# Building a Barn



## kim_angel (Oct 16, 2007)

So I am putting in an offer on a house with property. My intentions are to sell my home, buy this one, move my horses there and build my own little barn.

Ideally I want 4 stalls, a tack room and a feed room.

A hay loft would be super too.

What do you think my cheapest way to go would be... IE: Pole barn, wood barn built from scratch or.... other?

I HOPE to have about 10k or so to use to build the barn. The property is already fenced in (wood fencing).

If anyone has built a barn for around 10k give or take, can you post pictures or information for me?

Thanks so much!!!


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## Abby (Nov 26, 2007)

From a personal point of view, not only would you possibly save money, everything would be exactly the way you'd want it to be if you built your own, using yourself and family as laborers.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I think pole barn construction would be the cheapest. If you have the will and ability to do it yourself it would be even cheaper. YOu might start looking around at barns in your area for the type you like. I'm the type who will pull in the drive and knock on the door. I find that the best way to find out about something. Embarrasses the heck out of my husband  There are different builders in different parts of the country. I know Morton barns are very popular here and someday I will have one!


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## Stepher (Nov 5, 2007)

You could do a coverall type thing, and just have it extended and have room for an arena!
http://www.coverall.net/agriculture/riding_arenas/index.html


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## mylucalove (Jan 2, 2008)

OK here are some tips you need to take into SERIOUS consideration.

Hay loft....good thought....horrible idea. The problem with a hay loft is:
1. It creates lots of dust.
2. It is a horrible fire hazard. The hay is cut and something a little as a mouse starts to decompose and creates a mini compost heap in the middle of the hay. Bacteria grows...heat increases...then one day BAM! The whole barn is on fire. Believe me I know this first hand. At the stable i worked at we lost two horses because we couldn't get to them in time.
Build a separate building for your hay shed.

Pole barns are cheaper and last forever. If you have bucky horses i would suggest using oak instead of pine for stall walls...they can handle the abuse without damaging the horse like concret blocks would.

Don't stick grates up so stall neighbors can get face to face. They tend to allow the horses to make faces at eachother and bite at the grate. This caused one of our horses to damage a tooth horribly. They can look at there buddy across the asle.

Try to make your asle at least 12 feet wide instead of 10 because its easier to get a tractor in there. Sad as this sounds if a horse drops dead in a stall you need to be able to get them out.

Line your stalls with rubber mats....this will save you money on bedding.

Thats all i can think of for right now.....I think you should be able to stay in your budget. Good luck!


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## tim (Dec 31, 2007)

MD


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

tim said:


> MD


ooohh Nice barns tim
I agree about the hay loft. We have one and never use it for hay. We keep it on pallets in the pole barn, much safer and easier to get to.


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## kim_angel (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks for all the solid advice. We did decide to start looking at a longer length barn to store hay at one end instead of in a hay loft.
Thank you for reaffirming my fears about fires up there.

Tim, loved the barns on that website
This one is my favorite:









Now, if I can just get someone to buy my house before the house/property I want to buy sells, I would be a happy camper!

There is also a horse I want to try to adopt from rescue, a companion horse... so hopefully I can get the other house SOON!!

Please someone buy my house!!!


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## mylucalove (Jan 2, 2008)

Even with the hay stacked at one end the fire hazard is still there. If the hay catches your barn is gone. You really should build something like a three sided shed for hay. So its separate from the barn and horses.


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## kim_angel (Oct 16, 2007)

the good news is we found a house with seven acres, a run in shelter (very large one) and a hay shed....which as you said has three sides to it. 2 acres is a hay pasture, 4 acres is cleared and fenced in with electric fencing. The current owners keep mini's there.

We're putting an offer in on it this week. Now we just have to get our house sold!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Good luck on your offer Kim  you can always do a contingency contract while you sell your house.


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## kim_angel (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks Vida~!!

We placed our offer, with a 90 contingency on selling our house. We are waiting to hear back from the owners now.

I am sooooooooooo nervous!!

Here is a satellite shot of it


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## tim (Dec 31, 2007)

Ooh, turn the hay pasture into a horse field. Then you can rotate and sometimes use the out-of-use fields for hay when the grass gets long and you need to cut it down for the horses.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Heard anything Kim? My mom and step-dad were flying here next week from Florida to look at a house on 5 acres. She called this morning and said they had already sold the place so had to cancel. I was a little disappointed but they are still planing to keep looking. Sure would like to have them here even for part of the year.


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## kim_angel (Oct 16, 2007)

The owner of the farmhouse/land accepted our offer. Yay~!! But now the scary part is, we have 90 days to sell our house.

Here are some photos we took there this past weekend (we measured the fields so we knew how much fencing we need)









Mini's that currently live there









Shelter









Looking towards the house, standing in the back corner of the front pasture

















Back Pasture


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

Thats great  looks like a nice place. I like the run in shelter. It pretty much has everything you need for horse keeping. Is the house very old? Mine was built in 1900 so its in a constant state of needing repair :lol: Its is pretty scary having a house to sell while buying one, we've done it several times and its always spooky. I'll put in a good word to the man upstairs :wink:


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## kim_angel (Oct 16, 2007)

The farmhouse was built in 1924.
It does need work, but my husband has been in new home construction and renovations for 21 years... so he can do whatever needs to be done and we can do it over time of course.

The property is too perfect for us to pass by due to an old house. 

Yes... please please put in a good word for me with the man upstairs. I have been a nervous wreck since we signed the contract on the other house. :shock: :shock: :shock:


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## Momo (Jan 24, 2008)

Best of luck with everything, and I'll put in a good word as well. I would be a nervous wreck too. It's spooky enough even making a large purchase like this let alone having to also sell something in return. Nice place though.


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