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Oak Apple Decor

Creating beautiful spaces

The Chapel Renovation – purchase and planning

in Blog, Renovations on 04/09/20

You can follow our separate account for the chapel renovation on instagram

Around a year ago Chris happened to drive past this derelict chapel and saw a for sale sign. A lot of people have asked me how we found the property and the answer is as simple as that. Properties like this don’t come up too often so i think there was an element of right place right time involved. As is often the case with properties like this the sale was best and final offers by a certain date. I was pretty surprised that we won to be honest, but i think the sheer scale of the job probably put a lot of people off, its not just a renovation, it practically a new build within the existing shell.

Purchase

We had our offer accepted at the end of march 2019 and didn’t have the keys until the end of december that year, so you could say it was a complex (and stressful) process. Due to the state of the property and it not currently being a residential dwelling we could not get a conventional mortgage as there was no saleable value to the building (according to the banks anyway) so we had to get a short term development loan; via a mortgage advisor. The fees and interest are much higher than a conventional mortgage (around 10%), and there was a lot of unexpected issues with the lenders solicitors during the process which we were never forewarned about and we did feel quite misled by the lender as we weren’t warned that would have to pay their solicitors fees (which were extortionate). The purchase process cost about 5 times what we have previously paid when making a conventional purchase. I honestly wouldn’t recommend this option; we had a very stressful few months during the purchase process and I did at one point think of backing out; but as we’d already paid out quite a lot of money in fees we kept going with the process; and luckily it all worked out in the end. However, as stressful as this process was it was a means to an end as there is no other way that we would have bee able to make the purchase as unfortunately we don’t have the cash just lying around! so if you are ever in a similar situation make sure you get guidance up front of exactly what will be required and how much the process will cost.

The property

The property is a primitive methodist chapel built from 1866 and used for this purpose until the 1930s. After this point as far as we are aware it has just been used as storage, It certainly hasn’t been maintained in any way!

proposed elevations

The property came with planning permission to convert into a house and add a single storey extension to the rear which will form an open plan living area. We are currently in talks with the planning department to make some minor alterations which may affect the floor plans, so I will share the floor plans with you at a later date. For a small fee the planner was able to come out to give us some guidance to what kind of alterations would be acceptable. we then submitted a planning amendment with new architects drawings (we contacted the original architect who charged us an hourly rate to amend the original plans) to get the alterations approved. Currently we are planning – downstairs: Entrance hall, snug, study, utility and open plan kitchen/dining/living area; upstairs 4 bedrooms, one with ensuite and a family bathroom.

  • The existing garden
  • the rear of the property

The external structure of the building is sound but thats pretty much it! Its basically just a shell and we will be completely building the interior from scratch and trying to add in some features to fit with the era of the building; so mid-victorian. We are replacing the beautiful curved windows like for like which will be a wonderful feature. Currently there is a wide entrance with sliding garage doors which will be replaced with one wide door flanked by glazed panels to let lots of light into the entrance area. On the top floor we would like to keep the ceiling vaulted up to the roof trusses with some exposed beams which will not only add character but give a lovely high ceiling. Chris along with his dad who run merida group construction together will be doing the majority of the building work themselves, we may get in some subcontractors to do some of the more specialist things such as the roofing and boiler/underfloor heating fitting.

Pre-building

A bit of useful information for anyone who is thinking of doing a similar project, I’m just going to list all the things we did prior to starting building. Im not going to go into planning documents and planning permissions here as we have only had to make minor changes so i can’t really give any advice on this.

–Arrange a building warranty. As you would do with a new build property. As this project is converting a non domestic property to a house a warranty on all work done is advised; for us it was a requirement on the part of the lender also. There are many different companies that do this; it important ensure that they cover everything you would like and are approved by all lenders. After you have purchased your policy an assessor attends at various point during the build and checks that everything is being built to a good standard. It depends on what type of warranty you get but these will usually cover against any building defects for around 10 years (not wear and tear!) so are well worth having just in case something goes wrong, and most mortgage lenders will require this.

–Appoint building control. You can either use a council or private building control. We used a private contractor as its someone we have worked with before and already have a good working relationship with. We have used council building control in the past and its been more difficult to get appointments etc, obviously this will vary and both are as good as each other. They will sign the property off which is essential.

–Register the address. The chapel had no address! Until it did we could not deal with any utilities etc. This was just a simple application to the local council to get the house registered.

–Utilities. We got in touch with the local area gas, electric and water suppliers to have these utilities connected. There was already a water connection so this just need a reconnection. There was also electric although it was an ancient supply so this needed replacing. A new gas connection will be made. Due to having existing water/electric provisions and being close to the gas supply this was not too expensive for us to have done. If you are more isolated or supplying a property that doesn’t have a previous supply this can run into the £10,000s; so something to think about and possibly research before you start a project. You will need to get in touch with your local area suppliers as it does vary by region.

-Structural engineer. As we are putting in a first floor and knocking through the rear of the property a structural engineer is required to make the calculations of what size and type of structural materials (i.e. joists, lintels etc) need to be used in order for the building to be structurally sound. getting this done before starting building is essential in order to plan the build and not need to make any unforeseen alterations down the line.

-Quotes. We also got a few quotes from the few sub contractors who we are using-plumber scaffolder, roofer; just to give us an accurate estimate of the costs. Unless you are in the building trade and have a good idea of the work needed and costs involved its good idea to get a builder to come and look at a renovation property before you even make the purchase, just to give you an idea of how much things may cost and the work that is required. Obviously you can get some more accurate quotes when you are ready to progress.

