Sell a Building for Conversion in Antrim
An empty pub, chapel or workshop in Antrim may be worth more as homes than in its last use, but conversions are rarely simple. Land to Homes looks at the planning route, heritage status, structure, services and any community interest in the building, then offers a direct purchase, subject to survey, title and contract, or another route.
Antrim · BT41Free 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
Selling land around Antrim
Antrim (BT41) is one of the County Antrim towns we cover, about 14 miles north-west of Belfast. Close by, our coverage also takes in Ballymena, Newtownabbey and Belfast.
Around Antrim we look at large and long rear gardens, fields put forward or allocated in the local plan and corner plots and side gardens. Because Antrim is in Northern Ireland, land titles are registered with Land & Property Services (Land Registry and Registry of Deeds) and transfers attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
If you own land near Antrim, the first step is a free, no-obligation appraisal.
What you get in Antrim
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.
Light, depth and layout
Deep office floors and small windows can make poor homes. Habitable rooms need adequate natural light, so we test whether the building can provide good layouts before making an offer.
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.
Building regulations apply
Changing a building to homes brings in building regulations or, in Scotland, a building warrant, covering fire safety, sound insulation, energy efficiency and escape routes. These often drive conversion costs.
Planning in Antrim: the Northern Irish rules
Land to Homes works with landowners across Northern Ireland, including in and around Antrim. We start with a free appraisal of planning policy, access and constraints, then set out a direct offer or option or promotion terms in writing. Each council's Local Development Plan is prepared in two stages, a Plan Strategy and a Local Policies Plan, so the stage your council has reached affects how a site is assessed. Planning permission is never guaranteed.
Northern Ireland has no equivalent of England's Class MA or Class Q, so conversions to homes normally need full planning permission. In the countryside, PPS 21 or a council's adopted plan strategy can allow conversion of suitable buildings, such as former schools, churches or traditional barns, subject to criteria. Listed buildings need listed building consent. Stamp Duty Land Tax applies.
| National planning policy | Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS, Edition 2), applied with retained Planning Policy Statements until each council adopts its Plan Strategy |
|---|---|
| Who decides applications | The 11 district councils, with the Department for Infrastructure deciding regionally significant applications |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Developer contributions | Section 76 planning agreements under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (there is no Community Infrastructure Levy) |
Common questions in Antrim
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.
Can I sell the space above my shop and keep trading below?
Often, yes. Upper floors above shops can be converted separately, subject to planning, a separate entrance and fire separation between the shop and the homes. A sale may involve splitting the title or granting a long lease of the upper parts. Your solicitor will advise on the right structure.
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.
What makes a building suitable for conversion to homes?
Good natural light, a sensible floor depth, adequate ceiling heights, a sound structure, room for bin and bike stores, and a location where people want to live. Buildings that need major structural work, or whose windows cannot light every habitable room, are harder and more expensive to convert.
Do you work with landowners in Antrim?
We do. We work with landowners in Antrim and elsewhere in County Antrim, including Larne, Belfast and Carrickfergus. 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: How affordable and social homes are delivered across the UK