Right, there may be more/different plans afoot! I know I should stop looking at old buildings for sale, but I just can't help myself! I've
spotted a nice 1801 built church near Kingston-upon-Hull. A local surveying/architect firm reckons it should get planning permission for change of
use, but I appreciate this isn't a certainty. Any one able to give me a rough idea of what is involved with converting such a building to
residential use? Is it generally a case of slapping in a kitchen, bathroom etc and away you go? The structure is supposed to be sound, and is wind and
water tight, so shouldn't need much/anything in the way of structural works, apart from that required to put a second floor/mezzanine in. Also,
any one know of a rough costing per sq/m for this kind of work at all? I'd be looking to do most of the work myself, where possible, so that
should reduce things a fair bit. I wouldn't be too fussed about time scales, but it would need to be liveable within a few weeks (to stop the
boss complaining), if that makes any difference to things.
Any other help is much appreciated.
Oh, it looks like this
And this
you will probably need building control involved and a structural engineer when it comes to putting a second floor in. Might get costly but maybe not.
The work itself is easy, and doing it to the regs is easy if someone gives you a specification, ie joist sizes etc. There may be fire regs to worry
about.
I know a man who can do the kitchen if required! 
And hopefully with this window
Oh, how the heck do you persuade it to put more than 1 pic in a post?
regarding planning permission, ring the local office up for an informal chat. Its a mine of info once you get them talking! Can save an awful lot of headache.
Joel, if the plan comes off, which isn't overly likely, but you never know, you may have just earned your self a few bob!
Do you know any builders in that area at all as well?
you mean something like this
http://www.fineandcountry.com/site/php/propertyDetails.php?id=442520&type=Buy
we are working with the guy who did this on a new development he is doing.
or like this was done local to me.
http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/upload/pdf/10_06_0646.pdf
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/search/display.var.1550755.0.familys_new_house_has_a_room_with_a_pew.php
or the grand designs one
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/ontv/grand-designs/houses/B/birmingham_church.html
[Edited on 14/8/07 by Aboardman]
The first one would be nice, but maybe a bit posh for me! I'm only a humble country lad at heart! And SWMBO would shout the place down the first
time I come in with oily hands!
Cheers for those links for the planning stuff, I've been looking for something like that!
i will have a look at work to see if we have the plans for the first one, we are working on his next development and i know we have some additional
photos of the church as it was converted.
it should be a straight forward planning application, you could even try getting planning without owning the property. however i would recommand that
a contract is drawn up to stop someone else buying the property whilst you wait or the price increasing if planning is granted.
Hmmm, good plan that! Will give the agents a call in the morning! Is planning permission granted to a person or to a building? If the sale of my house etc falls through can the planning permission be retained by another buyer?
planning is granted to the building.
you should get a contract of some kind drawn up as you could get the planning and then he could sell to someone else or put the price up, but also if
you cannot complete then he has a property worth more and you should be able to get something in the contract about you getting some costs back.
DIYSi,
I'm not far from Hull...where is the church?
It's out Withernsea way.
Planning permission can only be obtained by someone who owns the property that permission applies to. 
quote:
Originally posted by DIY Si
Hmmm, good plan that! Will give the agents a call in the morning! Is planning permission granted to a person or to a building? If the sale of my house etc falls through can the planning permission be retained by another buyer?
quote:
Originally posted by jollygreengiant
Planning permission can only be obtained by someone who owns the property that permission applies to.
quote:
Originally posted by DIY Si
Hmmm, good plan that! Will give the agents a call in the morning! Is planning permission granted to a person or to a building? If the sale of my house etc falls through can the planning permission be retained by another buyer?
Who's going to dig up the garden then?
quote:
Originally posted by gazza285
Who's going to dig up the garden then?
Most of the graveyard is staying as a graveyard! In fact, the southern part of it will remain technically active, but since there isn't much in
the way of people living there any more, that may mean 1 burial every year or less. I don't think there'd be a great deal of gardening going
on to be honest, but I have yet to receive the full plans for the area included with the church itself.
The planning permission is mainly required for change of use, from a church to a residential status.
Halloween at my place anyone?
Halloween at my place anyone?
, you creep!
Si, interesting though the project is there are two things you may want to consider:- 1) apart from the obvious cost of converting it what about
heating the place? Some friends have a barn conversion and their heating bills -oil fired - are ENORMOUS - even to the extent they have fans in the
ceiling to force the warm air down to ground level in winter!!
2)We caravan(!) and one year in the middle of a hot summer had to move from a site due to the stench coming from an adjacent graveyard when the air
was changing from hot to cold in the late evening - it was very unpleasant to say the least.
Cheers, Pewe 
I'm in Hull, run a small building firm with my mate so if you wanted anyone in the trade to meet you there to give you some ideas just give me a shout.
Pewe, fair point about the running costs of such a place, I'm hoping to put a mezzanine in, which will hopefully help keep it all a bit warmer.
Never heard that about the graveyard smell, and I lived across the road from one for 20 years!
Richard, you may get a U2U in the next week!
Local planning departments are usually very friendly. Its worth a chat about the prospect of achieving planning and local building control might point
you in the right direction ref reading material in terms of what will be involved to convert. I believe the planner wont give you a definitive answer
but should be able to suggest if its worth an application or not. After that a good architect should be able to advise what is involved in drawing up
plans and costs to convert.
Is it listed? This will also give you a lead in terms of other considerations you will need to make.
Has it been in regular use or stood idle and subject to vandalisation for several years. Im sure local planning would prefer it to be used for
something useful rather than being left open for abuse etc.
The place is being sold through a local surveyor's and they have said it should get planning with a suitable/sympathetic conversion. Grade II
listed, so I'm hoping the church will have to leave the stained glass in place! There isn't any external work to do, as far as I can see, so
it shouldn't affect things too much. I have an architect friend who has said she'd do one house/building for me for a slap up meal or two
and a few pints of hooky. Which is nice!
It's been unused for a few years, but has been kept wind and water tight, but has only had essential maintainance done up to this point. The
surveyor wasn't in today, but will be tomorrow, so I'll know more then.
It's also out in the sticks, so there shouldn't be much in the way of vandalism, but I'm expecting some anyways.
[Edited on 15/8/07 by DIY Si]
There's a small church in Ashover which was converted about 10 years ago. The upstairs floor runs across the windows but it looks basically like it did before and has made a very nice place. They were built to last.
Lighting the upper floor is going to be an issue, as the windows aren't full height, only just above half of the full height including the roof space. Still pondering on that one.
Right, another silly question time!
I've received the full survey done in 2004 for the Church (capital intended), and it raises a few issues which I need advice/guidance on. There
are a few patches of rising damp, which is to be expected in a building like this. Are these difficult to sort in an old stone and rubble wall built
place? I know they tend to use far more of the chemical DPC, if going that way, but how effective does it tend to be?
Also, it mentions a "soft" wooden floor. Is this likely to need new joist, or could it be something more sinister?
Oh, Rich, you have U2U.