Building a BARN to LIVE in… Sand Creek Post & Beam gets us started.
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009“Close that door… Do you think you live in a BARN??”
I know it’s cliche but it’s very true, I would love to be able to say that we do, indeed, live in a barn. Y’all have heard this from me before so to prevent being ‘all talk and no action’ it’s time to start doing some real research on BUILDING a BARN HOUSE. The co-owner of Sand Creek Post & Beam, Jule Goeller, was generous enough to chat with me a couple of weeks ago and give me some insight on how to get started on this journey…
Let’s start by learning more about Sand Creek Post & Beam. Located in offices in Wayne, Nebraska, Sand Creek is a small company that is really just getting started, but they’ve come a looong way in a short time, a testament to the style, concept and quality of their barns…
Faced with an opportunity to move back to Jule’s family’s farmstead in 2004, Jule and her husband Len Dickinson saw a brilliant opportunity to not only re-furbish and move into her great grandparents home; it was also an opportunity to find a new venture and life’s passion. The idea for building barns was borne from driving through the countryside and noticing that professional farmers were no longer using the original barns with aged wood and rusty tin roofs. And when building new barns farmers are using the practical metal structures that are becoming so prevalent out in the country, thus giving the rolling hills of the midwest all of the charm of an industrial park.
After realizing that they were not the only ones charmed by early Americana barns and their wormy histories, Jule and Len began to research how they could resurrect new barns with all of the character of days gone by. After researching the history of barns, and also what people were looking for now, the idea began to form to build barns for hobby farmers and horse owners that were inspired by barns from the good old days. By April of 2005 they had found experts in the field, posted their first ad, and set upon creating a new company wherein they would create lasting legacies on family farms and ranches through traditional styled post & timber barns.
Uses for Sand Creek barns are varied… from hobby farmers who are using the barns for their goats or miniature cattle, to people using them for a store front, and of course turning them into all types of living quarters {from minimal hunting lodges to homes used for full time living}.
The two biggest trends they’ve noticed is the increase in the number of people using the barns for living quarters, also that the size of barns people are ordering seems to be getting bigger. In fact the average sale has probably doubled in price, while prices have not gone up. These trends both seem to be in sharp contrast to the current state of our economy and the changes everyone seems to be making to their lifestyles…. or maybe it’s not a contrast at all. From 9-11 when we all began to focus more on the family, until now in the midst of an economic downturn, we are all embracing the concept of “getting back to our roots”, for many that means moving out of the big city and saying goodbye to the complexities of suburban culture.
Let’s get to the nitty gritty and the reason we are here today… how do we get started in the process of building and moving into a barn house??
1. Gather Information. Order catalogs from dealers, there are several companies that can build custom barns that can be used for living. The catalog from Sand Creek Post & Beam offers beautiful pictures of all your options, an explanation about the process of ordering a barn, plus a price list for getting started. Jule encourages potential customers to learn all they can about the company, ask lots of questions, and know all of your options.
2. Place your Order. Once you have chosen the style and size of barn that you want to use as a starting point you place your order with Sand Creek by giving them a down payment {20%}.
3. The First Draft. A customer will usually see the first draft of their barn on paper within two weeks of placing their order.
4. Options. It is typical to NOT decide all of the details right up front. Clients immediately begin working with the design team on options like dormers, lean-to’s, roof pitch; plus options that will convert the barn into a home ~ insulation, residential doors and windows. The client is able to see the plans in 3-D and make changes as they work with the designers.
5. From the paper to the plant. Once the client is 100% satisfied with the drawing of their barn they pay a progress payment {50% of final cost} and the design goes to the plant where Sand Creek’s builders begin to work on gathering the components that will take the barn from a quiet dream to a family’s barn. In fact the client can even travel to Nebraska and watch their barn being laid out on the plant floor, or watch their cupola being built. Each component is put together, numbered, then taken apart and shipped as a kit with instructions for the builder on how to put it back together.
6. The kit arrives. If you work with Sand Creek then you can expect your barn kit to arrive to your property 60 to 90 days from final approval. No barns are kept in stock, each one is custom made for the client. Once the kit arrives then it is turned over to the client and the raising of the barn commences, usually under the supervision of an experienced builder.
7. I don’t wanna build it. No problem for Sand Creek customers. Some clients are looking for a turn key barn in which case Sand Creek acts as the general contractor and uses a builder from their network of craftsmen to put the kit together for the client.
** Please keep in mind that ordering the barn is a small part of building a homestead, there is land to buy, permits to gain, electricity to run, a foundation to pour, and plumbing to install. And that’s just the beginning…
** To learn more about Sand Creek visit their website HERE, or you may request a Catalog HERE.
One of the things that Sand Creek prides itself on is that they are very green builders and they use no chemicals to treat their wood. Even sweeter?? Sand Creek donates 10 trees through the Arbor Day Foundation on behalf of each of their customers. Their goal is to give the customers what they want while being kind to the earth.
BTW… For those of you who live in Kansas City, Sand Creek is building the new barn at Deanna Rose Farm. It’s going to be something very special… check out the construction BELOW…
** Click HERE for more Barn Houses we LOVE **
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