Buying an erected pole barn

[Cheap5.0]

There is a guy in my little town selling a 30x40x12 pole barn that was built by the Amish for him about 4 years ago. He is selling it for $4500, comes with 16x9 door and one entry door. 12" overhangs eve and gable, vented soffit, all metal siding/roofing.

I am hoping to go look at it today or tomorrow.

Is it a good idea to buy one that is erected, tear it down, then rebuild it?

I dont know if the cost savings (about $3000) will make it worth my while, but id like some opinions please.

 

[Jack T.]

Assuming the metal siding and soffit is nailed, since it was put up by Amish, you should plan on having to replace most if not all of that. The nails they used aren't going to come out without a fight.

Personally, I think I would rather build from new than try to dismantle a building and re-erect it.

 

[alabamavolvos]

I've seen people try to do this but it never works out just right. The metal ends up wavy and full of holes. I would just build new if there was any way I could afford it.

 

[Cheap5.0]

If thats the case, than really the only thing this guy has for sale is the 30' trusses, garage door and entry door. At 4500 they are way overpriced.

 

[SuperSocket]

You will save $3,000 and do all that work?!?!?!

At 3k difference, after you're done all of that and replaced everything you broke and the time/gas, etc you spend getting that relocated... there isn't going to be any savings left.

 

[jonese]

I'm with the consensus here. Keep in mind too that it will be harder to (carefully) disassemble the barn than it will be to assemble it. I don't think there's any way to be able to reuse the posts, assuming you could even get them out if the ground, and the metal could be reused but as someone said it will be full of holes.
Keep in eye on it though. Maybe when no one buys it he'll get desperate and significantly lower his price. The trusses, girts, purlins, insulation and possibly any electrical in it should be usable.

 

[camarotoolman]

Find out what the Amish guys will charge to move it. If the metal is screwed on, it might be worth it. Are the poles concreted in? Realy depends on your time and what you think its worth.

 

[Sureshot]

I would look at from the point of man hours. It will take twice as long to disassemble as to assemble the first time, 50% longer to reassemble than it did to originally assemble. So now it is 3.5 times more man hours than a new building. What is your time worth? Does anyone have a man hours number for this type of building?

At the end you will have used sub par looking tin, and very likely end up needing atleast 10% new material more likely approaching 20 or 25%.

Do you have the equiptment and trailers to dismantle and move it?

I think he should pay you to take it.

 

[warren57]

Recently I had a pole barn built and all the (very large) nails were the type (I believe fluted) that don't pull out. So I'm assuming all the bolted joints wouldn't be bad, all the rubber washered screws would be easy, but all the nails might need to be sawed? The nails are mainly holding the horizontal 2X6's between the posts. Looks like a million or so were used!!!!

 

[PCO6]

You might find this thread interesting ...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44952&highlight=pole+barn+move+truck

 

[rkevins]

We moved a 40' x 350' chicken house and rebuilt it around 28 years ago it was built very well and still standing solid today and we had no problems, check the roof and see how it is fastned, screwed or nailed. Be careful when pulling the nails, the tin should only have the nail noles where the tin is fastned now, be sure to put your lath on where the nails holes will match. Use tar paper under the tin when it goes back on.. things are torn down, moved and rebuilt a lot in the south so it is possible.

 

[Sureshot]

You might find this thread interesting ...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44952&highlight=pole+barn+move+truck

That is a great example of having a "can" attitude. Nice to have access to "stuff" as well. To many reasons why people "can't".

 

[camarotoolman]

You can use a sawsall /with metal blade to cut of the big nails. with all the people out work, maybe get a rent a bum or 2 to do the work. Dab tar on the hail holes in the metal.

 

[Cheap5.0]

Thank you all, but it sounds like too much rigging for my tastes. I will keep an eye on it though, i cant imagine its easy to find a buyer for these things....even then though, id only want some of the parts for other projects. I doubt he would want to part it out.

 

[NUTTSGT]

$4500 will buy a lot of straight lumber and metal siding without holes in it. I'd pass on the deal unless it was really really cheap.

 

[Mattlt]

Have you looked into moving it whole?

 

[Cheap5.0]

Have you looked into moving it whole?

I have not, he would have to come down quite a bit on the price to make it work.

 

[Falcon67]

Find out what the Amish guys will charge to move it. If the metal is screwed on, it might be worth it. Are the poles concreted in? Realy depends on your time and what you think its worth.

X2 - get a hold of the folks that put it up and just ask. Bet they'll tell you straight out if it's worth the effort. There is another pole barn about that size on here somewhere that was Amish put up and IIRC it was in the 10~12K range all done.

 

[SuperSocket]

That is a great example of having a "can" attitude. Nice to have access to "stuff" as well. To many reasons why people "can't".

I am a big believer in anything is possible given the determination, resources, and amount of money you throw at a project.


The trick is being realistic in what gives you the better return and calculating your own time worth and effort. Somethings can be done but is not worth the return.

 

[hoffmandirt]

There was a 30' x 40' (15' tall around the eves) pole building on my property when I bought my place. I ended up selling the thing for $3,000. The guy cut the end off of a utility bar and welded it to a slide hammer to pull the nails. He also made one for his son . He used two scissor lifts with off road tires to take the trusses down (with help of course). He wrapped a chain around the poles and scissor lift to pull the poles out of the ground (no concrete used). It took him a couple of weeks to tear it down and I'm not sure if he ever got it back up, but I thought I'd pass his ideas along. I thought the slide hammer idea was rather clever.