Nov 30


There is a trend lately to find unique and affordable housing and many have turned to converting a barn into a home. In my area of East Tennessee, there are some fine examples of this including the one I converted.

It’s needless to say that there are many barns in various shapes and sizes all around. A vast majority are in bad shape. Please don’t make the mistake of buying one that is labeled a unique fixer upper opportunity. Don’t fool yourself. If a barn has gotten into the shape where the siding boards are starting to fall off, unless you’re buying it for parts, my suggestion is to leave it alone. By the time the boards start falling off the sides, there’s major flaws. The main trouble would probably be that the horizontal beams are rotting and the fasteners are turning loose.

The best candidate for remodeling would be one that was painted on the exterior walls and roof. This means that it was at least maintained to a certain degree by it’s owners over the years. If your barn has some age on it, it would probably be best to first find all the areas that have been effected by weather or urine from the livestock that was kept in that barn. Animal urine sometimes has a high acid content and anything that has been contaminated with it really needs to be removed from the structure.

Look especially in the loft areas where hay may have been stored close to the outside walls. Chances are there may have been some rain water that had soaked in through the hay bales. This is where you will find most of any rotting of the floor boards. Take a look at the underside of the roof. If you see pinholes and sunlight coming through, water can also seep in. You’ll either have to replace the tin roofing where you find these holes or dab the holes with a tar patch and then coat the roof with a fibered aluminum paint.

Inspect the interior walls and see what types of columns are used in your barn. 99% of all barns in the US are post and beam construction. If your posts are buried in the ground, check and see if there is any type of rotting. Older barns will probably not have pressure treated wood in their construction. If your barn is built with a wide open floor area, you are most certainly going to have to build masonry piers inside to support your floors and walls and also find a way to tie the existing walls into the new support system.

Check to see that the horizontal beams are not loose or if there is rotting between them and the columns. Look at the top plates for rot from water damage. If your columns are mounted on a rock or cinder block, check the bottoms of the columns for rotting.

Consult your local building inspector to make sure you can get the proper permits if needed. In my part of the country, building permits for remodeling are not required if you are in the county but your local codes may be different. It would be a shame to buy the barn only to find the powers that be will not grant the necessary permissions.

When I first began my project, all I had to work with was the old, empty barn. Being an old structure it was necessary to examine the entire building to make sure there wasn’t any type of structural flaws. Thank goodness there was only one place that had to be bolstered. The inside front left corner was starting to slide off it’s foundation stone. I solved that problem by hooking the column to my tractor and winching it back into place with a come-along. Then I built a buttress beside the column to keep it from moving again.

Tim Davis is a veteran Architectural Designer who also teaches architecture and drafting over the internet http://houseplandrafting101.com

Tim is also the author of an Ebook entitled “How to Turn a Barn into a Home”. The info page for updates on this ebook can be found at http://draftingservice.us/barnhomes

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…

are barn conversions really worth the money?

introduction a barn conversion is exactly what it says it is, ie a barn which is no longer used for its original purpose and has been converted to a different use such as a commercial or residential dwelling. barns were usually close to …

Architect Visit: Shed Architects Whidbey Island Barn Conversion …

Barn Conversion Living. Barn Conversion Dining and Kitchen. Barn Conversion Kitchen to Hall. Barn Conversion Living Stair Detail. Barn Conversion Kitchen Detail. Barn Conversion Bath Detail. Barn Conversion Outdoor bath …

Classic Offbeat Homes: Barn Conversions : Blisstree – Family …

A good barn conversion usually cheers my day up; so let's make that our classic look of the day. Following is one of my favorite barn conversions ever, although it's hard to limit favorites, because certain people have done some …

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

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Nov 26

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Nov 12


In late 2000, I bought a piece of property that was used as a farm for the past three generations. And even though just under six acres, was one of the prettiest pieces of land you ever laid eyes on. One half of the property is wooded and the remainder is rolling hills. At the westernmost section of the land runs a bubbling brook fed by a gushing spring. The water in that spring is crystal clear, fresh, and cool, all year round.

