I plan to purchase a commercial property in London, is it possible to live as a resident? I searched the real estate market for over a year and still can not find the right place in London, United Kingdom.
Ideally, it would be an old warehouse / factory in the East End.
There are several around, but most are commercial properties or too far east. Shoreditch / Bethnal Green / Hoxton / Whitechapel / Islington areas are my favorite.
If I was able to create a small business of my own there, you are legally allowed to live / work there as long as the company is in production? Do I need to have a business on the site?
These questions have been raised by the advisors of the property which gives a very vague answer.
My plan is to buy a former warehouse, said the top floor, I convert and live.
Where am I with my rights as a resident? I am very happy to go through the hassle of converting the property into a living state as the properties I see on the market today are not for me.
Please reply if you have this done / going through this situation and have the experience and knowledge that I seek.
No guessing!
The answer is very simple - look at the planning restrictions. Most warehouses are B8 - Storage that is not residential. If the designation of planning does not include housing, you can not live there. You can request the consent of the planning, but it is not trivial at all and will involve architects, control, research on the environment etc. etc.
I suggest you have an informal chat with the local council planning department - most boards have a drop-in center where you can simply get a quick review.
I go through the process of planning application from a different angle now, and planners are mostly very useful.
Posted on July 19, 2010.
