Barndominium?

[GON]

On the inspection, you hire the inspector, no compromise whatsoever on that.

If your realtor liaisons the inspection for you- you will not have an inspection, you will have a marketing material.

This is something you must make sure of. I would go as far as hiring two independent inspectors, the property is unique, and you mentioned you need to make sure the purchase is right.

Something I liked about the property is city water, wells can be expensive if a issue, or worse- sometimes water can't be found.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

What kind of problems ? I see metal buildings with finished interiors everywhere .

They don't have traditional sill plates and framing so they leak air unless you spend a tonne of money in exterior spray foam which is ridiculous from a cost perspective. An other issue is all the crap people store in them and whether you can effectively air seal the garage from the living quarters. Other, they have limited resale and financing them is difficult.

 

[JTK]

It seems that a lot of folks don't understand how a barndominium works . The living area is just like a regular home or apartment . Drywall , eight or ten foot ceilings , etc ...

True, but I've seen plenty of them for sale online with massive open floor plans, all metal framing, huge, exposed HVAC ductwork, etc. Kind of a mix of commercial and residential construction.

 

[GON]

True, but I've seen plenty of them for sale online with massive open floor plans, all metal framing, huge, exposed HVAC ductwork, etc. Kind of a mix of commercial and residential construction.

I have a former peer who is very savvy in construction, and has very ample resources.

He is building a barndominim. He could afford to modestly build anything he wants. He has full competency to be the general contractor from a cabin to a waste water treatment plant --- smart guy.

Some people love barndominims. Not a match for me as I love warmth, and suspect efficient climate control is not a barndominim selling point. But others, barndominim is the cat's meow.

 

[Cujet]

They don't have traditional sill plates and framing so they leak air unless you spend a tonne of money in exterior spray foam which is ridiculous from a cost perspective. An other issue is all the crap people store in them and whether you can effectively air seal the garage from the living quarters. Other, they have limited resale and financing them is difficult.

In this case the garage is a separate metal building. A cheap one....
I've hired the best inspector I could find. He uses IR to look for heat leaks, and a drone to check areas of the roof that are too difficult to climb on.

The interior contains nothing but a normal home interior.

Pikeville, TN has a temperate climate. A short winter with occasional snow. A modest summer, with peaks in the upper 80's. The idea that one needs stunning insulation or an AC with the same capacity as S. Florida is just not so. IECC Climate Zone 4A (mixed humid)

 

[nomas]

They don't have traditional sill plates and framing so they leak air unless you spend a tonne of money in exterior spray foam which is ridiculous from a cost perspective. An other issue is all the crap people store in them and whether you can effectively air seal the garage from the living quarters. Other, they have limited resale and financing them is difficult.

You still don't understand . The living area is basically a separate structure within the walls of the barn / shop . The walls and ceiling are framed just like the house you live in .

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

You still don't understand . The living area is basically a separate structure within the walls of the barn / shop . The walls and ceiling are framed just like the house you live in .

You don't get it because many of these structures do not have a separate garage. Having a separate garage defeats the primary reason why they exist to begin with unless you want to build a "luxury" version which seems to be gaining traction because that don't look like someone is living in the back of an commercial business.

Below are examples of early version.

Here is an example of the problem of construction. As you can see the steel framing acts like a heat sink drawing heat via conduction to the exterior. The roof deck can present a condensation problem. These two issues are probably why expensive spray foam is used.

 

[Cujet]

Update:

Failed inspection, I hired a great inspector. The listing was inaccurate, does not have a slab foundation. It is a POLE BARN style building made from PT wood 6x6's set into a bed of gravel. The floor is poured fiber concrete over that bed of gravel and no part of the house is affixed to the concrete slab.

The reason for the buckling siding on the East side is that the poles are settling into the ground and the gravel/slab is not. Simple compression of the siding.

I terminated the contract as no other viable option existed in the time frame allotted. I absolutely loved the place, the land, and the single floor living. I can't imagine any simple or inexpensive repair scheme. Really, a new perimeter foundation would need to be poured, and the beams cut, leveled, brackets installed and affixed to the new foundation. Yikes.

I was misled by the listing and utterly unaware anyone would do such a thing. The price would have to be far lower.

This is how it was made!!!!

 

[RhondaHonda]

Great job hiring a competent inspector! Whatever it cost was well worth the hassle and money it saved. That looks like a cool lot, too bad they cut corners building it.

 

[GON]

Glad you hired the inspector! Very happy to know you will live for another day to find your right housing match.

Something I speak with my wife about daily for our next home- at over 60 years of age, it is hard to recover from a "wrong home purchase". At age 30, very easy to recover from a wrong home purchase, at over 60--- not so much.

 

[CDX825]

Building one of these things on pole barn construction is foolish and sadly I'd bet the majority of them are built that way. Unless you use perma columns those poles will have to be replaced eventually.

 

[GON]

Building one of these things on pole barn construction is foolish and sadly I'd bet the majority of them are built that way. Unless you use perma columns those poles will have to be replaced eventually.

Recently watched a video that stated it costs over $10k USD (minimum) on a pole barn to prevent the vertical poles from rotting.

 

[Cujet]

Building one of these things on pole barn construction is foolish and sadly I'd bet the majority of them are built that way. Unless you use perma columns those poles will have to be replaced eventually.

Since I love the place, I'm considering offering a lot less, no idea of whether they would take such an offer.