My wife and I borrowed my families RV and moved onto the property that same year with all intentions of building an English Style Tudor home on the front side of the property.

I’m an architectural designer by trade and had spent months laying out my wife’s dream home. (OK, I admit it was mine too!) It was going to be built using trees off the land that I spent six weeks cutting down and shaping into 8″ x 8″ beams with my chain saw.

Then we hit a snag. The place where we were to build our dream home sat too close to the power lines that ran across the front of the property. Sure, I could get the utility board to move them, but not at their expense. I’d have to pay for the entire shooting match and that just wasn’t in the budget.

By the time we got the news about the power lines, we had already spent nine weeks in that old RV and to be honest, it was getting sort of cramped seeing that three of our five children were still living at home. I don’t care how big the RV is, if there is a 5 year old, two young teens, and two adults packed in it, life gets interesting. My wife’s nerves were getting a bit frazzled and to be honest, so were mine.

On our farm, the only other suitable place to build sat the most beautiful old barn you ever laid eyes on. 64′ wide by 30′ deep. This barn had good solid construction with 6″ x 6″ columns, true 2″ x 6″ girts and rafters, 1″ x 10″ & 12″ planking on the walls and lofts floors. All rough sawn and true size. This building was nearly a century old and twice as solid as modern structures today.

When I got the news about the house, I tried to break it to my wife as easy as possible so I took her out for a moon light stroll. You know, one of those romantic type walks that women just seem to get all gushy about. On our stroll we walked up to the barn where I had stored all those beams I had made to keep them in the dry until needed.

Sweety, I said. “We can’t build the house right now. If I have to clear land to build it, there will be another three to four month wait before I can even start construction.” Then, off the cuff I said; “Maybe I could build us an apartment in the barn until I can start on the house.” Her eyes lit up and she asked me; “How long would it take to build?” I thought for a second and decided it would take probably a month to complete.

Her excitement returned and seeing her face light up like that spurred me on to swinging a hammer. I selected the widest open part of the barn and started the construction. I’m glad I had the utility board hook power up to the barn as it really made life easier to use my power tools.

I visited our local saw mill and bought as much raw lumber as I could. First I constructed a new loft area using some of the beams I had cut out, then using those same beams, started cutting out stairs. Next I enclosed the face of the opening with native rock and mortar at about three feet tall and then a wood wall on top of that.

I built the floor to the Living Room and Den and then started framing the Kitchen which would protrude out of the back of the barn. Next, the loft I had previously built became mine and my wife’s bedroom. From there I opened an area into the existing loft and started building the bathroom and two other bedrooms.

It has been close to eight years now and that barn apartment has become a full blown home complete with five Bedrooms, a Living Room, Den/Dining Room, Kitchen, Full Bathroom, Study, Sunroom/Laundry, Sewing Room, and a Garage. We haven’t even used up a third of the barn yet and our square footage is already around 2064 sq. ft. of heated area. That square footage doesn’t include the Garage, or Woodshop. The Garage is 13′-4″ by 20′ and the Wood Shop is the same size.

If you are planning to convert an outbuilding or barn into a home, you are in for a treat. Not only is there a rustic beauty but a whole bunch of possibilities for layout and use.

Tim Davis is a veteran Architectural Designer who also teaches architecture and drafting over the internet http://houseplandrafting101.com

He is the author of an Ebook entitled “How to Turn a Barn into a Home”. The info page for updates on this ebook can be found at http://draftingservice.us/barnhomes

Back with more news for you today. It’s amazing how much good information there is on this stuff out there if you know where to look. Three in particular that I found really valuable were…

Unusual Property Unconverted and Converted Barns for Sale in UK …

Get some of the best barn conversions for sale in the UK and Europe, where both converted and unconverted Barns are for sale from individual sellers or Estate Agents. Create your dream homes with a barn conversions. …

barn conversions insurance uk

the barn conversion also fluently evokes the anticipation of wholesomeness of a once organic and pleasant peasant lifestyle. conversion of barns means to convert old farming buildings into commercial or residential use structures. …

