You may have encountered a relative, friend, or acquaintance who lives in a "peculiar" home. This is because, instead of living in an apartment, townhouse, villa, etc., they live in a commercial space. But is it possible to convert a commercial space into a dwelling?
Legally, the answer would be yes. But to do so it is necessary to take into account some issues. However, it is very simple and if you have a place and need an extra home, this may be the solution for many families. Do you want us to explain you more?
Yes, a place can be transformed into a home
There is no doubt that it is increasingly difficult to choose a home. High prices, lack of space in some cities ... have led to the emergence of new forms of housing, not only through prefabricated houses, but also the economic premises themselves.
These are considerably cheaper than a house, and it's legal to convert a commercial space into a dwelling. That's why many people choose this option to transform a commercial space into their dream home. Of course, everything will depend on the city where you live and the local council.
And it is that you cannot directly change the premises for a house, it is necessary to process a series of changes so that this is "legal". In addition, you must bear in mind that not all premises are "capable of converting into housing", there are a number of requirements that must be met.
A place can be transformed into a home: requirements to do so
When transforming a premises into a home you must bear in mind that there are a series of requirements to be met. These are:
That the premises have an adequate useful surface.
You ca n't build a dwelling in a commercial space if it doesn't have at least 38m2, or 25m2 if it's a studio. That space must be considered as usable floor area.
This implies that any premises that are less than the figures that we have mentioned cannot be authorized to transform into housing, and, no matter how much you need it, they will not give you permission to do so.
The premises must be on urban land
This is something that the vast majority of establishments will comply with, since they are usually built in cities and towns. The key is that these places must be located within the "urban" zone and not the rural zone, because if they are in a rural area, they will not be eligible for this option.
Other requirements
In addition to these two great requirements that we have discussed, there are some others that must be met but that will depend on the Autonomous Community where you are, or the municipality, since they are more specific regulations.
Almost all of them will refer to ground level (not being able to build anything that is below the level of the sidewalk (for example a basement)), having lighting in the rooms and having all the minimum facilities (lighting , drains, plumbing, electricity ...) to make it habitable.
A very important point, and one that may invalidate the entire proposal to transform a premises into a dwelling, is that the statutes of the community of the building do not prohibit it; or that the neighborhood or district does, because the number of dwellings per hectare is already exceeded.
How to transform a premises into a home step by step
Whether you have bought a place for this function or you have one and now you need to convert it into a house, the steps you must take to do it well, and not be told later that you cannot use it as such, are the following:
Make an appointment with an architect
A professional needs to visit the premises and assess whether, according to regulations, it meets the requirements for converting a commercial space into a dwelling. If renovations are necessary, they can provide you with a cost estimate.
And it is that it will prepare a feasibility study of the project, where the work to be undertaken, the time and the cost of that work are established. In addition to recommending, or not, the transformation.
Present the project to the City Council
The next step is to take that study (provided it's positive) to the City Hall so they can review it and either approve or reject it. If they approve it, you can proceed to the next step, but if they reject it, in addition to providing the reasons for their decision, you may be able to modify the project to meet their approval criteria (or you may not obtain the necessary permits and will have to abandon the project).
Change the land registry of the premises
If the City Council approves and you can transform a premises into housing, you must make a cadastral declaration to be able to change the cadastre of that premises. And it is that it will become a home.
Pay the building license fees
The final step would be to begin the renovations to convert the premises into a dwelling. In this case, you'll need to apply for a building permit. Once the renovations are complete, you'll most likely also need to pay for a certificate of occupancy, which is the document confirming that the dwelling meets the requirements for habitation.
This document can be given by the same architect who has carried out the project in the beginning and can be granted before the works or after them.
How much does it cost to convert a premises into a home
We are not going to fool you, it is not cheap. But if we combine the price of the premises and the work you carry out, along with the procedures that you must complete and pay for, it is possible that it will continue to be more profitable than buying a flat.
How much are we talking about? Without including the construction work, we could be looking at around 3000 euros, just for the occupancy permit and the change of use project. To that you must add the building permit and the renovations, which can range between 20000 and 40000 euros (or more).
The final figure will depend on the city where you live, the cost of the architect, and the type of reform you carry out (as well as the materials you are going to use, whether they are of higher or lower quality, technological, expensive ...).