After all of this was in place we were able to start building! i will be back with more blog posts detailing the building process and also the design and interiors later down the line.

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Marisa and Chris
ad The comfiest cosiest corner featuring the @sofa ad The comfiest cosiest corner featuring the @sofadotcom Chester armchair in champagne boucle 😍
What do you have planned for your Sunday? Another day in the garden for us, may as well while it’s so nice out! Have a lovely day 
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My favourite sunny spot ☀️ sitting on the sofa My favourite sunny spot ☀️ sitting on the sofa in here on a sunny day is a dangerous game if you have things to do because once you’re on you never want to get off 😂
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Hello! Somehow it’s been a month since I last po Hello! Somehow it’s been a month since I last posted 🤦‍♀️ don’t know where time goes these days. Very much enjoying the light evenings and lovely weather we’ve been having, can it be like this all year round please?!
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ad 5 pieces, 5 ways. @coggles kindly sent me some ad 5 pieces, 5 ways.
@coggles kindly sent me some gorgeous pieces to style. I couldn’t resist trying a few different set ups. Which is your favourite?
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@raawii.dk Blue vase and orange jug 
@haydesign chamber vase
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@thamesandhudson plant style book all from @coggles 
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Got to love a stripe, right?! Looking forward to Got to love a stripe, right?! 
Looking forward to getting in here tonight 😴
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Post contains PR products, all tagged.
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ad. Introducing the Chester armchair in champagne ad. Introducing the Chester armchair in champagne luxe boucle, part of the beautiful new collection from @sofadotcom 🤍 I’m in love with the gorgeous wood detailing and luxurious fabric, and it is so comfortable, perfect for snuggling up next to the fire. It’s such a lovely addition to the room! Hope you have a lovely evening, I’ll be right here ☺️
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From when we had a sunny day so I ran round the ho From when we had a sunny day so I ran round the house taking all the photos while it was light and bright 😂 Back to the gloom this week 😩 hurry up spring!
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One of my favourite corners of the house. So pleas One of my favourite corners of the house. So pleased we went for the light lime wash in here ( @bauwerkcolour in bone) the room is so much more inviting than when it was dark. Think I now need to change the carpet for wood flooring though 😂🙈 Are you team light or dark?
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Happy Sunday 🤍 hope you have a lovely day. . . Happy Sunday 🤍 hope you have a lovely day. 
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Somehow this is the first photo I’ve posted feat Somehow this is the first photo I’ve posted featuring the arched cabinet that we made, despite making it in august! Also may have treated us to a few new pieces for this space 🙊 the sofa was love at first sight and seeing as we didn’t get to go on holiday last year we got that instead! so happy with it all now, what do you think?! 
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Good morning! The sun was shining yesterday so I m Good morning! The sun was shining yesterday so I managed to take some photos finally. Been wanting to post but literally had no content as it’s been too dark. En-suite wide angle edition. Not sure if Instagram really shares photos anymore cos it’s all about the reels these days?🤷‍♀️
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The Christmas tree in all its glory 🎄🎄we hav The Christmas tree in all its glory 🎄🎄we have actually now moved the tree because we couldn’t see the tv but we did love it in front of the window. The tree is the 8ft Kensington tree by @kellyhoppen from @qvcuk (pr sample) and it’s just the dream. Hope you have a good Sunday 
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Have a lovely Sunday 🤍🎃 . . . . . . . . . . Have a lovely Sunday 🤍🎃
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ad Good morning, Happy weekend! Just had to captur ad Good morning, Happy weekend! Just had to capture the light in here and show you these beautiful Icelandic sheepskin rugs from the new interiors collection from @hydeandhare they have a lovely range of sheepskin and cowhide rugs, cushions and beanbags; individually handpicked for the very best quality. Perfect for adding a cosy hygge vibe to your home. I have 15% off for you with code OAK15 🙌 have a lovely Saturday 
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Where we spend most of our evenings! We never real Where we spend most of our evenings! We never really used this space before we redecorated it so it’s nice that it’s getting used in the way the space was intended. Amazing how a few differences can make a room so much more inviting and usable. 
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DIY headboard….the first upholstery project we e DIY headboard….the first upholstery project we ever did! Still love it 3 years later (unusual for me 🙈) we bought some velvet curtains from @hmhome to use for the fabric as it was cheaper than buying velvet by the metre. We bought the foam ready cut to size from @efoam.co.uk backed it with mdf, wrapped in the fabric and stapled then joined it all together and mounted to the wall. Would you attempt to make something like this?
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Good morning, hope you’re having a good weekend? Good morning, hope you’re having a good weekend? Found a bit of a new angle here 🙌 let’s pretend the oranges are mini pumpkins so it’s Instagram ready 😂 We’ve had a few weekends off from doing anything house related but the next project is calling…..will share more in my stories. Hope you have a good Sunday 
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GIVEAWAY…. A little mid week treat for you guys, GIVEAWAY….
A little mid week treat for you guys, win £100 to spend at @curatedgreyuk who have an amazing homeware collection, I have a few pieces on display here, swipe for a close up. They also sell jewellery and children’s clothing and accessories so you can treat yourself to what ever you fancy! To enter:
-like this post
-follow @oakappledecor and @curatedgreyuk 
-tag a friend in the comments, one tag per comment, you can enter as many times as you like.
Good luck!!!
Giveaway runs until 20th October 8pm. Winner will be announced in my stories from this account only. 
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#giveawayuk #cornerofmyhome #shelfie #shelfstyling #shelfdecor #darkdecor #spotlightonmyhome #smmakelifebeautiful #curatedinteriors #myhomestyle #myhome2inspire
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