Barns and rural buildings wanted in Hemel Hempstead
Looking to sell barns and rural buildings near Hemel Hempstead? We assess every site on its merits and explain the options in plain English.
Barns and rural buildings can sometimes become homes through conversion or, in some cases, replacement. In England, Class Q permitted development allows certain agricultural buildings to change to residential use; in Wales the route is through a planning application. We buy suitable buildings in both nations.
- Size
- Single barns to farmyards
- Planning
- With or without
- Areas
- England & Wales
- Ways we buy
- Outright or conditional
The barns and rural buildings that interests us around Hemel Hempstead
Farm buildings near Hemel Hempstead that have fallen out of use may suit conversion, particularly traditional barns with a good access. Hemel Hempstead is in Hertfordshire, about 16 miles west of Hertford. Nearby places include Berkhamsted, St Albans and Harpenden.
- Modern agricultural buildings that may suit Class Q (England)
- Farmyards with several buildings
- Buildings with an existing access to a road
- Buildings with or without an existing consent
Hertfordshire is a county of medium-sized towns, including Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, St Albans, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield and Hitchin, with many villages between them. Most of the county lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Chilterns National Landscape covers the west, so grey belt, previously developed land and infill sites are especially important. Larger growth is usually planned as urban extensions and new communities through local plans.
Checks we make on barns and rural buildings in Hemel Hempstead
Structure
Conversion routes usually require the building to be capable of conversion without substantial rebuilding.
Protected species
Bats and barn owls are common in rural buildings and need surveys at the right time of year.
Access and services
Rural buildings often need new access, drainage and power.
In England, a planning permission normally has to be implemented within three years unless the council sets a different period, and councils aim to decide minor applications within eight weeks and major ones within thirteen.
Our base is in Great Barr, Birmingham, about 83 miles away, and we buy land throughout England and Wales.
Choosing how to sell
Subject-to-planning contract
Common: we seek consent or prior approval and complete if successful.
Subject-to-planning contractJoint venture
You contribute the land, we fund and manage planning and delivery, and the proceeds are shared as agreed.
Joint ventureFrom first call to completion
Get in touch
Tell us where the land is and what you know about it.
Site review
We look at the land, its planning position and anything that could affect it.
Proposal
We put our proposal in writing, with no obligation to accept.
Exchange and completion
If you go ahead, contracts are exchanged and the sale completes on the agreed terms.
Your questions answered
Can a steel-framed barn become a home?
In England it may, under Class Q, if it meets the conditions. Whether it is worth doing depends on the building, access and location.
Do bats stop a barn conversion?
Not usually, but surveys and mitigation are needed, and survey seasons can affect timing.
Can an agent introduce land in Hemel Hempstead to you?
Yes. Estate agents, land agents and planning consultants can introduce sites with the owner's consent. Any fee is agreed in writing before details are shared, confirmed by the owner in writing and paid only on completion.
How quickly can you look at a site in Hemel Hempstead?
For most sites we can give an initial view once we have the location and a plan. Detailed checks follow if the land looks suitable.