Help transforming a barn into a house

[fergusont20]

Hi

First post

I have been working for an old farmer who got left this barn and fields many years ago.

We keep timber at the back of the barn and cut into logs

I said to him that i thought it was in a lovely spot ( i could imagine myself living there) he told me he has plans to eventually sell it and said that i could buy it

Whether this is right or wrong i dont yet know, but he said to me, over the sound of two tractors running so i didnt hear him very clearly, but he said that he needs to spend x amount of money to get the roof put back on, to make it watertight before he can obtain planning permission, then he mentioned about making it 1.5 metres bigger all around???

I do obviously intend to go back to him and speak further, but i just wanted to gather some info off people on here first

I dont know too much, but i thought you had to obtain permission to change it from a agricultural barn to a residential property??

Obviously this is just the very beginning, and it may not be at all possible

As i stands at the minute it would only make a small house, im wondering if it would be possible to knock down and rebiuld bigger or extend.

I look forward to hearing evereyones thoughts

Thanks

 

[noseall]

Are there utilities or services nearby i.e. water, gas, electric, sewer, telecom, cable, etc?

Looks to me like a demolition job and start from scratch, though this would depend upon what the planners might say.

 

[clifford1]

Has it ever been a house?

 

[fergusont20]

Thanks for the replies

Yes there is utilities nearby

And no it has never been a house, just a barn.

Wondering if someone on here can tell me what the procedure is to get its classification changed, if at all possible

Basically i need to know where to start

Thanks again

 

[geraldthehamster]

Thanks for the replies

Yes there is utilities nearby

And no it has never been a house, just a barn.

Wondering if someone on here can tell me what the procedure is to get its classification changed, if at all possible

Basically i need to know where to start

Thanks again

I think you'd need to apply for planning permission for change of use, get plans drawn up to convert, and apply for detailed planning permission to build them. I don't know if these are two separate stages or can be done togther. There's a danger that if you take the barn down completely, you're effectively applying for planning for a completly new house, which you may be less likely to get.

There must be people on here who have actually converted barns and would have a better idea of the ins and outs than I. Or try here:

http://www.ebuild.co.uk/community/

Cheers
Richard

 

[clifford1]

There is supposed to be a presumption that a redundant farm building should be converted to something useful, eg housing, but perhaps permission is more likely if it is a useful building, simply no longer needed for farm purposes, than just a pile of bricks.
May be that is what the farmer was getting at with his remark about the roof.

 

[ajstoneservices]

Depends on where it is. You would have little to no chance with south holland district council in lincolnshire.