Machine Shed

Looking for some advice. I just got married and bought a house
in town with the understanding from my parents that I could buy
my acreage from my parents on contract for less than they paid
for it since I had been paying rent (30k) and did quite a few
improvements. I have my equipment in a 50x80 machine shed.
Long story short my brothers got to my parents an now they
want three times what my parents agreed to (no, did not get it in
writing) and now do not want to sell on contract. If I can not find
a shed to rent what would you put up for a shed. Money is tight
with the new house, but I thought if I could come up with 20K I
would put up one of those Quonset buildings if I can buy an acre
or two at a reasonable price. What do you guys think. Thanks

I've got a quonset which we put up in 1985. The price has more than doubled since then. Concrete has gone up as well. I think we put around $8000 into a 42X80 ---that was concrete & building. Thought about skimping & putting 8 inch wide footings--talked to the guys in town & they said 12 inch wide. Never regretted the extra cost--I've seen quonsets that the sides spread out from snow load.
The nephews are putting up a hoop outfit, & it looks to be fairly well made. Don't know how much wind load they'll take, though.
We didn't even get the ends in our shed before the assessor stopped by to measure it. He asked if we'd have it done by fall, & I said I didn't know for sure. He said to call him if we didn't get it done. They're very helpful.

If u r in the upper midwest, look at a home improvement store -Menards- they have MANY building packages, inexpensive

Lets take down one of those hog hoops in back and we could have it up at your new place in no time. I have seen them anchored down with those big concrete blocks. That way we don't even have to pour cement.

I would think about the future, not only the present. Do you someday envision your wife and kids spending time with you at your shop in the country (maybe cooking out, having a barley pop, kids playing around the shop, etc.) I would take Carl Sandberg's advice and look at some kits for pole sheds... interior improvements and concrete floor can be added in the future. With a building that has sidewalls, you can have a few windows for some natural light, perhaps a regular entry door. ALSO WALL SPACE for shelving or cupboard units someday and room for a workbench. Also, in time you might like to add a lean-to on the building - nice for cooking out when it is raining, or sitting in the shade when it is sunny and hot.

My husband made an old hoghouse into his shop - it has 2 lean-to's on it. He put in windows all around - it used to be like a bat cave prior to windows. We spread sand under the lean-to's... nice for kids to play in, kind of like being at the beach. (His storage space is in other old outbuildings - but with a nice building you could have shop & storage in one).

Anyway, you cannot imagine how much time we spend in the shop or under those lean-to's. We call it our "home-away-from-home". We are out there every weekend, year-round. Our kiddles come and go at will. We imagine that someday, we will have grandkids that do the same thing.

Just my opinion, but I like the look of a regular building - to me those steel quonsets just are not appealing to look at. Plus, with the rounded shape you loose so much space/storage capabilities.

Definitely shop around first. A quonset hut limits you to parking the tallest equipment in the middle, and there are no vertical walls to hang stuff.

IMHO, pole barn.

How about a used steel clearspan building.

I don't know about where you live, but around here there are plenty of commercial buildings that are empty due to the changing economy that could be leased or bought reasonable. That way you wouldn't be "re-inventing the wheel", just aking advantage of what's already there.

(quoted from post at 09:44:16 02/23/12) I don't know about where you live, but around here there are plenty of commercial buildings that are empty due to the changing economy that could be leased or bought reasonable. That way you wouldn't be "re-inventing the wheel", just aking advantage of what's already there.

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Smart thinking

Thats an option but no one in Grundy County would let me put that
up. I wish I could rent something and then put up what I want in the
near future. Time will tell. If I buy the materials to put up a pole
shed and find a few acres who is up for an old fashioned barn
raising this summer as I will need all the help I can get. What we do
to keep our old equipment and only to farm 20 acres!

Thanks for all the advise!

(quoted from post at 13:37:36 02/23/12) Thats an option but no one in Grundy County would let me put that
up.

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Is this Grundy Co. Iowa?

I will come over there and help. We just built a 40x50 stick built last week. Some other guys put the walls up two weeks ago. We lifted the trusses on Wed and started purlins. Finished purlins on Saturday and had a roof on by Friday. The moron didn't buy the wall steel until yesterday because he wasn't sure what color he wanted. We should get the wall steel hung in a day, but it might take two. That is a lot of sheets.

The acreage where I lived was Hardin County, the new house is in
Conrad, IA, Grundy County. Where are you from?

(quoted from post at 15:18:42 02/23/12) The acreage where I lived was Hardin County, the new house is in
Conrad, IA, Grundy County. Where are you from?

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I'm originally from the Delaware/Clayton county area, but where I worked for 38 years in Kansas, my last boss was from Grundy Center. I drove through there dozens of times on the way from my hometown in NE Iowa, down 14 to my sister's home in Marshalltown. Have eaten at that resaurant on 14 by Conrad a couple of times.

With so many farms being sold just as acreages these days how about just driving around or asking around if anyone has any machine shed space they would rent out? City slickers buying country homes with multiple 40 by 60 machine sheds that sit empty is not uncommon. I live by the grundy/hardin/franklin/butler counties intersection so am familiar with the area your talking about. Just a segustion that might get you bye for awhile untill you can figure something out. BTW, isn't the passing on of the farm from one generation to the next just wonderful!! in about the same situation as you, i'm the only one who wants to farm and the rest want $$$$$$$$$. enjoy cheap food now because in 50 years there will only be corporate farms and they will set the price.