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For landowners · Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Sell a Building for Conversion in Inverurie

Can I sell a building for conversion to homes in Inverurie?

In England, some offices, shops and barns can become homes through permitted development with prior approval rather than a full planning application. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules. Land to Homes checks which route applies to your building in Inverurie and whether its structure, layout and daylight can produce good homes.

Landowner and surveyor at a wooden field gate looking over a paddock behind town gardensInverurie · AB51

Free site appraisal

Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.

Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.

  • Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
  • Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
  • Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
  • Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
  • UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI

Land and sites near Inverurie

About 14 miles north-west of Aberdeen, Inverurie is part of our Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire coverage, centred on postcode district AB51. Nearby, we also cover Aberdeen, Stonehaven and Peterhead, all within 26 miles.

Sites worth a conversation around Inverurie: infill gaps along existing streets, farmland next to the settlement boundary and brownfield land in and around Inverurie. Because Inverurie is in Scotland, land titles are registered with Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) and transfers attract Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).

Send us a postcode in or near AB51 and we will start with a free desktop appraisal.

How we work in Inverurie

Planning route identified

We check whether permitted development with prior approval could apply, or whether a full application, and possibly listed building consent, is needed. The route shapes cost, risk and value.

Pubs and chapels

Pubs, chapels and community halls do not usually benefit from these rights and need full planning permission. Councils often ask for evidence that the existing use is no longer viable or needed.

Heritage handled carefully

Listed buildings need listed building consent for most changes, and conservation areas add design controls. Historic chapels and barns can still convert well when their character is respected.

Direct purchase of buildings

Where a building suits us, we can buy it ourselves, with or without consent, with no onward chain, subject to survey, title and contract. Any offer is set out in writing.

Rules that apply in Inverurie

In Scotland, planning applications for land around Inverurie are decided by the council as planning authority, using National Planning Framework 4 and the Local Development Plan, which together form the statutory development plan. Instead of outline permission, Scotland uses planning permission in principle, followed by approval of matters specified in conditions. Land to Homes can buy suitable sites directly or promote land through planning, and every conversation starts with a free site appraisal.

Class MA and Class Q do not apply in Scotland. Scotland has its own, narrower permitted development right for converting some agricultural and forestry buildings to homes, with prior approval and limits. Most other conversions need full planning permission, plus listed building consent where relevant and a building warrant. Land and Buildings Transaction Tax applies.

Key rules in Inverurie
Local planning documentLocal Development Plan (LDP)
Who decides applicationsThe council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area)
In-principle consentPlanning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions
Developer contributionsSection 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments

Sell a Building for Conversion in Inverurie: questions

Can a chapel or church be converted into homes?

Often, yes, with full planning permission, and listed building consent if it is listed. A buyer will check the title for covenants imposed by the original religious body, any burial ground, and access. Many chapels convert well because of their volume and tall windows, but parking and neighbours need care.

Will VAT be charged when I sell my commercial building?

It may be, if you have opted to tax it. However, a buyer who intends to convert the building into homes can, in many cases, give you a certificate that disapplies the option to tax. The rules are technical, so ask your accountant before agreeing terms.

What is an asset of community value?

In England, a community group can ask the council to list a building such as a pub or hall as an asset of community value. If a listed asset is put up for sale, a moratorium can give community groups a chance to bid, but it does not force you to sell to them. Scotland has its own community right to buy.

Do pubs need planning permission to convert to homes?

Yes, in most cases. In England, pubs no longer have permitted development rights to change to housing, so a full planning application is needed, and councils usually look for evidence that the pub is no longer viable. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also normally require full planning permission.

Do you work with landowners in Inverurie?

We do. We work with landowners in Inverurie and elsewhere in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, including Stonehaven, Aberdeen and Fraserburgh. Send us a postcode and we will start with a free, no-obligation appraisal of what the land could take.

Read more: Sell a Building for Conversion · Guide: Option agreement or promotion agreement: what is the difference?

Sell a Building for Conversion elsewhere in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Own land that could take new homes?

Start with a free, no-obligation site appraisal. On option and promotion agreements we fund the planning work and pay your reasonable legal fees.

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