Change of use from premises to housing
This practice became so popular after the real estate boom . When the prices of the houses did not stop rising and the purchase of this type of properties was cheaper. In addition, a large number of stores were left empty after the success of electronic commerce.
Currently, housing prices continue to rise and a new determining factor comes into play: open spaces , a new trend in terms of reforms and decoration; which leads people to opt, definitely, to buy lofts instead of the usual homes. However, what is the best way to get a custom-made loft for a cheaper price? Converting a premises into housing.
What are the advantages of the change of use from local to housing?
The main advantage of having a loft, which was previously a store, is undoubtedly the money that we can save. The purchase price of a room is up to 50% cheaper than the of a house. So it leaves us a great margin to carry out a great reform and pay all the taxes of the change of use from local to housing.
Another way to take advantage of the profitability due to the change of use is transforming a commercial premises or an office into a tourist home , that is, it is about converting the purchase of this premises into an investment that will generate long-term insured benefits.
Another great advantage of the change of use is sustainability . By saving a large amount of money on the purchase, you can invest in the work, as we have already commented previously; But not only, to have a space tailored and adapted to the needs of our most aesthetic tastes, but we can invest part of that money in making the house more sustainable, which will mean greater savings in the long term.
If you want to know how to make your house more sustainable, take a look at our post Keys to Build a sustainable and durable house
What problems can we encounter when converting a premises into a home?
If all the steps to follow are not taken into account, it can become an idle or impossible task . We must know what to do to convert a premises into a home from the beginning, or we could make the mistake of buying the premises and find that we cannot make it habitable.
These are the main problems that may arise:
- The place is useless to register.
- Registering water, electricity and gas can cause problems and make management difficult, since it is necessary to present the Certificate of First Occupation. So it is better that this place has already registered these assets.
- It can be difficult to acquire the certificate of habitability. In some autonomous communities, you cannot rent the space as a home without it.
- A great problem is found in the situation in which the premises cannot be converted into housing due to exceeding the limit of housing per hectare. In other words, if when that community was created the number of dwellings was rushed to the maximum, the creation of any more is no longer allowed. This includes, of course, the conversion of the premises into a habitable place.
That the neighbors oppose the change, since in some autonomous communities you need to have the permission of the community to be able to make any changes to it, even if it only affects yourself.
What are the steps we must follow to convert a premises into a home?
The requirements to convert a premises into housing are the following:
1. Check the Statutes of the Community of Owners
This means that in order to make any changes within the neighborhood community, you must ask for permission in advance.
However, to avoid that they can be denied without any reason, you can previously review the community statutes to see if the change of use is in them.
2. Ask the City Council for permission
After getting a “yes” from the neighbors, we should go to the Town Hall of the town where you want to make the change.
If the City Council is in Madrid, an appointment must be agreed upon, which will be provided by the District Service Office. In this way, we will be told if it is allowed or not to create a new home.
However, here and as when we have reviewed the community statutes, we are only told that one more house can be added, not that the change of use is legal. In fact, the technician who provides this information will also request to see a Technical Project signed by a specialist in the sector. The architect will be responsible for checking compliance with Municipal Regulations .
3. Change of use from premises to housing
Given that real estate can have different types of utility throughout its life, we could understand the term “ change of use ” as the set of actions (projects, procedures and permits) that must be carried out out to change the utility or use that the property has had until that moment.
For example, a change of use would be called converting a premises into a home . This is the most common change of use.
The technician must write a feasibility report for change of use, indicating compliance with all the necessary legal parameters. This document must be subsequently delivered to the competent administration so that the change of use license is finally granted, which is what interests us.
4. Compliance with the Technical Building Code
It is convenient that before the purchase of the premises, a prior feasibility study be carried out, since only the license for change of use will be granted with Compliance with the Technical Building Code . The CTE is a regulatory framework that determines the requirements that must be carried out by the works in reference to the safety and livability of the home.
The Technical Building Code also regulates universal accessibility in accordance with Law 51/2003 of December 2, on equal opportunities, non-discrimination and universal accessibility for people with disabilities.
5. Processing of Works License
The Construction License , also known as the Urban Planning License or Construction Permit, is an official document required by the local administration to carry out a work. In other words, it is the municipal authorization to start construction.
There are two types of licenses: major work or minor work . The first is the most common and is the one that should be requested in this case.
The minor construction license is reserved for those that present simple technical works without structural changes or that involve an alteration in volume, use, or that affect the exterior composition.
6. Certificate of Habitability
It is a document that affirms that the house meets the necessary conditions to ensure a prosperous habitability . These conditions are regulated by each autonomous community and by the year of construction. The professional who must carry out this report is a architect, while the one who issues it is a technician from the Town Hall.
The ID we need for the change of use is the first occupation . This document must always include, regardless of the autonomous community: useful surface of the house, rooms, spaces, address, location and maximum occupancy threshold, as well as the signature of the technician.
Thanks to the ID we ensure that our future home enjoys health, hygiene and solidity.
With Site and Field, International Construction Company with great experience in changing use, you can forget about all these steps, since we take care of everything. We are a Spanish architecture and engineering company, whose objective is to provide the best service to clients from all over the world.
