Getting Started

August 28, 2016

Today we purchased a home in New Hampshire. We moved from California to participate in the Free State Project. We got a house with enough land that I could have recording studio and my wife could have a farm. But right now, it’s all dense forrest.

Thankfully our realtor had the presence of mind to take this photo of us. We were overwhelmed with excitement at the time.

I’ve already got a plan for the studio to go just at the end of the existing driveway. That area is a lot lower right now, so that will require a lot of grading work.

plot
The building will be similar in size to the house and eventually have a garage off one side like the house does.

I plan to start with a 30 ft. by 40 ft. metal building and add a 24ft x 24ft garage on the end facing the driveway. The area inside the building will have vaulted ceilings and no columns in the center and the walls and roof will be insulated.

studio-exterior-concept-render
This early concept rendering from a building supplier shows a 4:12 roof pitch, but I think I’ll go for a 6:12 pitch, which is more similar to the house and will shed snow better.

I’ll hire out for grading and concrete, but I plan to do the rest myself if at all possible. I’ll likely need a lot of help from friends though.

I’ve been reading some books on the topic of framing and studio building. So far I’ve read through Home Recording Studio, The Studio Builder’s Handbook, Graphic Guide to Frame Construction and The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling.

Metal buildings have been tough to price. Partly because there’s so many details that affect the final cost. The industry also seems to be behind the curve a bit. So far it’s been a lot more phone calls than emails.

Now to go get a permit.

Early Design Work