

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With a decade-long career as a digital content creator, Georgie started out as a real estate journalist for Multi-Housing News & CPExecutive. She later transitioned into digital marketing, working with leading real estate websites like PropertyShark, RENTCafé and Point2Homes. After a brief but impactful stint in the start-up world, where she led the marketing divisions of fintech company NestReady and media publisher Goalcast, Georgie returned to her first passion, real estate, and founded FancyPantsHomes.com