Sounds similar to what I want to put in, just not that large, maybe 30 by 50ish.

The biggest problem with a building like this is going to be finding someone to finance it and sign off on it. This is not exactly a mortgage and it isn't exactly an ag building (as it will have a living area). I have some friends who are wanting to build a huge building like this, and build their home in one end of it. They are having difficulty with the financing.

I would also consider in the floor heating. With that much concrete, it may be cold in the winter time. I don't know much about solar and wind power, sorry.

I like heating with wood too.

Jay

you could probably find a way to use a wood boiler to circulate heat through the slab. there are also dual fuel boilers so you have backup.
there's a message board with many discussions about multiuse pole buildings. look in the projects section. posts go back many years.

Here is a link that might be useful: pole building experiences

Brook, we use electric baseboards. You could have the wood and set the baseboards at 50 or so, just enough to kick on when the wood gets low (in the middle of the night).

When we built our house last year, we went ahead and built with 2x6 walls instead of the standard 2x4 outside framing. It has made a BIG difference. It cost us about $150 more for a 24x32 house. So far in the first year of living in the house, we have saved that much on the electric bill. We also super-insulated the ceiling/attic.

No matter what heat source you use, make sure you insulate well.

I prefer separate buildings, myself. We did check out whether to go with a pole-barn framing or traditional stick built, and found that stick built was easier and no cheaper.

I would go ahead and use metal roofing next time. It is a bit more expensive, but lasts longer with less maintenance.

Another thing to check out, if you are building it yourself, check out the truss building companies in their 'bone-yard'. We got our trusses about 1/2 price. Someone had ordered trusses just a little bit bigger than we needed, so we added a porch under the trusses. Saved a bunch.

Marla

Everyone's property taxes work differently, but before I would build anything, I'd call my county tax assessor and ask him (or her) what you're getting into as far as the tax bill goes. Make sure that you only pay tax on living space for the part you actually live in.

I detest borrowing money, but when I'm ready for my 'farm building' I'm checking out this microloan program. Might be worth looking into. And what you consider living quarters might not be considered living quarters officially, just call it a commercial kitchen and an employee bathroom. Just a thought.

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA News Release

Here, property tax is on ALL buildings, no matter what condition or size. If your room that you call a bedroom doesn't have a closet, then it doesn't qualify as a bedroom.

I don't know if you live in town now or not, but where I'm at, the property taxes are much different between town and agriculture land. It might still be cheaper to build on ag ground (they will declare a minimum of 1 acre as homestead) than in town. Plus here if you live on the property as a main residence, you can get a homestead credit, which takes care of most of our tax bill. On the homestead, your property taxes can only be 1% of the accessed value, when ag property can be as much as 3%.

You mentioned cement floor and wood heat. I would highly recommend Radiant floor heat and an Outdoor wood boiler. There are several companies that make and install these. Do some research. We have radiant floor heat in our house and LOVE it. There is a learning curve to it but nothing extreme. A QUALIFIED (I stress that) technician can help you size the stove needed and how to zone it for your project.
J.L.

Thanks for all the advice. I have considered the outdoor wood boiler, but I don't know if I could justify its expense. This is not going to be our residence. We are not going to live in this building, but we want to be able to spend a few days there mostly during the busiest times of the growing season. We would also use it in winter some, mostly during deer season. Then again, after I retire in a few years, I might spend more time there than I can imagine right now. I can't tell you how difficult it has been living 30 miles from the farm and not having water, shelter, or electricity. Our poor house has suffered also, being filled from top to bottom w/all the farmSTUFF. In addition to the heating issues, I'm also torn whether or not to build a walk-in cooler or go w/separate coolers. Anyone have a walk-in or are separate units preferred? I have thousands of assorted berries and 50 stardard-sized fruit trees. I anticipate increasing my fruit growing as I get older and will need more cooling space.

A lot of people in our area are actually living in pole buildings. They call them "shouses." I have a lot of research to do to prevent losing everything to taxes. Getting a loan is not a problem, but I'm afraid insurance may be. We've worked like dogs to be out of debt, but we simply have to get this building. I'm spending nearly $100 a week in gas alone, and I hate not being able to care for my equipment as I should. My wife is excited for a bathroom!!!

For insurance, it would be a farm policy with buildings. Shouldn't be much of a problem for the building part. I know you know about anti-freezing the plumbing during the winter. I don't know about your area, but don't forget some type of alarm since you won't be there all the time.

i built a walk in cooler in my basement. its powered by an air conditioner and a cool bot. once you have one you can't live without. it allows me to keep stuff so i don't have to go to the market but once a week.it is about 8x6.
you could also forgo using space in your building for living and just get a travel trailer or a house trailer.