Barndominiums have been the hype in the world of alternative housing solutions. You’ve probably heard of the other alternatives, like shipping container houses and tiny homes. Barndominiums stand out because they allow people to customize their living spaces at a reasonable cost. If you have been thinking of building your dream home in New Jersey, but can’t justify dealing with the steep costs involved, continue reading because building a barndominium in New Jersey might just be the best option for you.
Table of Contents
- 1 Can You Build a Barndominium in New Jersey?
- 2 New Jersey Barndominiums Overview
- 3 Where Can You Build a Barndo in New Jersey?
- 4 3 Things to Consider Before Building a Barndominium in New Jersey
- 5 Is it Worth Building a Barndo in New Jersey?
Can You Build a Barndominium in New Jersey?
Yes, you sure can! Building a barndominium in New Jersey is a great choice with its beautiful landscape featuring pine forests, swamplands, and low hills. Agricultural land and farms still exist in the state despite suburbanization.
New Jersey Barndominiums Overview
Here’s a little introduction to barndominiums if you haven’t heard about them yet. The original barndominiums were barns that were turned into houses. Today, barndominiums or barndos are metal framed buildings that look like barns on the outside, but on the inside, they have all the comforts of a modern home. They are typically built with metal. Some people use timber; sometimes, it’s a combination of both.
If you want to learn about barndominiums a little more, you’re in luck because we have a Barndominium 101 Guide that will go into more detail about these types of buildings.
Advantages and Disadvantages
What’s the catch? Let’s look into some advantages of barndominiums as well as disadvantages to see if they are worth the hype.
Advantages
- Durability – There’s no doubt about the resilience of barndos. Due to mostly being made with metal frames on a concrete slab, these buildings can withstand the harshest weather conditions. They are more resistant to common issues in traditional houses, like mold and rot.
- Cost – Barndominiums are generally cheaper than traditional stick-built houses. This is mainly because barndos are quicker to build than houses. This means that you don’t have to spend much on labor costs.
- Space – How barndominiums are constructed allows these buildings to have a lot of space. Due to this, many barndo owners use the space for other purposes, such as a workshop, a garage, or a home office. Depending on your lifestyle, you can use the extra space for anything you need.
Disadvantages
- They need larger land – Barndos require more land area where they are to be built because the floor space is often laid out. In traditional houses, you can distribute the floor space over multiple stories.
- Limited exterior designs – In traditional stick-built homes, you can choose from various materials like bricks, timber, or stucco. Barndominiums, on the other hand, tend to resemble barns. However, people have come up with ways around this. You can look at innovative ways to design a barndo from our Pinterest page.
Regulations
Building codes and regulations are important to enforce standards on building construction. This ensures the safety of the residents as well as the community. Each county may adopt different building codes, so it is best to consult the local building authority to ensure you adhere to the local regulations. However, in some places, all the information about regulations and getting permits is available online. Jersey City, for example, puts instructions on its website on how to submit an application and requirements. Contact information of a Construction Code Official is also made available should you need help.
Taxes
Rates of barndominium taxes in New Jersey can significantly vary per city and county because each jurisdiction determines its tax rates. The state has some of the highest property tax rates in the country. The average tax rate is 2.42% of the home’s assessed value. For reference, the national average is 1.07%. However, as mentioned, this can vary per county. It is best to consult a local tax assessor on where you are planning to build.
Insurance
Regardless of whether insurance is required by law, getting barndominium insurance would be a great way to protect your investment from unexpected losses. Not a bad idea since homeowners insurance rates in New Jersey are 44% less than the national average. Of course, the rates depend on the coverage you plan on getting. Common causes of loss in New Jersey are storms, wildfires, and snow.
Financing
A major project like building a home takes a huge chunk of cash. To alleviate this, get help with barndominium financing. You can ask the people in our Facebook Group for the best deals. Below are some of our suggestions.
Farm Credit
Farm credit has been a go-to for barndominium financing. Their mission is to support rural communities with financial services, which could be perfect for your barndo project.
BarndominiumLoans.com
They pride themselves on having the best mortgage products for your project. If you are looking for barndominium financing, they can help you wherever you are.
Builders
Picking the right builder is crucial to the result of your barndo project. The best builders are the ones who can keep the cost reasonable while delivering quality work. Request a quote from multiple builders to ensure you get the best rates.
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Conestoga Buildings
They started as a company that built basic pole barn structures and evolved into full-service contractors who can design and build your barndo.
BuildMax
They have thousands of house plans to choose from, but they would be happy to help you design your custom house plan. They are quality builders and designers that might be the perfect fit to work on your barndo.
You can broaden your search by looking into our list of the best barndominium builders that build in most states in the US, including New Jersey.
Kit Providers
If you want to lower the expenses of your project, you can order barndominium kits and do the rest of the work. Below are some of our recommended kit suppliers.
Hansen Buildings
One of the industry’s leading suppliers in barndominium kits. They have extensive experience manufacturing kits for storage, agricultural, and personal living.
Sunward Steel Buildings
They have been manufacturing quality buildings for 50 years. They fabricate their kits to ensure that they are up to standards. If you want to go for quality, this is the right choice.
Steel Buildings Kit
Steel Buildings Kit is a network of kit providers across the US. Getting in touch with them would be perfect for those who want multiple quotes from kit providers in New Jersey.
You can look for more suppliers from our list of the best barndominium kit providers that can ship to most states across the country.
Cost
Barndominiums are often cheaper than traditional stick-built homes but let us look into how they compare. Getting an estimate for barndominium prices can be tricky because we need to factor in design complexity, choice of materials, insulation, number of stories, and so forth. For reference, traditional houses cost $200 – $500 per square foot in New Jersey. A barndominium in Middlesex, New Jersey, is estimated to range from $87 to $100 per square foot.
You can use our barndominium cost calculator to factor in the specifics of your barndominium build.
Where Can You Build a Barndo in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, small towns are often the best places to build barndominiums because of the laid-back atmosphere, tight-knit community, and beautiful landscapes it offers. Some places to consider are Ridgewood, Spring Lake, and Millburn.
3 Things to Consider Before Building a Barndominium in New Jersey
Barndo Style
Consider the barndominium style that you would be going for. They can look pretty similar on the exterior but on the inside; you can do pretty much whatever style you want. Are you looking for a rustic ambiance or more of an industrial look? Perhaps a Scandinavian theme would better fit your style. You need to plan this to make sure you source the required materials.
What to improve
Take a look at your current home and see what you would like to improve. Use your experience with issues in your house to avoid making the same mistakes in your dream home.
Long-term plans
What are your plans for the next 5 years or so? Barndominiums are a long-term investment, so you have to consider your future. What kind of hobbies would you be into? Will you be adding a member to your family? These have to be taken into account to ensure you have the space in your dream home.
Is it Worth Building a Barndo in New Jersey?
With everything considered, the answer is yes. It is worth building a barndo in New Jersey. Building a dream home is now more accessible to many people because of barndominiums. The ability to customize your living space to your desired floor plan proves valuable for many folks. If you haven’t decided on a floor plan yet, check your choices from our barndominium floor plans.
If you want to know what to expect when building your project, we put together an article that shows you the entire process of building a barndominium. Best of luck to your barndo living journey!
