# Building and living in an apartment barn?



## Speed Racer

I like the concept, but unless you were a compulsive neat freak, you're going to get smells and rodents in the living area from the barn area. Plus, horses make noise at night, which you'll hear if you live right smack next to them.

I've stayed overnight in an apartment over a barn. Not something I'd willing take on as a permanent living arrangement.


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## marley1986

Blondehorselover said:


> My fiance and I are casually looking at houses with land for when we decide to buy. BUT THEN I just came across a website that has plans for stables and living quarters on top of the stables. I am getting into this idea more and more as it is looking like a cheaper option. We don't need an elaborate barn/house. Just something for the two of us as we really don't plan on kids. Wondering if anyone has experience with a barn and home in one? Pros/cons?
> 
> Here's a website of what they look like
> 
> Barn With Living Quarters | Barn With Apartment | Barn Pros


Check these guys out- www.dcbuilding.com. They are the builder division of Barn Pros and they have built barns and barn homes all around the country. I love the idea!!! The best part is they can be customized and tailored to your liking.


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## ThatDraftGirl

I would LOVE to do this, I actually wanted to did it for a long time. Then I met my hubby and he flat out refuses. He wants the house to be the house and the barn to be the barn. Party pooper. But yea, LOVE it. And maybe someday, I'll have my barn home haha...


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## Delfina

I'm with Speed racer.

I'd love to add a barn to my property with a camera so I can keep an eye on the horses but I like my house separate and odor, noise and rodent-free!


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## Saddlebag

The idea of a barn fire would keep me awake nights. Unless you wish to add dusting the barn to your household duties I'd stick with a separate house. It's not usually the hay itself that spontaneously ignites but the hay dust and wiring.


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## boots

I've lived in apartments in barns. A friend who is a vet and has a TB farm has a two story house at one end of his mare barn. He also has a one way mirrored window into the foaling stall right in the master suite. I think his whole idea started from that one feature.

I didn't have rodent problems and neither have they. Yes, you are aware that you are near the horses but not offensively so. Not if you have good management practices, and no worse than people who keep backyard horses on 3-5 acre ranchettes, in my experience.


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## AlexS

The thought of a barn fire sends me into sheer terror. The idea that I could lose my house and pets in their too if this happens is just too much for me.


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## Darrin

Rented an apartment above a barn once, don't think I'll ever do it again for several reasons.
-Horse kicks there stall wall, feels like the whole building shakes. Really is wonderful when it's the stall right below your bed in the middle of the night.
-Smell, not at all times but can get ripe.
-Dust, dust and more dust.
-Lots more insects than in a normal home.
-Thankfully rodents were not an issue.


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## Back2Horseback

All raised great points...here are my ideas...
1) Personally, am used to more dust than the average person's worst "dust-related" nightmares. I live in a large home built in 1928; @ that time my house was not only the ONLY DUDE RANCH IN THIS PART OF TUCSON, but also the only STRUCTURE for about 30 miles...and now is sits SMACK IN the middle of the city of nearly 2 million, is ranch "style" in that it is rugged as hell, but no longer on horse property (arghh)! So we have dust, dust, and more dust, but none of the GOOD BARN/horse smells to make it worthwhile. One can learn to dust like a crazy-person 24/7 if it's important...

2) Fire is about top on my "10 obsessive phobias" list. Thus, if the cause was ever to be hay-related (though I've not heard of such-please fill me in on the spontaneous combustion of hay dust/products, I'm very curious!) I'd simply move my hay storage shed elsewhere and certainly NOT LET SUCH stop me from such am awesome option for housing.

(cont next post...don't want to delete by accident)...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Back2Horseback

Ok...3) I presently don't own horses, never (tears) have, thus, take this with a grain if salt...I DO however "own" a stepson haha (2, actually, but we very sadly only get to raise one of DH's 2 boys) & chi/rat terrier mix, and since the time both were babies until now, both DH & I have missed more sleep than we'd like to admit checking on them all through the night, waking NIGHTLY-on my 2 nights off-to look in on noises, let the dog out of our room, into Jake's room, back into our room, into the living room (you get the drift); & so a horse occasionally kicking his stall beneath me would, IMO, be more of a comfort than an irritation, as I'd know he was either ok, or it would alert me of needing to check something! Plus, I'd invasive the construction could be such if you chose, to have the stall(s) NOT BENEATH BEDROOMS, but other parts of the apt!

Bottom line, I was dumbfounded with how GREAT AN IDEA this apt/shop-a necessity for any place DH & I live as a metalsmith, he works in his shop at our home 10h/day!-& barn, ALL IN ONE, is!!

