Texas Barndominiums History : The Many Lives of the Barndominium

Jul 15, 2019 | Barndominium Articles and Ideas

Texas barndominiums have been in use for a long time,and have a rich history. For smaller farms out in rugged country, people once housed their livestock on the ground level of their barn. They then created their home on the second floor. It was done for affordability, convenience, and even for heating reasons. These earlier agricultural families have largely influenced the rise of the modern barndominium.

But “barndos” are inspired by more than just livestock – they’re a twist on what is centuries, even millenniums old – the live/work space. Go back centuries and you’ll find blacksmiths operating out of the back of their homes. Visit rural towns in places like Oaxaca, Mexico even today, and you’ll discover the village baker has half their home compound dedicated to their brick oven and shop.

Remote Working = Rural Opportunity

Today, we’re returning to live/work models that allow more people to work from home. Companies are beginning to see value in remote work. It increases employees’ productivity, reduces sick time, and even raises the standard of living for families when parents work from home. It seems almost a matter of time before more people are working from outside the head office than inside.

There’s a long list of incentives to working from home, but among them is the option of being able to move to rural areas and live a quieter life.

  • Rural land is typically much more affordable than urban spaces.
  • It’s also more family-friendly and full of opportunities for self-sustenance, like being able to raise animals for consumption, growing your own food, and more.
  • Plus, if your home is also your workspace, even when employed by a company, there may be tax deductions and other financial perks to save you money.

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Thinking of building your new building or carport?  Let’s talk.  We can manufacture small backyard DIY projects up to large custom commercial projects, and have been doing so for over 20 years.
Call us at (972) 524-1099 or stop by and see us!

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Texas Barndominiums House Spacious Home-Based Businesses

When it comes to which businesses are best suited to barndominiums, it’s all about how good your imagination is. For those of us providing barndo kits, we’ve heard tons of great home-based business plans to capitalize on the spaciousness and versatility of barndominium options.

Absolute Steel Barndominium Kit

An Absolute Steel Barndominium Kit

Retail Space / Studio Space:

Retail options are common – including maker spaces, like say a pottery studio or woodworking shop. They’re great for the working artist who needs to create their product as well as display and sell it.

Fitness Studios:

We’ve seen professional yoga and fitness training studios that bring an unexpected business idea into an area that may be lacking for those options.

Mechanics and Car Collectors:

The barndominium is a huge hit with auto enthusiasts because they can keep their classic cars close at hand, stored indoors, and in a super convenient location should they need to access them.  It’s basically like having an expanded garage space attached to the house.

Food Industry:

The food industry seems to love barndominiums, since the laws around having a “professional” kitchen can be strict, but the space allocated through a barndo means having a pro kitchen that’s food-safe for commercial purposes just around the corner. Those jams, specialty foods, artisan breads, and more could all be easily created in a certified cooking space, providing entrepreneurial opportunities that might cost a fortune in the city – to the tune of thousands of dollars per month.

Rental Opportunities:

Plus, when not in use, it could even be rented out to others in the region, providing a leg up for other enterprising people while also being a low-effort income stream.

Another One Please:

A barndominium works great for small distilleries, home-brewing start-ups, and even hobby wineries making a thousand or two cases of wine to sell a year.

And MORE:

But we’ve seen people growing herbs for medicinal purposes, sheltering animals, running food banks, selling hardware and tackle and fishing bait, and so much more.

What’s your dream business? Could you make it work if you had the space for it?

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Thinking of building your new building or carport?  Let’s talk.  We can manufacture small backyard DIY projects up to large custom commercial projects, and have been doing so for over 20 years.
Call us at (972) 524-1099 or stop by and see us!

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Adaptable and Affordable Living Spaces

With barndominiums, you’ll find they’re easy to adapt to growing needs over time, a bit more so than a traditional home – especially with metal construction. If you need more space, or you think you need to raise or knock down a wall, it’s all doable.

So, if you’ve moved to a somewhat rural spot, built your barndo, and one day get struck by inspiration, it’ll be easy and affordable to adapt your barndominium to accommodate your ambitions. With a DIY build, you could create your perfect live/work space for as little as $45 a square foot. Talk to us about our kits today.

Want to learn more?  Ask us!

  • Local Phone: (972) 524-1099
  • Nationwide Toll-Free Phone: (888) 658-5147