So . . . purely hypothetically . . . . let's say you built a barn building on some land you owned.

[Stinky The Clown]

Let's say that land is in the country, but just barely. Let's say the barn building is a classic gambrell roof shape. Let's say it can support two interior levels in its volume and that, because it is on a sloped site, it has a drive out basement. Let's say the building's footprint is on the small side for a barn - 36' x 56'.

Let's say the location is in the next county, about 30 minutes from where you now live. Let's say it sits on just under 15 acres but has all municipal utilities.

Let's say the interior, apart from a loft floor, is completely unfinished and open. Let's say, still hypothetically, there are two entrances and you can drive a truck into the basement or first levels if you wanted to. What would you do with this shell?

All hypothetically, of course. Just daydreaming.

7 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	A hobby shop
	0 (0%)
	A barn
	1 (14%)
	Auto repairs/restorations
	0 (0%)
	Antique shop
	0 (0%)
	Board horses
	0 (0%)
	Dance studio/dance hall/catering/restaurant
	1 (14%)
	Live in it
	2 (29%)
	Live on one level and run a business on another.
	2 (29%)
	Other
	1 (14%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
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[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. Does it have a car elevator?

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Ha! No, it has a two lane helix ramp. You can move more cars that way. And in both directions.

[Warpy]

3. The fact that it's "just barely in the country" screams business to me

Either that or finishing it off and renting it out to yuppies with car collections.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. In this area, the yuppies with car collections are renting industrial buildings with . . . .

. . . . . huge freight elevators and large amounts of open floor space. The area (sadly) has plenty of them.

[ZenLefty]

5. Sounds like a nice wood shop.

I could hole up in there and make cabinets and custom furniture. Though being out in the country isn't my cup of tea, and I'd like my shop to be a little closer to home (and a hospital for that matter).

So maybe I'd just renovate it and sell it as a nice small business location with living quarters upstairs. I'm sure someone would love to buy that.

[Jamastiene]

6. Other and Live in it. I voted other, though.

The way you describe the building in your post is actually very close to what I have been dreaming about doing in the future.

I wanted to make a basement to be a tornado shelter/fun place to hoard Beanie Weenies* and Dr Pepper. I wanted to make the loft a place to sleep and have a sky window in the roof to look out at the moon and stars before bed. The first level would be split into 2 rooms. One would be a sitting room/tv room/kitchenette combo. The other room would be a music/computer room. I would insulate it and add electricity, then hire a good plumber to make a small bathroom and call it home. I've actually been dreaming of doing that for a while.

My land slopes pretty steeply too. I would love to find someone who knows how to make it happen. Everyone locally that I have talked to about it so far said I would have to make the area where I want to put the barn level first. I wanted to make it a natural looking "built into the hill" barn type structure. That is actually an energy efficient way to build, according to some of the web sites I have visited. It provides more shelter on the side that is "into" the hill. It also closes up any drafty areas that would normally be there if that side was exposed.

I'm still trying to pay off my little hovel in the jungle here. As soon as I get it paid off, I plan on starting my new savings for the barn with a basement and see what I can do with it once the shell is built. If I can get someone to build the shell and the basement part like I want, I can do the interior insulation and drywall, and electrical, but not the plumbing. Someone else would have to do the plumbing.

*My family picks on me about the Beanie Weenies. It was because my step dad was looking for a can of something in the bottom of his cabinet when I was staying with them a short time a few years ago, and found several cans of Beanie Weenies that I had put back there in case of a hurricane or some other weather that might cut the power off. I tend to stock up on Beanie Weenies and pintos, because Beanie Weenies can be eaten right out of the can and pinto beans can be warmed up on the Kerosene stove if we have to use it when the power is out several days during heavy storms here. So, now, my family says I am a Beanie Weenie hoarder, lol.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Building into the slope is very easy

I can't imagine why someone told you the land has to be level. This is a picture of an old barn that is at ground level on the basement and main floor. Barns have been built like this forever. In fact, it is the preferred way to build them as it doubles the "ground floor" space.

[beac]

8. I voted "dance hall/catering/restaurant" b/c I love a good party in a barn.

Also know (from previous work life and b/c a cousin is going thru this) how hard it it to find a great venue for a wedding and how MUCH money you can make if you own one.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. There is at least one such barn a few miles NW of where our purely hypothetical barn is

http://www.frederick.com/ostertag_vistas-sp-4685/

This one is pretty close to Camp David, actually. I don't think they do anything other than events, though. They're not a restaurant.

[Flaxbee]

10. You'd sell it to me for $10K

I'd live in it.