Is a pole barn-style building sufficiently durable to finish as interior space?

Bought a new house. Previous owner built a roughly 1200sf outbuilding as a wood shop. It's constructed in what I understand is "pole barn" style - concrete slab, ringed by 6x6 or 8x8 posts driven into the ground (not bolted to the slab). Roof and cedar siding are then bolted to the posts.

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I want to finish this into an interior space - most likely an office and mother-in-law suite for visitors. That means framing, installing HVAC, etc. But before I spend that time and money, is this basic structure sound and durable? From experience with fences, I worry that the posts will rot due to ground contact. There may be other problems I'm not seeing.

Is this type of construction durable in my area (South Carolina, USA), or will I need to strip everything down to the slab and rebuild?

submitted by Pravin_LOL
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