Being as the structure is in need of major surgery. I'd still love to live there and I 'think' a satisfactory rework method could be developed. One that provides adequate structural integrity. Remember, the home is on a ledge of bedrock which is not far below the home. I'd be guessing, 10feet maybe. The rock cliff outcroppings are that ledge. And a structural tie-in could solve any settling issues.

I've been watching videos on how rotten pole barn poles are repaired. These are not rotten, just poorly engineered. Pouring concrete footers and cutting the poles, using galvanized brackets would be quite structurally sound.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Did you put in another offer?

 

[Cujet]

Did you put in another offer?

In talks about assessing the engineering costs and repairs. Dealing with the realtor as middleman in talks like this is difficult.

Here is the latest: The seller will allow, with a non transactional contract, invasive inspection to determine the extent of repairs necessary. Has hinted to the realtor that they are willing to negotiate more on price. They initially agreed on $650K, acceptable for a 2700 sq ft home on 20 acres in rural TN, that's in need of a boatload of self evident cosmetic work. Not OK when structural issues exist.

I could be out the price of the invasive inspection, which would include removal of the log cribbing adjacent the gravel foundation, digging down along the poles and assessing just what happened.

TLDR: I pay for inspection/quote. Seller has no obligation

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

In talks about assessing the engineering costs and repairs. Dealing with the realtor as middleman in talks like this is difficult.

Here is the latest: The seller will allow, with a non transactional contract, invasive inspection to determine the extent of repairs necessary. Has hinted to the realtor that they are willing to negotiate more on price. They initially agreed on $650K, acceptable for a 2700 sq ft home on 20 acres in rural TN, that's in need of a boatload of self evident cosmetic work. Not OK when structural issues exist.

I could be out the price of the invasive inspection, which would include removal of the log cribbing adjacent the gravel foundation, digging down along the poles and assessing just what happened.

TLDR: I pay for inspection/quote. Seller has no obligation

I know it is tough to have to back off in the middle of a transaction as important as a home. You may have really saved yourself lots of money and misery. I hope you can work it out for the best even if that means walking away to some other place.

I had our home under an accepted contract a few years ago. IMHO the buyers agent screwed them and cost them some money.

They agreed and offered more than we were even asking. We accepted and they paid for a thorough inspection that passed easily. We were actually still looking for our next home. Then a really bad storm hit and flooded our town. My street and house are high and never came close to flooding. All of a sudden the buyer tells me he can not afford to pay what he agreed to. I believe his agent put him up to this offer over asking price thinking they could prey on our goodness to accept a lower offer. NOT A CHANCE. I told him no one selling the homes we are looking at is offering a big reduced price or to pay closing costs like they expected us to. I also could not find a home we wanted in a location we liked..

Legally I was able to void the contract he could not or would not honor. He cried about losing the inspection money and all I could think of is that it was the seemingly shady agent who orchestrated their bad results. I truly felt bad for them because they clearly loved the house with my double garage and my big shop in the back yard he was going to convert into an apartment for daughter of his.

 

[Cujet]

That's quite a story Sammy!! Yikes.

In this case, I was savvy enough to alter the initial contract to include a clause that allowed me to back out for any reason, or no reason during the inspection period. I simply mentioned it failed inspection and backed out cleanly. I did not state why. (I am sure the realtor provided the seller my inspection report, despite it being paid for by me).

I'm 62 and have health issues, especially with leg muscles. So a flat single floor place on flat land is important. This fits. If I live 20 more years, the house needs to last that long. With proper repairs, it will. Without, it probably won't. It is 6 years old and already the East side is settling.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

That's quite a story Sammy!! Yikes.

In this case, I was savvy enough to alter the initial contract to include a clause that allowed me to back out for any reason, or no reason during the inspection period. I simply mentioned it failed inspection and backed out cleanly. I did not state why. (I am sure the realtor provided the seller my inspection report, despite it being paid for by me).

I'm 62 and have health issues, especially with leg muscles. So a flat single floor place on flat land is important. This fits. If I live 20 more years, the house needs to last that long. With proper repairs, it will. Without, it probably won't. It is 6 years old and already the East side is settling.

Glad you had yourself covered. Good luck on the relocation. Maybe you can find something even nicer that comes with zero complications. I know it is not real easy finding a home and moving later in life. Especially like me (sounds like you too) with health issues to consider. I am sorry it is working out the way it seems because I can see exactly what hooked you all. Just from photos shows how very amazing and beautiful it all is, One can really imagine just how grand it would be to be your very own King of the Hills with several of your very own private acres around.

 

[Fordiesel69]

I would have a hard time resisting not buying that place. That property looks amazing. Fingers crossed they truly are willing to negotiate.

 

[IndyIan]

That's quite a story Sammy!! Yikes.

In this case, I was savvy enough to alter the initial contract to include a clause that allowed me to back out for any reason, or no reason during the inspection period. I simply mentioned it failed inspection and backed out cleanly. I did not state why. (I am sure the realtor provided the seller my inspection report, despite it being paid for by me).

I'm 62 and have health issues, especially with leg muscles. So a flat single floor place on flat land is important. This fits. If I live 20 more years, the house needs to last that long. With proper repairs, it will. Without, it probably won't. It is 6 years old and already the East side is settling.

Is there insulation under the slab, that extends out a few feet around the perimeter? For a slab on grade here, that's what they do to keep the ground unfrozen beneath the slab even if the building is unheated to keep if from heaving.
It seems converting this pole barn to a slab foundation structure would be a bit of an engineering feat that would be expensive to pay for.