benmc
Member
- Messages
- 129
- Location
- Hertfordshire
Hi
Looking for some advice and general guidance as we are trying to purchase a Grade II Listed Converted Church.
The property was originally build in 1907 and converted into a house in about 1977-1980. We are purchasing from the lady who converted it. There do not appear to have been any real changes since the property was converted.
It is grade II in a Conservation area.
The conversion has created a very nice house with square rooms but some of the character of a Church has been lost.
There are a few immediate ideas that spring to mind that I would like to run past some people who understand owning a Listed Building more than I do.
Front Door - Currently a not very nice glass door and surround and is not in keeping with the church feel.
Solution : Replacement of door with solid wood door, possibly trying to match the style of some original doors that do exist in other parts of the property.
Don't see any major issue here. Am I wrong?
Master Bedroom - Currently a square room, but while in the lost I discovered that above the bedroom there is a 5-6 ft void containing the original beams and also the blocked in church windows with nice brickwork detailing. Also original tongue and groove boarding to the slopping roof.
Solution : Open up this space revealing the original features and at the same time creating an amazing master bedroom.
Concerns are around LBC and Insulation values. Any thoughts or views? Middle ground would be to open up the beams and brick work features but then insulation between the beams.
Downstairs : Whole of the downstairs has been split into smaller rooms, in this process an original fireplace has been completely covered over.
Solution : Try to open some of the rooms up restoring the feeling of space and openness you usually have within a church and also open up and restore the fireplace.
To me this sounds like a great idea but again wondering what other people think.
I do fully understand that all of the above would need LBC and BC but I just wanted to understand if our ideas are way off the mark?
One final question about the building survey. I have decided that I would like a full survey before purchase and I have used the RICS website to obtain a number of quotes ranging from £500 to £2000!!! Quite a range.
The person that I am leaning towards is actually at the cheaper end of the quotes, he has 'RICS Post Graduate Diploma in Building Conservation' and also sits on the conservation panel of another local church. In my mind perfect??
Sorry for all of these questions that may seam simple, but we have never lived in or owned a period/Listed building or commissioned a Full Survey. So just trying to run our thoughts past some people who have been there before.
Thanks all
Ben
Looking for some advice and general guidance as we are trying to purchase a Grade II Listed Converted Church.
The property was originally build in 1907 and converted into a house in about 1977-1980. We are purchasing from the lady who converted it. There do not appear to have been any real changes since the property was converted.
It is grade II in a Conservation area.
The conversion has created a very nice house with square rooms but some of the character of a Church has been lost.
There are a few immediate ideas that spring to mind that I would like to run past some people who understand owning a Listed Building more than I do.
Front Door - Currently a not very nice glass door and surround and is not in keeping with the church feel.
Solution : Replacement of door with solid wood door, possibly trying to match the style of some original doors that do exist in other parts of the property.
Don't see any major issue here. Am I wrong?
Master Bedroom - Currently a square room, but while in the lost I discovered that above the bedroom there is a 5-6 ft void containing the original beams and also the blocked in church windows with nice brickwork detailing. Also original tongue and groove boarding to the slopping roof.
Solution : Open up this space revealing the original features and at the same time creating an amazing master bedroom.
Concerns are around LBC and Insulation values. Any thoughts or views? Middle ground would be to open up the beams and brick work features but then insulation between the beams.
Downstairs : Whole of the downstairs has been split into smaller rooms, in this process an original fireplace has been completely covered over.
Solution : Try to open some of the rooms up restoring the feeling of space and openness you usually have within a church and also open up and restore the fireplace.
To me this sounds like a great idea but again wondering what other people think.
I do fully understand that all of the above would need LBC and BC but I just wanted to understand if our ideas are way off the mark?
One final question about the building survey. I have decided that I would like a full survey before purchase and I have used the RICS website to obtain a number of quotes ranging from £500 to £2000!!! Quite a range.
The person that I am leaning towards is actually at the cheaper end of the quotes, he has 'RICS Post Graduate Diploma in Building Conservation' and also sits on the conservation panel of another local church. In my mind perfect??
Sorry for all of these questions that may seam simple, but we have never lived in or owned a period/Listed building or commissioned a Full Survey. So just trying to run our thoughts past some people who have been there before.
Thanks all
Ben
