What is the Value of Old Barn Wood?

Old, weathered, barn wood, is in big demand these days.  You may also see this advertised as "reclaimed barn wood".  Old window frames are also something that many people want.

The window frames are often turned into picture frames, or just hung on the wall as "art" itself.

The barn wood is also used as art, for picture frames, and other craft projects.  I have seen people use reclaimed barn wood to build tables or to use for other home decor items.

The value of the wood depends on many things, including the type of wood.  Some, such as chestnut, may be worth more.  If the wood was painted and the paint has come off in strips, it adds to the character and may be very much in demand.  In the case of window frames, the condition of the glass is important.

I sold this one for $20.00

I recently posted a listing featuring two large window frames for sale, and I had very much underestimated how much people were willing to pay for them.  To be fair I mostly wanted them gone anyhow so the fact that I got money out of them was a bonus for me and I hate to be greedy.  I sold them for $25, but probably could have gotten $100 or more for the very large ones (8 ft long). 

I have seen prices for weathered barn wood (as would be on the barn pictured below) anywhere from $1 per foot to $3 per foot.  A long beam, made of oak from an old growth forest, may be worth hundreds of dollars because of rarity.  Wood from old growth forests is much stronger than wood from younger trees.

My old barn.  Well weathered wood.

One tip for selling old, weathered barn wood, is not to fix it up.  If you have a piece of old wood with some paint still clinging to it, you need to resist the temptation to rub the loose paint off; leave it, it adds character.  If you have an old piece of wood and it has the bent head of an old rusty nail sticking out, do not pull the nail out.  The nail may be seen as character.  If the buyer wants it out, let them remove it, but otherwise leave it as a "bonus".  The same with rusty hinges and so forth, these all add to the value of what you are selling.

Old door knobs, doors, and other hardware items are also in demand by the same people that seek out old barn wood, so be sure to hold onto them and offer them for sale when somebody comes looking to buy barn wood from you.

Other reading:  Designing a Farm House Kitchen