Today we visit the home of The Angel Family (Jared, Holly, Bradey & Chesnee) in beautiful Missouri! The Angels finished their self-build in 2022, completing their “family compound” (next door to Holly’s parents, on family land). Love what you see? Plans for this home are available on our website by clicking here!
Q: How long did it take you to build your home?
A: It took us from the time we broke ground 13 months to complete and move in.
Q: Did you GC yourself, or work with a builder?
A: We acted as our own GC. We did hire a local barn builder to build our shell.
Q: Build cost, excluding land:
A: Our building cost was $215k. Our entire garage is finished as well. (and, on completion, the home appraised at $500k!)
Q: Build state:
A: Missouri
Q: Structure Type:
A: Hybrid Steel
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced in your build?
A: The biggest challenge we faced was building during a pandemic. We were dealing with volatile prices and shortages. It made it hard to stay within our budget we had set for ourselves.
Q: What was the most fun part of your build?
A: The most fun part of our build was getting to build our home with my parents. We had so much fun with them and so many laughs.
Q: What is your favorite feature about your design:
A: I have a few favorite features about our design! When we designed our plan there were two things that were a must.. okay maybe three. The big gable, the big front porch, and double doors with lots of windows!
Q: What was something you did to save costs?
A: We did several things to save money! We were very resourceful. If we had a family member or a friend that did a trade we recruited them and we helped. We took advantage any discount we could. We learned how to tile, we painted our entire house, we trimmed everything out ourselves, hung our own fixtures, and built our own doors.
Q: What was something you splurged on?
A: The one splurge I would recommend is spray foam!! It is amazing and so is the electric bill!
Q: What is something you’d change about your plan, if you could?
A: If I could change one thing I would make the back porch a little bigger. We are out there so much and I would love to have about 20’ more.
Q: What is your best piece of advice for someone wanting to build a barndo?
A: My best piece of advice is make sure to use a reputable barn builder and subs. Make sure everyone is insured, and disburse funds through a title company and you have to exercise a lot of patience while building.
Q: Why would you recommend Back Forty to people wanting to build a barndo?
A: I recommend Back Forty daily to people. They are great folks to work with. They are friendly, knowledgeable about ALL types of barns and design your plans based on your build and they are insured. They are also a one stop shop which I absolutely love! If you need help finding a kit, or a builder they have you covered!
Q: What do you love most about living in a barndo/the “barndominium lifestyle”?
A: This is the second barndominium we have lived in and for us it’s all about the simplicity and making it your own.
Exceptional contractors, suppliers, or resources that the Angels recommend in the
Springfield, MO/surrounding areas:
Spray Foam: Midwest Spray Foam
Cabinets: Whiteley Home Solutions
HVAC: Titus Heating and Air
Excavation, Septic: Hog Wild Excavating
See The Full Floor Plan For This Home By Clicking Below!