Residential Conversions | Terrys Fabrics’s Blog

Barn conversions seem to epitomise the ideal of English country life. Set into rural landscapes and often overlooking vast areas of green countryside they hold desirable locations. With their ancient wooden beams and stonework, …

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

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Nov 11

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Nov 10
Download now or watch on posterous

loic.wmv (6160 KB)

Just a quick intro video to test the web sites

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Nov 10

For more info please visit http://sussexbarnconversions.com/

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Nov 9


Thinking of visting france help?

thinking of visting secound time round
went before but only stayed a few days in paris
this time when i go im going for longer
but i want to stay in the country side
any suggestions of good places ?

Taking its name from the 800-mile long river that runs through it, the Pays de la Loire region of France covers five departments: Loire-Atlantique (44), Mayenne (53), Sarthe (72), Maine-et-Loire (49) and Vendee (85). A department is similar to a UK or U.S. county.

The Loire-Atlantique and Vendee have lovely harbours and sandy beaches, while inland, the Loire valley has beautiful rolling countryside, fairytale chateaux, and vineyards producing some of the best wines anywhere.

The primary towns are Nantes, Angers, Le Mans, Laval, Cholet, and La Roche-sur-Yon.

Location hot spots that attract expats include the areas around Saumur (including Montreuil-Bellay, Fontevraud l’Abbaye, and Doue-la-Fontaine), Chateaubriant, Mayenne (specifically the Gorron area), and the ever-popular Vendee (Fontenay-le-Comte, Vouvant, and La Chataigneraie).

The Loire is a thriving region with a strong local economy. There are several well-established industrial and agricultural businesses: Cholet exports designer clothes to the world, Saint-Nazaire builds transatlantic liners and cruise ships, Nantes has booming IT and financial services fields, the region supplies produce to all of France, and some of the vintners have had exports increase by 340% due to increased demand from emerging economies, such as China. Tourism is also a big earner as travellers from other parts of France and from across the world come to explore this fantastic region.

Although property prices in the Loire have risen steadily over recent years, there are still bargains to be had. A quick perusal of the estate agent’s windows will show that you can pick up a renovation project for €30,000 to €40,000, and you can buy a decent 3-bedroom detached house for €100,000 – €120,000. Going up to the €180,000 – €200,000 range will get you a large house in excellent condition with a good-sized garden, and perhaps an orchard or a bit of land.

Land is quite reasonable in the Pays de la Loire and many rural properties come with much larger gardens than in the UK. As expected, town or village centre properties may have a patio or a small garden.

Of course, the most popular areas will be the most expensive. But, even if you’re determined to live in a “des res”, you’ll get more for your money here than in the UK.

A range of property styles are available in the Pays de la Loire, from stone-built longeres (long houses) to village townhouses to elegant chateaux, and everything in between.

The new build constuction field is active (but not excessively so), so if you prefer a new house they are available, but be prepared to pay more for it as these are popular with the French.

In the north part of the Pays de la Loire region, you will find traditional stone-built houses and longeres and barn conversions, as well as the cream-coloured new builds, while houses in the Vendee have a more Mediterranean feel with stucco and red-tiled roofs.

The Pays de la Loire has good air and train links, and is about three or four hours drive from the ferry and Eurotunnel terminals.

As the Loire is popular with holidaymakers, you may be able to rent out a property here, thus generating a return on your investment.

More information on Pays de la Loire Property is available on the FrenchEntree Pays de la Loire website.

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Nov 7

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Nov 5


I hope you’ve been enjoying my posts lately. I thought I might do something different today and rustle up a few bits of info from around the WWW. These are some of the news items and blog posts that have been popular over the last few weeks. Leave me your thoughts.

