Barndominiums: The American-inspired housing trend coming to Australia

Planning a regional move but can’t find the beautiful, big Yellowstone-like farmhouse of your dreams?

Well, reinforcements may be on their way. A building company specialising in “barndominiums” – a cross between a large airy barn and a luxury condominium – has just launched in Australia to create the US-inspired homes.

“It’s such a uniquely different design which has been brought to prominence around the world with the American TV drama Yellowstone,” says Luke Fryer, chief executive of the Longhorn Group, who previously spent 15 years as the general manager of Australia’s largest residential builder, Metricon.

“I describe them as like the Dutton family’s ranch on the show, and instantly people know what I mean. We expect these home designs to be in huge demand now in Australia with the push to the regions and being able to work from home. And you just can’t find these kinds of houses there now.”

Unlike traditional houses that rely on a network of interior load-bearing walls, barndominiums feature a pre-engineered external steel support structure, allowing for huge, vaulted, column-free interiors. Owners can then configure the space exactly as they want it – whether with open-plan layouts and lofty ceilings, or with a floor plan divided into multiple rooms.

The market is considered larger in regional and rural areas because properties resemble traditional farmhouses on a similar scale and often work well on larger parcels of land. In addition, they’re low-maintenance yet durable, fire- and extreme weather-resistant, and termite-proof.

“I’m very proud of the Australian housing industry, but, traditionally, it’s not been great at innovation,” Fryer says. “The Hamptons style from the US came here 25 years ago, which was a great design trend, but there’s been little since.

“The barndominium is the next evolution of this trend, and will appeal to Australians who value open space, high ceilings, oversized rooms, lifestyle, entertaining, self-sufficiency and a modern aesthetic. Its DNA is steel, stone and timber and it blends industrial, rustic and contemporary design elements into a single, cohesive style.”

Australia’s barndominiums can be adapted for a range of designs, but they usually feature large windows that connect the interior with the outdoors.

“That makes it perfect for near golf courses, wineries or beaches, or in the countryside itself,” says Fryer. “We’re anticipating demand from Bowral and the Hunter Valley in NSW, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, South Australia, Queensland, Darwin … all over.

“With these, a traditional build is more likely to be around six months – depending on the location – as we have barndominium building crews with 12 to 15 trades on site every day, like The Block, which really cuts the building time.”

The sizes range from 425 square metres to 730 square metres, and the prices range from $720,000 to around $2.2 million, generally coming in at 10 per cent less than a comparable build, according to Fryer.