Yankee Barn Homes – In-Depth Review (Are They Worth It?)

Building a custom dream home is one of the biggest milestones of a person’s life. This undertaking requires careful planning, thorough research, and a team of experts to bring your dream home to life. Finding a trustworthy company that offers high-quality materials, exceptional engineering, and detailed craftsmanship is crucial to the success of your project. This process may be time-consuming because you have to sift through all the information available online. Don’t worry! To save you the effort, we have done the work for you.
In this article, we will review the services and products offered by Yankee Barn Homes, as well as their construction methods, design process, and overall reputation in the industry. Whether you are in the market for an entire timber frame home, a partial post and beam design, or a hybrid approach, Yankee Barn Homes has the experience and expertise to deliver a one-of-a-kind home that meets your unique needs.
Table of Contents
Yankee Barn Homes Overview
Yankee Barn Homes, a post-frame home builder based in New Hampshire, specializes in custom-designed, energy-efficient homes and has over 50 years of experience in the industry. The company offers a variety of architectural styles and has a long history in barn home construction.
They are well-versed in building energy-efficient prefab shell packages, utilizing their trademarked True Wall and True Roof Panels, a technological advancement in the SIP design. These panels provide superior cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency, and sustainability, giving clients peace of mind. Yankee Barn Homes’ fast on-site assembly reduces construction waste and time loss. You can follow our Facebook Page for more information and fresh content on alternative housing solutions.
History
Yankee Barn Homes was founded in 1969 by Emil Hanslin, a leading innovator in the housing industry. Hanslin’s vision was to custom-design and craft timber frame homes that were authentic in style and designed to fit contemporary lifestyles. He aimed to use the finest materials for weather protection and energy efficiency. Before founding Yankee Barn Homes, Hanslin was the developer of New Seabury, a residential community on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
He and his wife conceived the idea that barn architecture could be used as a foundation for a beautiful home. Emil incorporated the use of posts and beams crafted from large timbers sourced from mill buildings of the Industrial Revolution era. The result was the creation of the “Mark I”, a barn home design that provides all the features one would seek in a home, including comfort, form, and function.

Products and Services
Yankee Barn Homes prefabricate pole barn home kits to be delivered to their client’s property for assembly. The company consists of craftsmen that have mastered designing and constructing timber frame and post-beam homes from start to finish. These types of houses are popularly known as barndominiums.
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Custom Designs
An in-house design team works closely with clients to create virtual 3D homes that meet their specific needs and requirements. The team works virtually with clients through a client portal and online meetings to provide an interactive experience and allow clients to visualize their homes inside and out before production. Clients can choose to modify an existing Yankee Barn Home design or bring their own ideas, design elements, or lifestyle requirements to the table.
During the design process, the team considers building site elements such as views, location, lighting, and natural site features to create the best possible design for the client. This is a perfect solution for those looking to build a custom pole barn home.

Post-and-beam Home Construction
Their distinct panelized shell construction process allows most of the building work to be done in their shop before the kits are delivered on-site. Yankee Barn Homes kiln-dry, pre-cut, and pre-stain the timbers for quicker build times.
Their construction process is designed to save their clients time and money during on-site construction. The prefabrication process involves shipping all the parts to the job site with minimal assembly required. This method ensures that all components are of the highest possible quality, allowing them to build custom homes more efficiently.

Energy Efficiency
The company emphasizes building energy-efficient green buildings with a small environmental footprint. These homes are constructed with proper insulation, efficient heating and cooling systems, and many more features that aim for sustainability. The construction also maximizes natural lighting while minimizing the amount of electricity used for lighting.
Through a commitment to environmental stewardship, Yankee Barn Homes can construct beautiful, comfortable, and eco-friendly homes, making it an excellent choice for those seeking to live sustainably.

Cost
Barndominium costs depend on several factors, such as location, building size, design, features, and custom finishes. According to YBH, the cost is similar to constructing a conventional stick-built home with the same quality materials.
Typically, Yankee Barn Homes have a finished cost of $350 per square foot or more, depending on various factors, including interior finishes. It’s important to note that the finish cost does not include land work. You can join our Facebook Group to ask our members how much they paid with other builders.
Client Testimonials
“Our experience with Yankee Barn Homes from the professional approach to their business, the excellent architectural service right through to the finished product was commendable. We choose a Vermont vernacular design which at the time was a deviation from the standard Yankee Barn Designs but they created a post and beam design version that met all our criteria. During the building process there were a few details that needed to be changed, modified or corrected and YBH responded with the best cooperation we could have hoped for. Yes, we highly recommend YBH!”
– Stan Butler. Source: Google Reviews
“We presented a custom design and asked to have it converted into a YBH. Our experience with the engineers was comfortable, friendly and helpful. The site coordinator sent to help our contractor build our new YBH was also helpful and not afraid to get his hands dirty. Our contractor said it is the strongest home he has ever built and he had experience with another type of post and beam construction. We are very happy with our home and with our experience with YBH. Thank you.”
–Kathy Crowly-Gardner. Source: Google Reviews
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- History – Yankee Barn Homes’ long and rich history in building barn homes shows how much experience they have in building reliable quality buildings.
- Customization Process – The ability to customize a building to serve your unique needs is essential when building your dream home. The company utilizes 3D renderings of your home so you can experience your custom floor plan, room configurations, and other design elements.
- Construction – The post-and-beam construction is known for its durability as well as its ease of fabrication. In addition, this type of construction allows huge open spaces, so you have more possibilities for your floor plans. You can check out ideas on floor plan configurations on our Instagram account.
- Energy Efficiency – The company’s focus on energy efficiency means that your house will be more cost-effective to maintain, which saves you on utility costs in the long term.
Disadvantages
- Pricing – Yankee Barn Homes might not be your best option if you’re looking at non-conventional housing to lower expenses. However, if you value your home’s beauty and the build’s quality, you are looking at the right place.
- Financing – They cannot help you with financing, which means you would have to sort out your financing options. You would also need to look into financing a barndominium.
Should You Choose Yankee Barn Homes?
With a team of expert craftsmen, Yankee Barn Homes has a reputation for building the most beautiful homes across the country. This is evident when you look at what their past clients have to say. If you want to live in a unique and charming home, choose Yankee Barn Homes. The good news is that Yankee Barn Homes can ship virtually anywhere in the country, including Florida, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, and Illinois.
If you want to explore the world of alternative housing solutions such as prefab homes, shipping container homes, and pole barn homes, our Pinterest account is rich with such content.