Turning and disused factory/warehouse into a living space.

Evening STW.

I could probably get an answer for this question through google. However asking on here, seems to bring up much better answers and tales of experience, so here goes…

If somebody wanted to purchase an old disused factory, warehouse or some other form of non-residential building. With the intention of turning it into a home/garage, what would they have to do?
I have absolutely no idea where to start, and haven’t even done the previously mentioned google search. But after seeing the photo below online today, it has got the creative juices flowing..

I have absolutely no idea where to start,

With a shit load of cash…

I’ve no idea, but that ^^ is stunning.

I always wish I had the money to turn this place into my personal living space, with a large industrial lift to bring my cars inside and park them:

I thought that was the building from Ghostbusters for a second then.

best get local planners / consultant advice to see if change of use is feasible, before wasting loads of cash

I thought that was the building from Ghostbusters for a second then.

No, but it is in Only Fools and Horses.

As above change of use is going to be your main issue. Your biggest costs if a reasonably new shed would be getting a mezzanine floor in. Windows also need to be considered due to possible issues with aperture sizes or no actual current windows in and actual cost if you need as many as the pretty picture above.
I’m currently converting a Victorian school into 4 btw.

Be very rich.

Building might change hands for a pound, you MIGHT be able to make some changes, but it might be in really bad nick.

Just did a show in an abandoned building that has been bought for washers…but roof repair alone expected to take three years. Victorian cast iron listed.

The building I posted up is in Welsh Back, Bristol; it was The Granary music venue back in the 60’s-70’s. Fabulous brickwork.

My mate has a bloody nice gaff in Albert Dock, Liverpool.
I can’t see the initial redevelopment of there being cheap.
It is very nice mind.

A few years ago, I had a very wealthy American get in touch – he’d seen my pictures of Inverkip power station, and wanted to buy it to turn into a glass seaside home.

As above, planning advice needed regarding change of use. Also, if it is really pretty/architecturally significant, it may be listed which would be a pain.

On top of the above I would be very sure to have some form of contaminated land survey completed, as if you are the property owner I believe you could be liable.

I always fancied the idea of a trendy east London lent house loft conversion type set up, but sadly I need had the wallet.

One of the early Grand Designs was someone who turned a Victorian (water pumping?) building into a home – N Derbyshire somewhere I think. This was in the days before everyone had £millions to spend on grand designs and I think they did it quite reasonably. Might be worth a google.

Might be worth considering change of use from business to live/work. This could be an easier route if, for example, its based amongst other warehouses/offices

That looks amazing, I’ve always liked the idea since watching ‘The Fly’.

Slightly OT but one of my mates lived in an industrial unit for about a year when he finished uni and didn’t want to move back home. The unit was owned by his dad and the company renting it had moved out leaving it empty.

It was quite a cool space (literally in the winter months) we had a 5-aside pitch and climbing wall set up. He would probably have gotten away with it for longer if the unit next door hadn’t been under police observation for growing weed.

I hate to mention it, but I think that if you were turning it into a new residence you would have to meet the building regs for thermal losses etc. Good luck with that!

I could be completely wrong, but either way heating a large volume like that without spending a fortune on insulation would be a massive ongoing cost. Unless you build an accommodation block inside the big volume?

industrial units are much much cheaper to rent per sq ft than a domestic residence, because you are not allow to live in it.

locally you can get a 1000/1200 sq ft unit for about 10k a year, which would get you a terraced house up the road. your 1000 ft unit might have a mezzanine, a shower/bathroom and kitchenette. add a 50″ plasma, a fridge and a sofa, and you have the ideal man cave. as long as you don’t live there of course.

Industrial building were never built with insulation in mind.

I had a friend spent a good while living in various places through Camelot, a property security company that puts empty buildings to use for cheap rent, was pretty impressive though no security of tenure

might be worth trying to get it out of your system for a while?

http://uk.cameloteurope.com/