LUCAS — The last thing Lucas resident Jeremiah Johnson did with his late wife, Julie, was build their forever home — a “barndominium.â€
The rustic post-frame style akin to a pole barn has soared in popularity, housing experts say — especially in rural Michigan.
While cost comparisons to traditional homes vary, residents and designers say that the trending style gives them more control over the interior.
“I wanted an A-frame and she wanted a ranch,†Jeremiah Johnson said. “At some point we started sending each other barndominium designs online, and we were hooked on it.â€
In 2019, the Johnsons had a builder begin construction on their now-40-acre Missaukee County property. Julie coordinated the work, Jeremiah said.
Now finished, the home has 9-foot ceilings, a wraparound porch and a two-story garage that can fit two RVs. It's plenty of room for Jeremiah, his girlfriend and their five kids, who all stay busy with baseball.
It cost between $300,000 and $330,000 to build, he estimated — around $100 per square foot. A local realtor ballparked the market value at three times higher, he added.
A new housing trend
Area realtors like Local Element Mid-Michigan Managing Broker Sally Daling, say that barndominiums are both trendy and affordable to build.
Daling, who lives in Reed City, said that she and her partner are considering building a barndominium of their own.
“Since there's such a straight line of building, it's just easier and a lot less expensive,†Daling said. “We're considering one further back on our property because our current home is pretty close to the river.â€
In Cadillac, Michigan Building Design Lead Engineer Kyle Moore says that barndominiums have completely changed the direction of his firm.
Moore founded his business three years ago to provide sealed pole barn and agricultural structure blueprints — filling gaps left by larger design firms. Today, he's serving residential customers across the state who want to build barndominiums.
“With the explosion of the barndominium in the last year or two, we've added residential design to our portfolio and kind of embraced the change,†Moore said. “Hope we can position ourselves as a good resource for anybody who is going to make a barndominium in Michigan.â€
For clients with a “do-it-yourself†mindset, Moore added, the style's flexibility is a big appeal.
Once the barndominium's above-ground structure is complete, Moore said, the foundation can be poured any time of the year.
“People that want to finish it out themselves can hire somebody to do the shell — the heavy lifting — and then they can come in and finish it at their leisure,†he said. “A lot of people really like that because they can save a lot of money.â€
Affordability
Locally, the affordability of a barndominium compared to a traditional home has a mixed verdict.
Osceola County building department official Aaron Holsworth explained that a key difference that creates the perception of affordability is the post-frame structure.
Traditional homes have stick frame structures supported by interior wall studs atop a basement or crawlspace foundation, Holsworth explained. Barndominiums don't need interior walls for structural support — instead, ground-to-roof posts on a slab foundation keep the building upright.
But unlike a pole barn, Moore said, lots of work goes into making a barndominium “shell†meet code for a residential building. This includes wall and slab insulation, heating and a water-resistant barrier.
Barndominiums may be a cheaper build depending on the finish and wall height, Moore said. Holsworth said that homeowners usually lose their savings on the shell.
“We've actually had people that have wanted to build a post-frame house, and once they've went and checked the pricing on a foundation system and insulating it, they've just switched,†Holsworth said.
Still, Holsworth said that pole barns are undeniably popular in the Cadillac area.
“We've seen a big increase over the last three years, but I think people are starting to price check things a little bit closer and realizing that they're really not saving much,†he said.
Daniel Schoenherr's position is funded through Report for America and local fund-raising. To help continue local reporting please consider contributing to the Cadillac Area Community Foundation's Local Journalism Fund at www.justgiving.com/cadillacareacommunityfoundation.
