Grand Designs: Transforming A Church Into A Home

So, you’ve been house hunting for a while and have never loved anything that you’ve seen until now, the only thing you’re not sure about is the fact it’s a church. If you’re a lover of unique buildings, then the chances are that the reason you’ve fallen for a church instead of a conventional property is because you like to be different. You don’t want a property that’s the same as everyone else’s, you want a home that’s unique, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Believe it or not, old converted buildings can make beautiful homes. Although it’s not to everyone’s tastes, converting an old, unused church can save a piece of history from being lost, as many unused churches are knocked down. Today, converting old houses of worship into homes has become incredibly popular, the reason for this is the fact that they are not only wonderfully unique but also insanely grand and beautifully appealing.

So, the question is, how do you go about transforming an old, unused church into a home?

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Check its status

Before you even think about making an offer, take the time to check its status. Old buildings often have a listed status of some sort; this can impact what changes are able to be made to them. For instance, some listed buildings can’t have any changes made to the exterior of them at all, while others can have small changes made as long as they are in-keeping with the original design and style. So, before you invest in a church, make sure to check its status, so that you know what you can and can’t do to it. The last thing you want is to buy a church that you have big plans for, only to find that you aren’t allowed to make the changes that you want to.

Get inspired

Once you’ve purchased the building, the next step is to get inspired. You may be brimming with ideas, but it’s still important to take the time to look at what other people have done when converting old buildings, such as churches, to get a better idea of what works well and what doesn’t.

Call in an interior designer

The next step is to call in an interior designer. You may have a good idea of what you want to do, but that doesn’t mean you know how to go about it. So, before you even think about starting to make changes, it’s a good idea to work with an interior designer, as that way you can get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t work. As well as thinking about the design and layout of the space, talk to your interior design about the decor that you want to incorporate, such as some Holyart – church goods. Decor like this will help to ensure that the space still have a touch of tradition about it, even when it’s been transformed into a home.

Keep some of the traditional features

If you are going to invest a lot of money into an old church, you want to ensure that all of the statement pieces of the building are kept. Just because you’re transforming it into a home, that doesn’t mean that the building has to lose its uniqueness and charm. The whole point of buying a building like a church and converting it is to end up with a home that’s different from everyone else’s.

Old, unused churches can, believe it or not, make incredible homes.