Converting an old damp office into four apartments and a commercial unit
We purchased a former office in the Heath area of Cardiff. The site was in a prime location for conversion, located on a main route into the city centre and approximately a 10 minute walk from the university hospital of Wales. We converted this through an extensive development into mixed use units. This consisted of four dwellings; three one bed flats and one two bed flat. We also retained and refurbished a commercial unit on the ground floor.
The project consisted of substantial demolition and what remained was stripped back to brickwork. We then built a two story rear extension that was 16m x 4m and added a dormer extension on the rear roof to create a habitable room in the loft space. The site access was one of the most challenging aspects of this development, all materials were delivered via a rear lane (just large enough for a mini digger to access) nonetheless we prevailed!
This was by far the most complex project we had ever completed. We didn’t use a principle contractor, Andy project-managed each trade on site full time during the project. We had to do some quick learning as we went. Things to consider during a project like this: Utilities, fire sprinklers and fire safety regulations, acoustic regulations, SAP calculations for the buildings energy efficiency, making sure you have a PCC for the building once completed to list just a few. Some of these considerations are Wales-specific.
The build took just over 12 months and we sold all units during COVID excluding the 2 bedroom flat which we’ve retained and is now part of our rental portfolio.
It’s definitely feast and famine during larger developments!
