Converting a barn

Unless you are lucky enough to have chanced across your dream barn conversion already you will need some help in locating one. Check the links section later on in the article for conversion bodies, auction houses and specialist companies who deal in barn conversions. Even an unconverted barn can fetch 6 figure sums - if it has the correct planning permission and other amenities. The price of an unconverted barn should be around 40 percent of its worth after conversion - this takes into account the risk and work that you, as the purchaser and renovator, will undertake. Estate Agents arrive at their asking price by taking the end worth of the barn conversion, subtracting the cost of conversion and then taking the percentage.

If you have located a barn you wish to convert then you must take care to research it thoroughly before making any financial commitment. There are many pitfalls to be avoided, so consider the following points.

• Is it near to local amenities such as schools, shops and healthcare? If your barn is really and truly in the middle of nowhere, can you be sure that you will survive the winter months in comfort or that anyone will want to buy the property after you? If not, you may have a hard time in getting a mortgage on it or moving on afterwards.
• Does it have hot water and electricity? It was never a problem for the cattle but you will need to connect to these services in order to live a normal life. Depending on the location of your barn conversion this could be a costly affair.
• Is the barn listed? Listed buildings have far tighter building restrictions and this could really hamper your efforts to convert it to domestic use. Even if you do finally get planning permission on a listed barn, far greater restrictions will be placed upon what you can and cannot do - leading to higher costs as you search out vintage materials and specialist labour. On the up side such a barn could turn out a truly splendid affair and more than make you your money back in the long-run.
• What is the barn's planning permission status? If it has been granted planning permission for change of use then you are in the clear. However, with all the difficulties this automatically avoids, be prepared for a higher price tag.
• If your barn conversion does not already have planning permission, then do not part with any money for it until you have had an architect draw up detailed conversion plans and discuss these with the planning officer. If you jump the gun and outlay cash before you get the planning green light you could end up with an unusable barn that will remain empty and be hard to shift afterwards.
• Again, get a detailed costing before you commit to the purchase. You will need this if you intend to get a mortgage on your barn conversion anyway. You may have to pay for all sorts of strange extras, like protected species surveys (Bats and Barn Owls for example), so you will need to budget for a big reserve.
• Fallen in love with a quaint, old crumbling barn? Make sure that it is not too crumbly to support a renovation. Otherwise, to meet minimum safety requirements you will be forced to tear most of it down and build from near scratch - which kind of defeats the purpose.
• Remember that planning officers will only grant permission for change of use if it is in keeping with the barn's original character. Flashing Santas, PVC windows and bright yellow front doors will get you more than just barn doors slammed in your face.
• Budgeting for authentic building materials will win your brownie points and increase the value of your barn in the long-run.

Getting the most from a barn conversion

Barns were built for pigs, cows, goats, sheep, sorting wheat, storing apples or collecting the harvest - they were not built to be lived in by humans! Their large, lofty internal spaces, lack of insulation, swinging double doors and intentionally draught-inducing, small windows make them far from ideal for human habitation. Converting a barn therefore takes a special touch and you are best contacting a specialist to help you get the most from your project - see our useful links section at the end of the article.

Arguably, the two most important aesthetic values in any house are light and space – let's take an expert look at how to get the most from both of these in a place that was never intended to come under such rigorous scruples!

Maximising light in a barn conversion

• Install glazing in cart openings to maximise the available sunlight while preserving this fabulous feature of many old barns.
• Subtly widening existing windows may be permissible, especially if they are less visible from the outside.
• Use pale colours to lighten up the dark internal space of your loft conversion.
• Modern glass and steel furnishings will reflect light around the barn and offset nicely against the barn's original rustic features.

Making the best use of space in a barn conversion

• Do not divide the huge internal space into small box rooms, this was a mistake of decades gone past and is usually no longer permissible.
• If your barn is part of an agricultural complex, then these other buildings (stables, outhouses, etc.) would make ideal bedrooms, preserving the main house for communal living space.
• Mezzanine levels can be installed to make novel use of your 'vertical floor space'.
• Enclosed partitions at one or both ends of the barn conversion can be constructed in such a way as to not interfere with a grand central space. Here you can house bathrooms, bedrooms and other private spaces.