Barn Conversion Websites

A very useful list of barn conversion websites, can you add mine?! GD Star Rating a WordPress rating system. admin says: October 19, 2009 at 1:30 pm. Sure, what is the domain of your barn website? …

Apartment Therapy Re-Nest | Barn Conversions

Barn Conversions · 2-11-09barn1.jpg. Built from materials made to withstand the elements, barns can make beautiful and long-lasting homes. They often come equipped with lofty ceilings, wide-plank wood, and impressive landscapes. …

Barn Conversion Funding Information and Build Tips

If you take a look at most of our rural areas you will be amazed to see just how many farm lands have run down barns on their land ideal for renovati.

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Will i need planning permission for a wall within my garden of around 4 ft high?

I would like to have a wall built around one side of my patio which would connect my house with my garage. The wall would be around 4ft high and would need a pedestrian gate in it. We live in an end Barn conversion and would obviously have the wall constructed to match the brick of the barn. The wall would be within our garden, its not on a boundary so would we need planning permission?

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Nov 4


Back with more news for you today. It’s amazing how much good information there is on this stuff out there if you know where to look. Three in particular that I found really valuable were…

you can’t beat a bit of old oak

Border Oak used to do lots of barn conversions – in fact the very first Border Oak house, 30 years ago, was part conversion, part extension, part relocation ( and my mum and dad still live there) – but nowadays we tend to steer clear of …

Reproduction Barn Hinges, Lights Barn Conversions, Barn Owl …

★ Barn Reproductions antique Lighting ★, ★ large Primitive Wood Bowl Rack Shelf~display That Collection! ★, ★ Rough-sawn ★, ★ Rating ★, ★ 30 ★, ★ Barn door Lights ★, ★ All ★, ★ Posts ★, ★ Poodle ★, ★ Item ★ …

Martin Bradshaw – Itworks Mark Aberfan

Mark Aberfan Aerials – Many thanks Mark for taking the time and giving your expert opinion It has been very helpful although i think i may be out of my depth taking on these satellite systems within these the barn conversions and i …

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Building one’s own house is a desire that many of us harbour, and one that is increasingly becoming reality as construction methods improve and the process becomes easier.

The availability of professionally rendered residential house plans has added to the ease of the process, too, and gives the home builder an affordable and easy way to create a home from scratch from either a stock plan or one customised to special requirements.

It is advised that engaging an architect is a sensible move, especially if the builder has no prior experience of designing or building a property, and there are many planning services on the web as a quick search will prove.

Styles of property that the home builder chooses can vary, and the number of bedrooms, floors, rooms and windows and doors needs to be considered along with the construction method and material, the floor plan and the location. Roofing materials and insulation techniques are all part of the necessary considerations, and heating and glazing requirements must also play a part in the design and planning process.

Some excellent on line services allow one to access stock plans. Quite simply, you specify the number of floors and bedrooms required, plus bathrooms and other specifications, and indicate both the size of the plot and the style of the building required. This is then taking into account a range of suitable previous plans are provided for the user to scrutinise and choose from, all of which will fit the requirements of the building to be erected.

It may be that the builder is converting an existing building. Barn conversions are very popular in this day and age, as the presence of an already existent building makes things easier in that the floor area is already set, and some framework may be able to be utilised in the new building.

Important areas to be considered should also include the relevant planning permission required, as most authorities will need to approve plans for a new building, and also plans for the conversion of existing buildings, particularly when a change of use from commercial to private dwelling is involved.

Understanding the plans for a house can be difficult for someone who is not experienced in the area, and it is important that every aspect of the plans – from minor dimensions to the positioning of windows and doors, plumbing and electrical – is understood before the build commences. Failure to take even the smallest problem into account can lead to great expense and the need to go over budget.

Budget may, in fact, be the over-riding point in planning a home, as it is important to set down how much there is to spend at the beginning, and to allow a fund for overspends that must not be exceeded in any case.

It remains to be said that while creating your own plans for a house is an attractive and exciting idea, engaging professionals – architects and accountants – is essential to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as is possible.

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