| In late 2000, I bought a piece of property that was | | | | the barn where I had stored all those beams I had |
| used as a farm for the past three generations. And | | | | made to keep them in the dry until needed. |
| even though just under six acres, was one of the | | | | Sweety, I said. "We can't build the house right now. |
| prettiest pieces of land you ever laid eyes on. One | | | | If I have to clear land to build it, there will be another |
| half of the property is wooded and the remainder is | | | | three to four month wait before I can even start |
| rolling hills. At the westernmost section of the land | | | | construction." Then, off the cuff I said; "Maybe I |
| runs a bubbling brook fed by a gushing spring. The | | | | could build us an apartment in the barn until I can |
| water in that spring is crystal clear, fresh, and cool, all | | | | start on the house." Her eyes lit up and she asked |
| year round. | | | | me; "How long would it take to build?" I thought for |
| My wife and I borrowed my families RV and moved | | | | a second and decided it would take probably a month |
| onto the property that same year with all intentions | | | | to complete. |
| of building an English Style Tudor home on the front | | | | Her excitement returned and seeing her face light up |
| side of the property. | | | | like that spurred me on to swinging a hammer. I |
| I'm an architectural designer by trade and had spent | | | | selected the widest open part of the barn and |
| months laying out my wife's dream home. (OK, I | | | | started the construction. I'm glad I had the utility |
| admit it was mine too!) It was going to be built using | | | | board hook power up to the barn as it really made |
| trees off the land that I spent six weeks cutting | | | | life easier to use my power tools. |
| down and shaping into 8" x 8" beams with my chain | | | | I visited our local saw mill and bought as much raw |
| saw. | | | | lumber as I could. First I constructed a new loft area |
| Then we hit a snag. The place where we were to | | | | using some of the beams I had cut out, then using |
| build our dream home sat too close to the power | | | | those same beams, started cutting out stairs. Next I |
| lines that ran across the front of the property. Sure, | | | | enclosed the face of the opening with native rock |
| I could get the utility board to move them, but not | | | | and mortar at about three feet tall and then a wood |
| at their expense. I'd have to pay for the entire | | | | wall on top of that. |
| shooting match and that just wasn't in the budget. | | | | I built the floor to the Living Room and Den and then |
| By the time we got the news about the power lines, | | | | started framing the Kitchen which would protrude out |
| we had already spent nine weeks in that old RV and | | | | of the back of the barn. Next, the loft I had |
| to be honest, it was getting sort of cramped seeing | | | | previously built became mine and my wife's bedroom. |
| that three of our five children were still living at | | | | From there I opened an area into the existing loft |
| home. I don't care how big the RV is, if there is a 5 | | | | and started building the bathroom and two other |
| year old, two young teens, and two adults packed in | | | | bedrooms. |
| it, life gets interesting. My wife's nerves were getting | | | | It has been close to eight years now and that barn |
| a bit frazzled and to be honest, so were mine. | | | | apartment has become a full blown home complete |
| On our farm, the only other suitable place to build sat | | | | with five Bedrooms, a Living Room, Den/Dining |
| the most beautiful old barn you ever laid eyes on. 64' | | | | Room, Kitchen, Full Bathroom, Study, Sunroom |
| wide by 30' deep. This barn had good solid | | | | Laundry, Sewing Room, and a Garage. We haven't |
| construction with 6" x 6" columns, true 2" x 6" girts | | | | even used up a third of the barn yet and our square |
| and rafters, 1" x 10" & 12" planking on the walls | | | | footage is already around 2064 sq. ft. of heated area. |
| and lofts floors. All rough sawn and true size. This | | | | That square footage doesn't include the Garage, or |
| building was nearly a century old and twice as solid as | | | | Woodshop. The Garage is 13'-4" by 20' and the |
| modern structures today. | | | | Wood Shop is the same size. |
| When I got the news about the house, I tried to | | | | If you are planning to convert an outbuilding or barn |
| break it to my wife as easy as possible so I took | | | | into a home, you are in for a treat. Not only is there |
| her out for a moon light stroll. You know, one of | | | | a rustic beauty but a whole bunch of possibilities for |
| those romantic type walks that women just seem to | | | | layout and use. |
| get all gushy about. On our stroll we walked up to | | | | |