It is very practical if you live out of town. His house part has quite a bit of space if he finishes out the second story. I bet it would cost a lot more if he built it today IF he could get the materials. Sounded like he did much of the labor..
These days barndominiums that are very fancy are popular and they cost a lot more than this one did as a result. I am guessing his would cost 300k at a minimum today down here. I guess from your experiences and what I have read, a pole barn is quite a bit cheaper than a steel framed building like mine. On the other hand, wood has really soared.
On the other hand, steel is up about 3 times from where it was a few years ago