Something like this could be the answer to many persons prayers as to how to do a small 3-4 acre, 2 horse max farm on a budget and keep everything in tight, maximizing the grazing space, etc...I think it's awesome, and personally am THRILLED THE OP POSTED THIS (thank you!) As DH & I can look to something like this to expedite our ten year plan into a seven year plan!!

I hope it's something that will work for you, OP!!! :0)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## stormylass

I live in the apartment in the barn, I LOVE IT!! yes would have to say I had a few more bugs in the beggining but i put down some stuff and thats ok now. As far as rats or mice NEVER! that is what the barn cats are for. And we dont even have flies, like none! everyone who comes here is amazed!! they are always asking what kind of system we have set up...chickens they kill all the bugs!! it is amazing, clean stalls + chickens = no flies!!LOL yeah there is a dust problem,but no more I dont think than the dust you carry in anyway, if you have horses,you have dust! It just makes you think about buying all those shelves of knick-knacks. As far as hearing the horses I love it and if a couple of them get crazy i just step out on the balcony and tell them to cut it out, as far as sleeping it never bothers me,but that is me. I have a friend that has a REALLY REALLY nice 3bedroom 2 bath house in their barn it is awsome, and they wouldnt change a thing.So the moral of the story is I LOVE IT! hope it helps!


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## waresbear

With the new materials they use between floors, I am thinking you can pretty much block out any stable smells and sounds.


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## jillybean19

Just answering your hay combustion question: Decomposition causes heat. With horses, the two main ways this happens is with piled up and decomposing manure and with hay. I believe moisture has to be present for the decomposition to occur, so it's something to worry about if you have hay that got rained on (and maybe if you live in a humid area?). I'm sure there are more ways that your hay can get wet, but either way, it starts decomposing, and if it's in an insulated area, such as in the middle of your hay stack, it can get so hot that it eventually combusts and starts a fire. Of courses, there's the more obvious spark from the outside environment for whatever reason that can also catch hay on fire.


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## Back2Horseback

Jilly,
Thank you for your answer! You know what is so very odd? I JUST GOT HOME FROM MY LESSON, &, not 2 hours ago, I thought to ask my trainer about the hay/combustion issue (after like, not thinking about it for what? 6 days? She gave me basically the exact same answer, & I definitely appreciate your answer as well (I love it when answers "match up", hehe!)

...I can imagine how quickly a hay fire can begin, given those factors and how quickly moldy/wet hay decays and builds up combustible energy. Could be terribly dangerous (not to mention expensive, even if the only loss is the hay itself...). I can't believe all of my years around horses and this is all total new news to me.
Thanks again & take care! B2H
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Elizabeth Bowers

I would love to live in my barn, but i'm not sure if hubby would agree to it (i sure as h3!! know that his grandparents would have a canary). I think it would be more reasonable than going and buying everything separate, we could even add a garage to the one side (with a fire wall). As for hay storage i would keep it in another structure a ways away from the barn/house. 
As for smell, i love the smell of horses can't help myself.
Dust, i don't mind it much, i hardly dust as it is in our current home.
Rodents, i have about 10 farm cats and 2 house cats 
Noise, i live right beside a dirt road where people fly on quads and such all hours of day and night, so horse noise won't be an issue.
I simply love the idea!!


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## luckydog

i live in a barn apt. have done for 2 years. i own the place and it's nice to combine the costs of the barn with the living space - as you said. however there are some things to keep in mind. some have already been mentioned - 

-when horses are in their stalls, any kick, stomp, bucket chew, etc they make is amplified and the noise is 10x upstairs
-the way mine is set up, the pipes are in the barn ceiling/under apt floor so i had to change them to armored pipes as they were freezing a lot. 
-even with sufficient insulation under the pat, the floor is freezing in the winter and warm in the summer
-never have a problem with smell, but i'm pretty particular to keep the manure pile away from the barn
-you do get spiders, etc but i frankly dont think they are any worse than a house i have lived in
-hard to get ventilation in the top of the stall area/ceiling, as you cant have a vent above that, so i strategically use fans to keep air moving in and out of the doors/windows downstairs
-my boyfriend lived here for a year before he decided it was too cramped,and he moved out and bought his own house. so keep that in mind - if you both aren't 100% into it, there are things that will get old

but i love it for just me and my dogs/horses. i would recommend it for a single person or a couple who is totally into horses

good luck


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## Eileen

We are retired and I love the idea.


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## SMMJessee

Okay this isnt quite the same but my family is planning on moving and we are going to build a house hooked to a barn, not on top of the barn, hooked to it on the side so that we dont have to go outside to feed 13 horses in cold canada snow drifts


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## Saddlebag

I surmise you've never seen a barn fire. It becomes a raging inferno like nothing you ever want to see again. Have you talked with the insurance company about your plan?


