Is a new horse barn on your horizon? Is owning your own horse barn a flight of fancy or a hard reality? An open mind may be your best attribute if you are seriously contemplating a horse barn purchase. Here’s how and why to get on track with your equine housing project.
Buying a horse barn may be a capital idea but it is also a capital expense and of course, not one to be undertaken lightly. That said, affording a horse barn can be easier than might be at first imagined.
Don’t be overwhelmed by pricing seen across social media platforms or ballpark offerings, because truly the variants in construction options on the table for the new stable are so diverse and there are so many affordable means to manage the purchase. Let’s explore!
The prospective barn buyer that embraces a flexible attitude about what they build will always win out when it comes to finding affordable structures. Here are some things to think about that instruct decision-making – or that should:
- Financial resource options based on creditworthiness, cash flow and savings available for downpayments.
- A solid background and experience in what horses need to be comfortable and what makes a user-friendly barn for both the horse and human contingent.
- Ability and interest to conduct a moderate amount of research into the different aspects of construction such as material composition; siting and preparation requirements; locate trustworthy and verified manufacturers or construction companies.
- Business knowledge in the equestrian marketplace of what prospective clientele want safety/security wise for their animals if buildings are to compose part of a boarding, breeding or training facility. For example: standing a group of Thoroughbred stallions may require separate and sturdier accommodations from those buildings that house lactating mares with foals at side, mares gestating or mares in-season.
- Open-minded approach to what the horse barn marketplace has to offer.
- Awareness that time truly is money when it comes to project management and development of a business enterprise and being up and running quickly once the property is purchased may be critical to income potential to aid cash flow. For example: waiting on a team for a stick-built construction to appear and complete a horse barn build may take valuable time away from getting a business up and running and may even cause business to miss an entire season in regard to training locations, breeding seasons or winter boarding operations, versus buying a modular structure.
How to Be Flexible
There are lots of ways to save money in the horse barn buying marketplace and they are worthy of consideration:
- Buy what’s in stock off the sales lot.
- Sign up with modular or prefab manufacturers to receive news in your inbox of special offers and seasonal discounts.
- Buy structures such as run-in sheds in multiples to obtain a multi-purchase discount and save on freight delivery expenses.
- Opt for less expensive lower profile buildings over high profile structures.
- Be self-aware and honestly distinguish between what barn features you actually need versus though you’d like to have that don’t truly bring substantial benefits for the barn to work efficiently. Flexibility in option choices can make a marked difference to final price.
- Finish aspects of barn construction yourself such as installing kickboards, stall doors, or completing the stain/painting of the exterior.
- Choose wisely from the laundry list of upgrades and options that make financial sense such as overhang additions that will offer significant daily use benefits.
- Pick a manufacturer that offers ‘to the penny’ pricing that includes delivery and set up.
- Select a manufacturer that includes many required options as standard features such as passive ventilation features, kickboarded walls and windows without adding extra charges at every turn.
When you consider all the aspects of horse barns, from the floors to the shining weathervane atop the cupola, the stall sizes and the footprint of the design, figuring it all out can seem a formidable task.
Thankfully, there are many, many horse folks that have ridden the same path and trailblazed the way to best features and stylistic choices in equine housing. Access to view barn builds and take your own time to review the details is readily available. And amazingly perhaps, inspiration and practical solutions to daily horse management questions can be explored from the comfort of your kitchen table or armchair. Some helpful links are included below.
Talk. Talk. Talk.
While shopping online can provide a healthy stack of ideas as to barn designs and optional upgrades, there truly is nothing better than talking to the experts (hopefully these are horse folks and knowledgeable people that know the products on offer at their company inside out) at the construction company you are considering utilizing for the build.
A good company will have staff trained to address budget concerns that will share purposeful ideas as to where cuts can be made in design without compromising the overall barn structure alongside inspirational solutions the average horse barn purchaser may not be aware of.
Don’t Just Go Local
Major advances in modern construction materials married with true craftsmanship and excellent carpentry skills that offers a polished final result following well-designed barn plans are available to all, regardless of where the barn will be sited. It’s time to get with the times and look at the advantages of the modular barn building world.
The nationwide nature of the leading barn construction company Horizon Structures is a prime example of how the fabric of the barn building world has been turned on its head by the advances in modular construction and over the road transportation offerings. Their barn designs include everything from Barndominiums in various styles and sizes to hybrid high end timber frame barns with bespoke mortise and tenon joinery, arching beams and yesteryear ambience to more modest shedrow structures that maximize stall space offerings at very affordable pricing.
What’s more, warranties are clearly indicated, testimonials are verifiable firsthand and purchase contracts are straightforward. What’s not to love about all that.
The days of waiting anxiously for the local builder to show up pencil in hand, pickup trucks parked all over the lawn and a rowdy crew of workman plying their trade from dawn until dusk while you are trying to work horses or get the kids off to school are long gone.
Gone too (hopefully) are the days when naivety reigned and property owners were at the mercy of open-ended time and material building estimates and unqualified and unknown results in final price and the construction methods, materials and appearance of final structure when eventually completed.
Take The Reins and Drive Your Four-In-Hand
If you want your barn purchase to become a reality, then you are going to have to drive the process. And once you start, you’ll soon become addicted to the idea of barn ownership and will likely become quite carried away with the process.
Beware of making emotionally driven decisions and always ‘sleep on it’ if you are not sure that your choices are the best ones. What we figure out chatting excitedly with a friend or family member late at night may not look as appropriate in the hard morning light. Similarly, if something doesn’t feel right when you are talking with a construction partner then don’t run with them. Gut instinct is a valid ally in the decision-making process.
Good decisions come from being well-informed. To help guide you along on your journey these are four key factors to take in hand for your next barn buying project – your four-in-hand as it were.
- Review financial resources and options available, including those offered by the construction company that can be very favorable 3rd-party rating. Certain companies even offer a quick interactive option where you can plug in capital costs and identify monthly spend options etc.
- Decide your needs versus wants by listing them side by side and prioritize your list on both sides.
- Conduct your research – view industry experts blog pages, testimonials, case studies and project galleries to both inspire and inform your barn design and siting decision.
- After researching options in designs and styles of bars talk to the company firsthand to get accurate pricing before making a final decision.
Remember, flexibility means affordability. Buying a new horse barn is one of the most exciting purchases a horse person will make. Outside of buying or breeding that perfect horse of course! Be confident and enjoy the process.
Check Out Horizon’s IN STOCK / SALE Page – CLICK HERE!
