Barden Building Products Blog Archive

The Upstate New York housing market is tighter than ever. Buyers from Buffalo to Syracuse are battling for a limited supply of homes — listings are scarce, prices are climbing, and properties vanish almost as soon as they’re listed. For families and first-time buyers, the struggle to secure a home that fits their needs and budgets is very real.

You’ve decided it’s time for your own home – an exciting step, but now comes the big question: Should a first-time home buyer build or buy? 

Framing is one of the most important steps in construction – but it doesn’t have to be the most frustrating. 

Post frame buildings are becoming more popular among people looking to build their own custom homes, whether they’re dreaming of a spacious barndominium (barndo), a workshop, or even a commercial building. 

As we head into 2025, many are wondering: will lumber prices go down, or will building costs stay higher than we’d like?

From rising material costs to lingering labor shortages, the landscape of pole barn construction is evolving yet again as we look ahead to 2025. 

Builders and businesses face a mix of challenges and opportunities shaped by economic policies, post-pandemic recovery, and fluctuating market conditions. While uncertainties remain—such as the potential impacts of the new administration's tariffs — pole barn construction continues to be a necessary and resilient solution for agricultural, commercial, and residential needs.

Every custom home tells a story — one of dreams, aspirations, and personalized touches that transform a house into a haven. As we close the chapter on 2024, it’s time to set our sights on what lies ahead in custom home design for 2025.

Predicting custom home trends isn’t just about identifying patterns; it’s about understanding what homeowners truly value. From timeless ranches to innovative multi-purpose spaces, we’re excited to share what’s in store for 2025 and how these trends can shape your future home.

Barndominiums are slowly – but surely – becoming a more prevalent part of the custom home scene. And for plenty of good reasons, too.

Visually unique. Durable. Versatile. Customizable. The list goes on.

But as a newer custom home style, clients considering a barndo as their next residence are coming with plenty of questions – some more frequently asked than others.

Some Barden custom homeowners have an enhanced sense of ownership over their homes.

Why? 

It's not because they custom designed it to fit their lifestyle, nor is it because there's not another home like it (though both play into it).

Their pride of ownership comes from the fact that they took a more involved path to realizing their dream home, taking on the general contractor (GC)  role for their project. Fully embracing the idea of "build your custom home," there's very little they don't know about their home and the work that went into it.

But even for those with the best intentions, going the GC route route isn't always the best idea.

Many hopeful homeowners hear the same refrain: "The housing market is tough."

This has been true for several years now and is expected to continue. Finding the ideal pre-existing home is increasingly difficult and costly.

For many aspiring homeowners, building a custom home is the next option. However, new home construction faces its own challenges, mainly due to supply chain issues, which make the process difficult.