Karen Deprizio is the Director of Marketing at Yankee Barn Homes where they specialize in custom design and their Home Shell Package. They use a “ kiln dried and pre-stained Douglas Fir timber frame” as well as “ True Roof™(R-55 to 66.5) and True Wall™ (R-26.2 to 37.4) Panels, which are typically higher than your standard build”. The package includes a 2nd-floor sub-floor, with Advantech® TJI, as well as their pre-installed windows, Andersen® or Marvin®. It also has exterior doors and an option for exterior pine or cedar siding. They also offer other building options and are flexible in working with your specific goals. The building materials and methods are highly energy-efficient and well purposed to your desired aesthetic.

To begin the client, “is paired with a project manager who is also a designer and that person is abreast of the entire build process”. The project manager and client begin with the client’s wish list, the things they want, and collaborate about their specific lifestyle choices and integrate that into the floor plan. Thinking about specific things like making sure doorways are wide enough, having walk-in showers, and maybe even a dog washing station near the mudroom! They can conduct this personal designing process virtually. Starting with the schematic where they create a “ three-dimensional rendering” that you can “walk through” together.

Clients can choose from a variety of designs that have been used and tested. Karen said that “we have books of homes in our office that we have built up over the years. So people can take an existing floor plan and customize it to their liking”. One popular design is called “the Moose Ridge Lodge”, which a lot of designs have been based off of. One of the reasons this design is so great is because the front of the design has a prow window and with it a custom window package that is more affordable than other options. Two of the more popular style homes are the Barn Home and the Farm Houses.

Though some people have their full vision complete in their mind's eye, others only have glimpses, and that’s okay! Some people come and don’t have any idea of what they want, “they just have clippings of the types of doors they like, or know they want open living space on the first floor.” But that’s what the collaborations with the project manager and team are there for to help you flush out.

Yankee Barn Homes provides, “final construction plans that any builder would need and that meet building requirements no matter where you are. We build all over the country. We even ship overseas!” Usually, people have the land already or are in the process of looking at land to build their home on. Otherwise, Yankee Barn Homes can refer you to a realtor. It is important, “to take advantage of whatever features your land has”, as you design your home. Yankee Barn Home would do a site visit if possible, otherwise, they will utilize advanced mapping software in helping to design the home. They create the home in their factory in New Hampshire which is where they build the panels and can take into account adjustment of material sizes etc for transportation purposes. The cost of the design process is included in the Shell Package which makes these homes more affordable and gives you more flexibility to have multiple builders priced.

The time frame from the concept to the finished physical structure can depend on how long the initial design process takes. Typically Yankee Barn Homes suggest starting a year ahead of when you would like your home finished. The design process roughly takes 6 to 12 weeks. Permitting, construction plans and builder pricing usually takes another 10 to 12 weeks. Once the company goes into the production process it takes another 6 to 8 weeks. Then the home can be delivered and assembled onsite usually within about 14 days! This is the point when you have “an assembled weather-tight shell” so then the builder can continue to work on the interior, like laying down the flooring in the kitchen, and bathrooms, etc. This can take another 2 to 4 months.

Yankee Barn Homes has been designing custom post and beam homes for over 50 years! Their superior customer service is present from the pre-design process, to the design, to the build, and making sure you are connected with the right people, have all the information you need, and the support to get you where you want to go! The high-quality craftsmanship and level of materials are practically unparalleled. As energy efficiency is becoming increasingly more important in this day and age, Yankee Barn Homes is ahead of the hurd and ready to support your sustainable goals.

For more information about Yankee Barn Homes do look at their website here, yankeebarnhomes.com/about-yankee-barn-homes/. There is so much interesting information there and more specifics about home design for you to check out!