by Nikki Alvin-Smith
The rapid decline in the number of shopping malls and the ever-diminishing number of department stores in our towns and cities, indicates a true global shift in how people shop. The buying decision for making capital purchases has evolved into simply clicking through a series of links and hitting the ‘buy now’ button. Consider that folks purchase a new car without even kicking the tires or taking a turn behind the wheel and that houses are bought and sold based on video tours and 3rd party inspections without an in-person visit. Similarly, the buying landscape has significantly changed for horse owners seeking to purchase a horse barn.
This shift in shopping practice provides an opportunity for barn buyers to latch on to the right barn door for their individual style preferences and personal needs. The days of uniformity of regional horse barn designs due to limited types of builds available and the method of somewhat archaic literal ‘in the field’ construction, is increasingly going by the wayside.
The horse barn shopper no longer needs to have their stable selection governed by what is handy with a builder close to their locale. The price point of the structure is no longer mandated by the budgetary constraints that existed before, such as the types of materials readily available for local harvest such as wood species or regional box store offerings.
Nor is the price of the new horse barn affected by the limited number of construction companies in the immediate neighborhood and whether and when they are prepared to pick up tools and work on a horse barn construction project rather than the more lucrative house build that may be their agenda. Aside from the better profit margin, a house versus barn build also provides the construction firm with availability of indoor finishing work. This is especially important in colder climates where interior building needs will keep a construction company’s work force employed all year long. Thus it is easy to understand the attraction that home builds have over horse barn projects for a construction business owner. Additionally, horse barns are often seen in the construction industry as a less worthy use of the framing crews talents than home builds as they offer less prestige.
Other factors such as the sturdiness and quality of the barn construction, inclement weather delays and questionable workmanship skill sets without quality control, are no longer an unknown quantity in the barn buying process.
The essential piece that completes the jigsaw of convenience by buying a modular horse barn is the known ‘to the penny’ price option that is available by choosing a modular barn build with the right company.
No matter where you are in the U.S.A, in the desert, in the mountains, from sea to shining sea and even across shining bodies of water, the savvy horse barn purchaser has a wealth of choices for barn sizes, designs, styles, material components and price point that can all be delivered, set up and ready to go in short order.
It is well worth seeking the rewards of going the extra mile and making a barn purchase from a company with a proven track record and a nationwide footprint for earnest effort in craftsmanship, prompt and careful set up and delivery, excellent quality and accurate pricing of the ultimate product.
There is no longer the need to buy your run-in shed from a shed builder you see at the side of the road on your commute to work and no necessity to endure an issue with no buying haggle room or be denied the power to leverage your hard-earned dollar spend as a result of lack of choice.
Technological advances now govern the research process and it’s a good idea to take full advantage of them. Options include utilizing 3-D technology that provides the valuable visual rendition and walk-through experience via a 3-D rendering of a planned equine barn that helps the buyer fully understand the nature and feel of the final structure. A myriad of inspirational resources exist online that gift bright ideas. There is no reason that every prospective barn buyer can’t buy with confidence and know they are bringing smart designs and functionality to their horsey lifestyle by investigating these opportunities to inform and inspire their decision-making process. Intensely detailed websites can supply a wealth of ideas. A great example are the Featured Barn Projects pages at leading modular horse barn company Horizon Structures L.L.C., that bring real life experiences and endless design possibilities to equestrians’ horse barn building projects.
Frankly, choices in modular construction were historically somewhat boring. A box with a roof with a signature rectangle shape offered little unique appeal or pleasing aesthetic, even if such a simple structure would do the job of sheltering a horse. Today the modular horse barn option encompass a world of designs, materials and customizations that are readily available for purchase with a few strokes of the keyboard. You can choose from elite style prestige timber frame builds with enviable mortise and tenon construction, to high- and low-profile center aisle barns, to Monitor barns, to shedrow barn set-ups or a hybrid build that is totally customized.
The horse barn buyer may wonder where the compromise comes in when purchasing online. But don’t worry, the customer experience is not limited just because it encompasses an online component, at least not if you work with a company that has proven itself as a good collaborative partner in the barn building industry.
Given other industry methodologies of using the world wide web to block productive engagement or that negate any encouragement in relationships and to build trust with their customers with no person to talk to, no U.S. customer service, no help and no answers scenario, a reluctance by the horse barn buyer to enter the online buying route is understandable.
Most of us have been subjected to many frustrating online buying experiences with those annoying companies that operate with contact details hidden and missing altogether from their websites; the non-respond email addresses that increasingly litter our inbox when we are trying to sort out an issue or gain more information; or a robotic flow chart chat line that addresses seemingly nothing anyone would want to know, are not your only choices.
You can rest assured that ‘going the extra mile’ doesn’t just pertain to the purchaser point of view. The expression also applies literally as well as figuratively, to those honest companies, the ones that repeatedly showcase themselves as operating with integrity, that are available to collaborate with to design and deliver the perfect barn.
Today’s horse stabling buyers have the option to enjoy a transparent buying and building experience. Buyers can enjoy a project collaboration where an experienced, educated and caring team of professional carpenters and friendly customer service liaison folks are on hand to do more than just fulfil a horse barn build to minimum standard and walk away. Barn shoppers that do their due diligence and select a working partnership with a company that is known and proven to ‘go the extra mile’ to make sure customers become clients, is certainly well worth their effort.
So while we may all bemoan the lack of ‘in-person’ shopping options on Main Street and the demise of the shopping experience most of us grew up with, there is also an opportunity to make a capital purchase with more confidence than ever. And as my grandmother would say, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” After all, shopping wisely never goes out of style.
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About Horizon Structures: One horse or twenty, there’s one thing all horse owners have in common…the need to provide safe and secure shelter for their equine partners. At Horizon Structures, we combine expert craftsmanship, top-of-the-line materials and smart “horse-friendly” design to create a full line of sheds and barns that any horse owner can feel confident is the right choice for their horses’ stabling needs.
All wood. Amish Made. Most of our buildings are shipped 100% pre-built and ready for same-day use. Larger barns are a modular construction and can be ready for your horses in less than a week. All our barn packages include everything you need –
Horizon Structures also sells chicken coops, equine hay feeders, greenhouses, dog kennels, 1 and 2 car garages, storage sheds and outdoor living structures and playsets.
Headquartered in South-Central Pennsylvania, Horizon Structures, LLC is owned by Dave Zook. Dave was raised in the Amish tradition and grew up working in the family-owned shed business. He started Horizon Structures in 2001 in response to an ever-increasing customer demand for high quality, affordable horse barns.
For additional information about the company or their product line, please visit their website at https://www.horizonstructures.com
Horizon Structures LLC, Atglen, PA
Media Contact: NAS@NikkiAlvinSmithStudio.com
Tel: 607 434 4470
https://www.HorizonStructures.com
Photos are available on request.
About Nikki Alvin-Smith:
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