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## Fulford15

My old coach had a apartement ontop of her barn, it was huge!! Her bedroom was even higher up in a loft, so no noise! It was a pretty clean place, no smell either...

My Mom is going to get a Barn Pros place, she wants to build my boyfriend & I's place ontop of the barn then have her serperate house. They are very nice barns!


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## SMMJessee

> I surmise you've never seen a barn fire. It becomes a raging inferno like nothing you ever want to see again. Have you talked with the insurance company about your plan?
> 
> 
> Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/barn-main...ng-apartment-barn-132347/page3/#ixzz2CscKQTrL


Uh yup, i own a barn now, and i know about barn fires because we have 13 horses and an indoor arena, PLUS a tack store hooked to it 

I dont really thonk it woud make a diffrent if there was a barn fire and your hourse was hooked to it because the house will to far enought away for it not to start on fire


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## wetrain17

waresbear said:


> With the new materials they use between floors, I am thinking you can pretty much block out any stable smells and sounds.


Im not saying its not impossible. But those support beams run from the very top of the roof straight down to the bottom of the barn. If a horse or something else hits those beams, that sound will travel all the way up the bean to the top.


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## Mochachino

I looked into this and found getting insurance was going to be hard. A friend's parents have a suite above their barn and they couldn't get any, and there can not be any oven/stove or heat source. Anyway, many people have told me about the insurance being a problem.


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## equiniphile

When I stay at my uncle and aunt's ranch in CO, my sister and I sometimes opt to sleep out in the barn apartment. It's built into the side of the barn, though, and not overhead, but I can't remember ever hearing the horses. 

One thing to consider is that by building an apartment above your barn, you're eliminating hay storage space, so you would need to find another way to store hay.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## boots

Saddlebag said:


> I surmise you've never seen a barn fire. It becomes a raging inferno like nothing you ever want to see again. Have you talked with the insurance company about your plan?


I've, unfortunately, seen two. May I assume you have never seen a stick built house go up in a flash? Or even a multi-story apartment building. 

Goodness.

Barns can, and should, be built with fire prevention and safety in mind. As should any building. Houses can, and should, be built with prevention and escape in mind.


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## MyBoyPuck

Like others have said, the biggest problem is going to be insurance. Many companies won't touch it because of the fire hazard. Most will require hay be stored elsewhere. Do lots of research on insurance before you proceed.


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## tim62988

The biggest issue I see with hay is internal combustion: bales put up with a higher moisture content, packed together. but as others have said if you are living in the barn hay storage would probably be a seperate shed that you draw from once or twice a week.

an easy way to cut down on fire hazard is also to go with a steel building, or configuration of steel buildings to create the desired shape


I have thought about this long and hard and the way to set it up that I would be satisfied: house/living area, garage, then the barn. Use the garage as that buffer between your house and barn so the boots & barn clothes stay out of the house and it will help to keep the dust down too.


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## live to ride

Fire is a big concern, but if your apartment and hay loft/ barn is installed with good smoke detectors, then that could lessen some of your worry. It would be good if you built it with more than one exit from the apt. in case of fire. 
But, there is always a fire risk in any house. My house burned down many years ago, not related to a barn. I think those barns are gorgeous! I have always wanted to live in one! Good luck!!


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## crimsonsky

didn't read all of the posts, but something you should look into before going any further on this is if the building codes for your city/county will even allow you to have a dwelling/barn combo. i know a lot of places won't. just a thought.


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## sillyhorses

We live in our barn. Spouse's idea - he hated it at first, but the more finished it becomes, the more he likes it. Odor if only ever a problem on hot, hot days when stalls by our bedroom need to be cleaned. 

Rodents... We have the occasional mouse, but between traps and barn cats, it really is not often.

Fire risk terrifies me, however, we have an emergency ladder under our bedroom window. Also have sheet/pillowcase plan to lower our dogs down.

We really like it, especially because it gives us the opportunity to hear pony problems almost as soon as they occur... We know the difference between a banging bucket, a typical wall bang and a panic/abnormal sound. Luckily, we have not had too many episodes to discern the difference, but after checking ALLLLLL sounds when we first moved in, we got the hang of it. The horses really aren't that noisy.  Well, most of them... We can tellllllllll when a cribber needs his collar tightened, lol.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Jim Andy

*reply to home barn*

I dated a lady some years back that had a home with a barn hooked on the back.It was what we call a slab house. It sits on a slab of concrete with the back wall made of concrete blocks.This made a fire break between the house and barn.She had what we call a mud room that you would come into from the barn.Never would have know there was a barn on the back of the house if you did not know it.:lol:


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