Okay, this is only sort of a "buying/selling" question.
I'm going to be in the market for a new shop soon. Right now, my whole shop is an 8'x20' shed, which means I set up a tool, use it, put it away, set up another tool, use it, etc. (stepping over chainsaws, lawnmowers, and gas cans the whole time). In the next two years, I'd like either to build or to buy a freestanding barn/shop on my property, and I'd like to hear the stories of anyone who has done so themselves: did you design it yourself? did you work with a contractor/architect? did you use a prefab kit? how much did it cost?
I'd like something that's architecturally consistent with (or at least not wildly inconsistent with) my house, a fairly traditional two-story colonial saltbox. I'd also like it to be two-story (wood storage upstairs; shop downstairs), and big enough for some storage of lawnmowers, etc. as well. I'm not enthusiastic about the metal structures that I see advertised in all the woodworking magazines; I'd rather have something more traditional-looking--either a farm-barn-style building or a cottage-style building.
But at this point I have no idea what I'm getting into cost-wise: does a standard two-story barn cost $10k or $50k to build? Would it be cheaper or more expensive to buy an existing barn (this area--Eastern NC--is full of old, unused tobacco barns), move it to my lot, and renovate it? Would an old-fashioned timber-framed barn even meet code if it were reassembled on a new lot?
I realize that the answer to these questions is "it depends (on the condition of the barn, the local codes, etc.)"--but has anyone gone through the design and build process already, or moved an existing structure to their lot and renovated it? In retrospect, was it a good or bad choice? Any tips on where to start? If you have a great shop building (that wasn't just sitting there already when you bought the place), how'd you come by it? (Every woodworker loves talking about shops, right?
I'm going to be in the market for a new shop soon. Right now, my whole shop is an 8'x20' shed, which means I set up a tool, use it, put it away, set up another tool, use it, etc. (stepping over chainsaws, lawnmowers, and gas cans the whole time). In the next two years, I'd like either to build or to buy a freestanding barn/shop on my property, and I'd like to hear the stories of anyone who has done so themselves: did you design it yourself? did you work with a contractor/architect? did you use a prefab kit? how much did it cost?
I'd like something that's architecturally consistent with (or at least not wildly inconsistent with) my house, a fairly traditional two-story colonial saltbox. I'd also like it to be two-story (wood storage upstairs; shop downstairs), and big enough for some storage of lawnmowers, etc. as well. I'm not enthusiastic about the metal structures that I see advertised in all the woodworking magazines; I'd rather have something more traditional-looking--either a farm-barn-style building or a cottage-style building.
But at this point I have no idea what I'm getting into cost-wise: does a standard two-story barn cost $10k or $50k to build? Would it be cheaper or more expensive to buy an existing barn (this area--Eastern NC--is full of old, unused tobacco barns), move it to my lot, and renovate it? Would an old-fashioned timber-framed barn even meet code if it were reassembled on a new lot?
I realize that the answer to these questions is "it depends (on the condition of the barn, the local codes, etc.)"--but has anyone gone through the design and build process already, or moved an existing structure to their lot and renovated it? In retrospect, was it a good or bad choice? Any tips on where to start? If you have a great shop building (that wasn't just sitting there already when you bought the place), how'd you come by it? (Every woodworker loves talking about shops, right?