With church-going declining around the country, the number of churches that could soon find themselves available for a change of use is set to rise. The buildings have buckets of character, are spacious and can make for excellent offices. We look at  how you can convert a church to an office them here:

Buying a church

Anglican churches that are deemed to be ‘closed’ are listed on a website and the Church of England favours conversion over demolition. Churches are often marketed through standard estate agents but they will work closely with the church. There are a number of hoops to jump through and it is wise to consult a conveyancer before taking the plunge.

Planning

You need to contact the council’s planning department to apply to change the use of the church and submit your plans for conversion. This is certainly not a foregone conclusion, and bear in mind if the church is in any conservation areas. You may also need listed buildings consent if the church is listed. A property solicitor will be able to provide you with advice on how to do this.

Is the church listed?

If this is the case, and it often is, you may well need permission to do anything basic to the building, let alone install Cat-6 cables. Unlisted churches are no walk in the park, either. Significant external alterations are unlikely and internal ones will be restricted.

Restoration

If the church has been empty for a while then expect damp, rot and damaged windows, and a church wouldn’t be the same if it didn’t need roof repairs. You cannot just get the local builder to fix this, it often requires experts, who are thin on the ground, expensive and often not available immediately.

Are you buying a church with graveyards?

If the use of the church is changed then the bodies buried in an attached graveyard will have to be moved, most likely with the gravestones and monuments. If you plan not to disturb the graves you can apply for an exemption.

Should you require further advice or information on converting a church have a look at online conveyancing.

Tags: Buying Tips, property