A Large Barn on Five Country Acres, Ready to Reimagine
$167,900 Ripe for Reimagining
In Hilham, in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland region — 5 acres of Tennessee homestead land, with a large barn already in place.
The barn is the headline here — large enough for real hobby-farm use, though its structural condition hasn't been verified and is worth a professional look before you commit. Inside, the little farmhouse is livable as-is, with hardwood and laminate floors and a working fireplace, though the dark-paneled rooms and dated finishes throughout are ready for your updating. 3 bd / 1 ba, 1,200 sq ft, built 1960, on 5 acres with mountain views.
Listed at $167,900. For sale by owner — see the Zillow listing for contact details.
Homestead Potential
Water & Infrastructure
No pond or well condition is disclosed in the listing, which tracks with the owner offering little detail overall. Plan to test the well's output and confirm the septic system's age and condition directly, rather than assuming either is in good shape on a 1960 house with no service history given. Overton County sits in the Highland Rim, where groundwater is generally available but can vary well to well, so an actual flow test matters more here than a generic inspection checkbox. If the barn ever gets used for animals, factor a second water source or hydrant into your plans, since nothing in the listing suggests one already exists out there.
Crop & Income Potential
This part of Tennessee is synonymous with clay soil, and Overton County's Upper Cumberland hills are classic pine-and-hardwood country. Clay holds water and nutrients well but drains slowly, which favors pines, blueberries, and pasture over delicate row crops that need quick-draining ground. Five open acres with a barn already standing is enough room for a real hobby farm — a few animals, a market garden, or hay — without the soil fighting you at every turn. Local growers in this region have generations of practice working with exactly this kind of clay, so neighbors are often the best source of what actually grows well here.
Sustainability
A large barn already on the property is the single biggest self-sufficiency asset here, assuming it checks out structurally. Building an equivalent structure from scratch would cost far more than this entire listing, which is part of what makes the price so notable. The house's baseboard electric heat and window or wall air conditioning are basic, older systems rather than efficient ones, so budget for an upgrade there even though the fireplace already gives you a backup heat source. A metal exterior and shake or shingle roof are both durable, low-maintenance choices that reduce the list of near-term exterior repairs.
The Boundaries
This is a FSBO listing with very little seller-provided detail, so due diligence sits more heavily on the buyer than usual. A full inspection, a well test, and ideally a current survey are all worth doing before making an offer, not after. Confirm the barn's structural integrity specifically with a professional, since 'large barn' in the listing photos alone isn't the same as an actual assessment of its frame and roof. Rural highway frontage on a road like Standing Stone Hwy is also worth checking for any right-of-way or setback requirements before you plan where anything new goes.
Beyond the Property Line
Local Flavor & Small-Town Character
Hilham is a small unincorporated community in Overton County, in Tennessee's Upper Cumberland region. It's quiet and rural, named for the same Standing Stone landmark that gives the property's own road its name. Livingston, the Overton County seat, is a short drive for anything the immediate area doesn't have — groceries, a hardware store, a hospital. The whole region carries a slower, close-knit character distinct from Nashville's sprawl roughly two hours to the southwest.
Agricultural Resources & Neighbor Networks
The University of Tennessee Extension's Overton County office is the local resource for anyone taking on gardening, forestry, or small livestock on acreage like this. It serves a region where cattle and hay farming have deep roots in the local economy, so the office's advice is shaped by decades of practical Upper Cumberland experience, not generic guidance. Given the clay soil common to this part of the state, local growers can offer real, hard-won advice on what actually thrives here versus what looks good on paper. Feed stores and large-animal vets serving the surrounding counties are also within reasonable driving distance.
Outdoor Recreation & Natural Surroundings
Standing Stone State Park, right in Hilham, offers hiking, a stocked fishing lake, and the historic Council Tree tied to the area's namesake legend. It's genuine outdoor access without leaving the immediate area, a rarity for a property this rural. Dale Hollow Lake, one of the region's largest reservoirs and known nationally for smallmouth bass fishing and houseboating, is also within reach for a bigger day out on the water. Between the two, this stretch of the Upper Cumberland offers real four-season recreation for a homestead-minded buyer.
Listed on Zillow
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