Do Barndominiums Hold Their Value? Resale and Appraisals in Middle Tennessee (2026)
Yes, a well built barndominium on acreage in Middle Tennessee generally holds its value, and in rural parts of Maury, Marshall and Rutherford counties it tends to sell in line with a comparable traditional home on similar land. The risk is not the metal roof. The risk is the appraisal: when there are few barndominium sales nearby to compare against, appraisers have to reach farther for comps, and a barndominium that looks and finishes like a shop instead of a house can come in low. Location, land, finish level and how the living space is measured matter more to resale value than the building style.
This guide covers how barndominium appraisals actually work, what adds and what hurts resale value, and how to build one that will be easy to sell and easy to refinance later. If you are planning a build, pair it with our guide to zoning and permits by county.
Do Barndominiums Hold Their Value in Tennessee?
In rural and semi rural Middle Tennessee, demand for barndominiums is real. Buyers moving here for acreage often want exactly what a barndominium offers: an open plan, a big shop under the same roof and room for equipment or animals. As of September 2026, LandSearch shows about 153 barndominiums with land listed for sale across Tennessee at an average asking price of roughly $853,900, and the handful listed in Williamson County average around $3 million, mostly because of the acreage attached to them.
Where barndominiums struggle is the suburban lot. On a one acre parcel surrounded by brick traditional homes, a metal building home has fewer natural buyers, and appraisers will compare it directly against the brick homes next door. In the country, the land does a lot of the work, and the buyer pool expects a shop.
How Barndominium Appraisals Work
Barndominiums are eligible for conventional financing. Fannie Mae’s guidelines accept unique and nontraditional housing as long as the appraiser has enough information to develop a reliable opinion of market value. In practice, that puts the pressure on comparable sales.
- Wider comp searches. Appraisers often go back further than six months and outside the immediate area to find barndominium sales, then adjust for location.
- Similar homes, not just similar style. When there are no barndominium sales, appraisers compare against traditional homes with similar size, acreage, room count and quality of finish.
- Quality of construction counts. A barndominium with residential grade windows, drywall, cabinets and finishes is compared against custom homes. A bare bones interior is compared against lower quality homes.
- Construction loans use plans. For a new build, the appraiser values the finished home from the plans, specifications and budget, so a detailed spec sheet helps.
Why the Shop Does Not Count Like Living Space
This is the single biggest source of barndominium appraisal surprises. Appraisers measure gross living area as finished, heated, above grade space. The shop, the RV bay and the equipment garage are not living area, even though they sit under the same roof. They add value, but at a much lower rate per square foot than the house.
A 4,000 square foot barndominium with 2,000 square feet of living space and a 2,000 square foot shop is, for appraisal purposes, a 2,000 square foot home with a large attached shop. If the budget was built around a price per square foot for the whole building, the appraisal will not match it. Plan the living space for the value you need, and treat the shop as the bonus it is.
What Adds Value and What Hurts It
| Helps resale and appraisal | Hurts resale and appraisal |
|---|---|
| Land in a rural or agricultural setting with room for a shop | A metal home on a small lot in a brick subdivision |
| Residential finishes: drywall, quality windows, real kitchens and baths | Exposed metal interior walls and shop grade finishes in living areas |
| A traditional front: porches, wood or stone accents, good window placement | A plain box with few windows facing the road |
| Proper insulation and condensation control | Condensation and rust issues that show up on inspection |
| Permits, inspections and a certificate of occupancy | Unpermitted living quarters added inside a shop |
| Living space sized for the market, shop as an extra | Living space too small for the price of the whole building |
Middle Tennessee buyers also look hard at the basics every rural home needs: a septic system sized for the bedroom count, a reliable water source and a driveway that holds up. Those items show up in inspections and appraisals just as they would for any country home.
Barndominium vs Stick Built Resale Value
The fair comparison is not a barndominium against any house. It is a barndominium against a stick built home of similar size, finish and land in the same area. On that basis, the gap is smaller than most people expect, and in the country it can disappear.
Where a stick built home still has the edge
Traditional homes have a deeper pool of comparable sales, so appraisals are more predictable, and more buyers can picture themselves in one. In established subdivisions and near city centers like Franklin and Brentwood, a brick or siding home will usually sell faster and with fewer questions than a metal building home on a similar lot.
Where a barndominium competes evenly
On five acres or more in rural Maury, Marshall or the southern edge of Rutherford County, buyers are shopping for land, privacy and outbuildings. A barndominium with a finished interior and an attached shop checks boxes that a traditional home with a separate pole barn does too, often at a lower total cost to build. In those markets the land and the shop carry a lot of the value, and the building style matters less.
Maintenance and insurance buyers ask about
Metal roofs and siding hold up well and need little routine maintenance, which buyers like. Inspectors and insurers look closely at condensation, insulation and fastener condition, so records showing a properly insulated and vapor controlled envelope help at resale. Ask your insurance agent for a quote before you build, since coverage and pricing for post frame and steel frame homes can vary between carriers.
How to Build a Barndominium That Will Resell
Most of the resale value is decided before the first post goes in the ground. If there is any chance you will sell in the next ten years, plan the build around the next buyer as well as yourself.
- Pick land where a barndominium fits. Rural or agricultural settings with other acreage homes nearby give appraisers better comps and buyers fewer doubts.
- Size the living space for the market. Three bedrooms and two baths or more, with living area in line with other homes on similar land.
- Give it a front that reads as a home. A covered porch, good windows facing the road and some wood or stone go a long way.
- Finish the inside like a house. Drywall, real flooring, standard kitchen and bath finishes, and a proper HVAC system.
- Keep everything permitted. Final inspections and a certificate of occupancy are what lenders and buyers ask for first.
- Keep the paperwork. Plans, specifications, the builder contract, warranties and insulation details make the next appraisal and the next sale easier.
That is the approach behind our Homestead Plan: the land, the loan, the plan and a licensed builder lined up together, with resale in mind from the start.
Is a Barndominium a Good Investment?
It can be, with honest expectations. Finished barndominiums in Tennessee commonly cost somewhere around $110 to $165 per square foot for a mid range build in 2026 before land and site work, and custom builds run higher. That can be less than a comparable custom stick built home, but savings on the structure only turn into equity if the finished home appraises. The buyers who do best build a home first and a shop second, on land where a barndominium fits in.
The other honest point: a barndominium is a narrower product than a brick traditional. When it is time to sell, the right buyer will pay well, but there are fewer of them, so pricing and marketing matter. If you are weighing where to build, our land listings and the barndominium financing guide are good next steps, and current Maury County listings are on our Maury County homes for sale page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do barndominiums appraise well?
They can. Appraisals come in strongest when the barndominium has residential grade finishes, is on land where it fits the area, and has nearby comparable sales. Low appraisals usually trace back to few comps, shop grade interiors or counting the shop as living space.
Is it hard to sell a barndominium?
In rural Middle Tennessee, where buyers want acreage and shop space, barndominiums sell well. On small suburban lots next to traditional homes, there are fewer buyers, so pricing and presentation matter more.
Does a barndominium shop count as square footage?
Not as living area. Appraisers count finished, heated living space. The shop adds value, but at a lower rate per square foot than the house.
Can you get a conventional loan on a barndominium?
Yes. Fannie Mae accepts unique housing types when the appraiser has enough information to value the home, and many lenders finance barndominiums with construction to permanent or conventional loans.
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