Mumsnet Talk

I would like to hear from anyone who has bought, lived in, or thought about (and didn't buy) a barn conversion.

We are moving back to the UK and I am looking at houses in West Essex/ East Hertfordshire. There are quite a few barn conversions on the websites. They look beautiful and modern (all to our taste) but I would like to hear about the pros and cons of buying a barn. For instance, someone mentioned to me that some of them have oil heating and so we would be at the mercy of oil prices. I can afford to buy, but then I would be on a budget like everyone else.

As mentioned there are quite a few on the market and perhaps that in itself should tell me that they are not practical if people want to move.

Before I buy with my heart and not my head I would love to hear the good, the bad and the ugly of living in a barn.

Many thanksX

My uncle and aunt live in a barn - it was actually originally converted, but so badly that they re-converted it when they moved in!

They like it very much in many ways, but tbh, compared to a house the layout isn't terribly practical. They have a double height open 'barn' space in the middle, and all the living goes on at either end, with a kitchen at one end, a study and snug at the other end, and then two bedrooms and a shower room upstairs at either side, off two galleries. They're very proud of it, but they don't have children so the bedroom layout isn't an issue, and I do notice that in winter, the 'barn' space isn't used at all. They just walk through it hurriedly to get to the other side! They also said that it's a very large space to furnish, and you need quite big furniture to fit, which is another expense. BUT, as I said, they very much like it.

Oil prices are dreadfully expensive, but you can just rule out any houses with oil heating.

Not all of them have oil heating - and some non-barn-conversions have oil heating.....wouldn't discount on that basis alone.

It really depends on how it has been converted. Used to live in a barn conversion and looked at several others when buying. Some were well converted with good use of light and space. Others were appalling to be honest.

The main problem for me was how out of the way it was - I have realised that I like to be able to walk everywhere....and whilst there were lovely walks from the back door, having to get in the car to see friends / go to the shops etc would have driven me nuts with two small children. But again - that can vary depending on where the barn is.

My mum & dad lived in a converted stables; the issues for them were:

#Difficulties hiding wires (sky/phone/internet etc)
#De-cobwebbing - hoovering the ceiling is hard because it's high & has beams
#Decorating is often preordained (bricks/beams lend them selves to simple decorations)
#Changing things is hard (esp if listed)

The heating was expensive - night storage heaters but the log burner was superb! & it was in a village with a pub, post office, school & 2 churches. The layout of their barn was great - they had a bedroom with an e-suite & a privet patio!

I live in a newly converted barn conversion. Love it, has character, lovely setting, woodburner lovely, lots of insulation so always warm, traditional house layout so not a problem.

Don't think you can discount a barn conversion on that merit alone, need to look at it as you would any house.

We looked at a few barn conversions but ruled them out for the same reasons as Pootlebug - they were always too far from villages. Find me a barn conversion located in a commutable village and I'll buy it!

We live in a barn conversion - open plan downstairs, kitchen at one end, then double height dining area with spiral staircase up to a bridge, sitting room at other end, double sided fireplace in centre between dining area and sitting room. Off sitting room is an entrance hall, leading to a single storey wing with 2 childrens bedrooms and their bathroom. Upstairs in main barn there is one very large bedroom (each en suite) at each end of the bridge.

Plus points: loads of light - double height windows 10 feet wide on each side of the dining area, french doors and 2 other large windows in kitchen, floor to celing windows in entrance hall, both childrens rooms have french windows plus another window, both upstairs bedrooms double aspect. Great views.

Great feeling of space esp in double height area, plus more cosy feeling to sitting room and kitchen which have beamed ceilings. Large rooms - main part of barn is 20 feet wide, 60 feet long.

Like being able to be in kitchen but still see children in sitting room

Adaptability - could furnish it either traditional country style (as previous owners did) or more of a mixture with some modern furniture.

Cons: noise - open plan means noise from TV etc travels

Finding the correct scale furniture eg big dining table etc

Lots of original beams - lots of cobwebs, hard to hang pictures, nowhere to put wallpaper, can be tricky to light.

Heating costs - not as bad as feared as barn is better insulated than our previous Georgian house, but not cheap, as is oil. Thinking of replacing double sided fire with woodburner to increase efficiency.

Tricky to curtain very large windows at reasonable cost! Carpeting expensive (though we don't have carpets in main living rooms - wooden floor plus large rug in sitting room, terracotta tiles in dining area, tiles in kitchen (replaced wooden floor which was hopeless in kitchen)

Lack of storage - we have very few built in cupboards due to people who did the conversion wanting to leave as many of the beams exposed as possible.

No mains drainage, Klargester has been a pain.

Overall we love it, but it wouldn't suit everyone.

I live in a barn which is part of a group of old farm buildings, so we have a few neighbours. The barn has more of a house layout because of the way it has been converted. Not all barns are cavernous spaces. I looked at 1 other conversion before this one and discounted it because of it's quirky/child unfriendly layout. I love my barn, it still has the old beams etc... but has a modern finish.
My barn had all the planning rights removed, when it was converted. This is to protect the external appearance of the building, so no conservatory, extra windows etc...

Oh, and I'm on oil, and septic. Neither have been a problem.