Finding the balance between your ideal rural barndominium life and the pursuit of the American dream doesn’t always have a straightforward path; Rarely is this actually the case. The American dream has evolved over time. Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness are core to what America represents to the world abroad. Over time the pursuit of happiness has families on the move in full pursuit of a slower-paced lifestyle than that of the big industrialized cities and endless miles of factories that they know so well. These families have the money and motivation but know little about rural living, rural society, and generally how to survive and become more self-reliant. The rural lifestyle can take some adjusting, especially if you’re coming directly from a densely populated city into sparsely populated woodlands. My first tip would be to join a community group of some kind to get involved in community projects, this helps you integrate into the community more easily and this also allows you to use relationships that are made through community groups that can directly benefit your barndominium build, many of the individuals who are involved in community groups are also the same individuals who are running the local government offices the same ones who approve or deny building projects. Generally speaking, it’s much easier to get projects approved in rural areas. Small local rural building departments tend to have less stringent code requirements, giving you more freedom to build what you like and, maybe even more importantly, where you want to build it.
Mingling with locals in a rural setting might seem like a difficult task, especially as an outsider; here’s a tip I’ve picked up over the years that has helped me make friends with some very influential individuals in the community, the first thing you want to do is wake up early before the sunrise; I’ve noticed a trend that isn’t confined to my area of the southeast united states, however. it’s very predominant here all over the south, especially, old men love to sit and drink coffee and talk to each other. Keep in mind most of these men are lifelong friends and probably work alongside each other in some capacity. Find the local watering hole; this could be a gas station in town. Dairy queens are hugely popular with the early morning loitering elderly man; maybe it’s the free coffee refills or the open dining area that keep them coming back for more every morning. Getting to know these guys can help in more ways than you can think of; they are your neighbors and between all of them, they have a few thousand years of experience and wisdom, so a pretty solid group of chaps to get to know.
Utilities in rural America can be a bit different than what some are used to. I recommend building your home with a good quality Generac or similar backup generator system. This will keep you covered in the off chance that your electricity is knocked out due to storms, snow, lightning, etc. These stand-alone backup generators will kick on immediately in the instance of an electrical disruption. In rural areas, the electric company may have their hands full. It could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days for the repairmen to fix the issues. Anyone without a backup generator has to sit in the darkness, without any heat or any way to cook. Many rural homes were built with wood stoves installed. I’ve written a sister article on The ideal modern homestead that gives a bit more clarity on what a modern homestead looks like in 2022. Back to the stove, which isn’t a bad idea even with today’s barndominium homes. Wood stoves are great; they provide a form of very efficient heat and a form of cooktop as well. Many rural areas don’t provide water or sewage so you will more than likely need a septic tank installed for your sewage and you will be solely responsible for the maintenance, which includes having a company come out occasionally to empty the contents of the tank. This is an added expense on your part. Finding a source of water for your Barndominium is also your responsibility in many rural areas, maybe that looks like a well, or digging a ditch to the closest county road to pipe in water from a county source. Maybe your property has its very own source of spring water you can readily tap into, which is very common in rural settings, especially in the east, where the temperature stays low. These are all options to consider and your location will determine much of this.
Safety and preparedness are something else I like to put into practice. keep in mind local police, fire, and rescue, and ambulance services will take longer to arrive to country locations that are off the beaten path, things are less likely to happen with a smaller population but it still happens. Normal security features like alarms for your front door and windows are common, as well as deadbolt locking mechanisms. You have to buy some extra time for the emergency services to arrive so think about time-saving measures you can take at your property in the case of a burglary, home invasion, serious injury, etc. Living so far away from a hospital can be a scary prospect. Having a stocked first aid kit is very important on a farm or even for a standard rural residential home. accidents can happen anywhere, especially in places such as farms, shops, mini-farms, homesteads, and places where moving equipment and heavy tools are directly involved. Cameras are another security feature that can do wonders to deter thieves in a rural area, if someone knows they are being watched, they are much less likely to commit a crime. This can give you a clear view of anyone visiting your property while you are away. Having video evidence gives you leverage to provide to local authorities who will more than likely know the perpetrator anyways due to the small close-knit communities found in rural areas.
With over 60 million of our current residents living outside the borders of major cities and located in rural locations, having less crowded and congested traffic, close-knit community life, friendly neighbors, and breathtaking landscapes. With beauty also comes some adjustments and preparations but as long as you’re aware of what you’re getting into and have a solid plan on how you want to move forward, country barndominium life can be the pursuit of happiness that you’ve been searching for, Buildmax can help put you on a path to the Ideal rural barndominium with a house plan from Buildmax.com today! 
