Barn Conversions in Birmingham

Barn conversions in Birmingham and the West Midlands are an incredible way to make an incredible living space that can be both a modern, comfortable living situation as well as an aesthetic and rural beauty. We love the character with historic country living balanced with modern comforts only a barn conversion can provide. We like to work with beautiful and traditional characteristics whilst ensuring modern lifestyle comforts are maintained. Enhancing views out, getting light in and making a warm and habitable environment is key to a good design. We can carry out a free feasibility study before you get into big application fees and professional reports.

Contact us today for more information about our barn conversion services

To make your barn conversion perfect, there are some important factors regarding the shape and structure of the building that need to be factored in, both in the design and how it will result.

Some key areas to note are:

• Insulation will typically be formed within the fabric of the building, leaving the existing structure as a material finish
• All additional openings, windows and roof lights will need to be in keeping, no white uPVC windows within a stone and oak structure
• Although through rooms may be necessary, high apex roofs can create wonderful open mezzanines and galleries
• You need utilities, access, services and to adhere to all the building regulations as you would a new build

Even though some conversions have had the planning laws relaxed in England and Wales in 2014, there are still many boxes to tick to allow for open countryside development. Changing the use of farm buildings to create homes is now allowed as permitted development (PD). This means express planning permission isn’t needed; although there is a ‘Prior Notification’ procedure to go through.

You can only then work within the existing structure and there must be some form of access and infrastructure. The total floor space of the finished house must not exceed 450m2, for example. And PD status does not extend to listed buildings or designated zones, such as conservation areas and national parks. A sympathetic and sensitive approach to design and construction ensuring the original character remains intact is the right way forward. Other issues need to be in place such as biodiversity reports for bats, owls, newts, and some birds.

• The site must have been used solely for agricultural use historically.
• If the site is subject to an agricultural tenancy, landowners must have the express consent of their tenants.
• The total floorspace of your barn to be converted must be no more than 450m² – if the barn is bigger, you’ll only be able to convert to a maximum of 450m².
• The barn must have existed prior to the 20th March 2013 (no building new barns). New barns can be built and converted into homes but must exist as solely agricultural buildings for at least 10 years.
• If bigger then the 450m² can be divided into three separate dwellings.

Although you will have a shell to build within, barns were often built to a poor standard. We would always advise a full structural assessment before the commencement of your barn conversion in Birmingham.

It can be difficult to control the cost if there are unknown issues and the structure cannot take the further weight. Some concessions from building control can be made on conversions achieving the new build status. Like a new build, you will need service in, protection from moisture, ventilation, heating, energy efficiency, fire protection, and a range of other things too, but this can be worked through with our comprehensive building regulations package.

All other documents of the building regulations will need to be checked via full plans approval prior to commencing.

After addressing all of this carefully, we will provide you with a detailed set of building regulation drawings that will allow you to tender if you wish and give you a guide for the build.

From that point, you can move forward with your barn conversion project to choose a builder to carry out the work as you see fit, or alternatively, carry out a project management service like ours where we’ll do this for you and manage the whole thing.