We plan to convert an old church - should we get a structural survey?

Firstly, it is imperative to get a structural survey done before getting builders’ quotes — and it’s highly likely your lender will require one, too. It’s not uncommon for conversions and renovations to throw up all kinds of nasty surprises which can add £1,000s to the cost. Not even a builder experienced in conversions can provide an accurate quote until they know the full structural condition. This also makes taking out insurance, to cover any other unforeseen heartaches, essential.

If you have insufficient equity in your current home to cover the cost of conversion, then remortgaging isn’t really an option to fund the project, but could be your best way to get a deposit. When seeking finance, bear in mind that the majority of high-street lenders will only offer a mortgage on a property that is already considered habitable, so you will need to approach a specialist lender who will likely require a minimum deposit of 15-25%. Lending is typically in around six stages, meaning you don’t get the whole sum upfront. See http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/productdirectory/category/filter/mortgage-... for a list of specialist conversion as well as self-build and renovation lenders.

It would be advisable at this point to seek the services of a mortgage broker, who will find the best deal for your circumstances whilst to begin with take a look at our current self-build mortgage table http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/beginners/finance/current-mortgage-....