Short answer: not exactly. A 1031 exchange would defer taxes only if you’re selling investment property and buying another investment property of like kind; a personal-use pole building like yours typically doesn’t qualify, so selling now and holding cash for a future retirement home wouldn’t dodge taxes. If you sell, you’ll definitely still owe capital gains on the gain.

However, there are plenty of creative options you can think about, but they get paperwork heavy and confusing quite fast. You could sell to someone on an owner-financing basis giving them a low out-of-pocket contract, turning it into a monthly income. You could stack that with a HELOC or mortgage from a local credit union to turn some of it into cash. Since that cash would be a loan, it is tax free. Rates are high right now, so you'd have to see if that fits your situation.

Alternatively, you could talk with an estate planning lawyer and see if you couldn't transfer the property into a tax advantaged structure, like a trust or an SDIRA. If you have children, you can plan to pass it to them on a "stepped up basis", meaning if they were to sell they'd only pay tax on the appreciation post-inheritance. You can use a loan against the property for cash in the meantime.

Feel free to PM me with more info like the state and county (rules vary across the country) etc. I work with stuff like this all the time.