Beautiful 6-Bed HMO with loft conversion in Crewe

Interestingly enough, this mid-terraced property was formerly a cannabis farm!

So when we began the rip-out, we knew there would be plenty of issues. Things like wiring and electrics were a mess and there was a fairly bad case of rising damp.

What we weren’t prepared for, however was the dry rot.

A leak in the roof had led to a large amount of water ingress. Subsequently, conditions were perfect for dry rot to thrive—and spread.

And unforeseen things like that are the exact reason you need a contingency fund in property investment.

When we go back-to-bricks, we tend to discover hidden issues. Things that haven’t been budgeted for.

Of course, in order to progress, those problems need to be fixed.

As you can see from the plans, five of the bedrooms will have an en-suite and the other will have an off-suite.

An off-suite is still a private bath/shower room but it isn’t actually attached to the bedroom.

Instead, the tenant has their own key to the room so that only they can use it.

This investor took advantage of the rules of permitted development to be able to carry out the loft conversion without the need for planning permission.

Hence, the loft conversion at this HMO will make way for the sixth bedroom.

This house also marks a learning curve for our Building team.

We’ve completed HMO conversions in Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Nottingham, Newcastle-under-Lyme and, of course, Stoke-on-Trent. However, we’ve never come across the more stringent HMO legislation that exists for Cheshire East Council.

Take a look at this ‘Amenities and Facilities Standards in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)’ PDF. On page 27 it refers to the space necessary for bathrooms, WCs and ensuite bathrooms.

It clearly shows the free space that must be left around WCs. In addition, sinks must also be of a certain size.

To save space in HMO en-suites, we would normally install a small vanity unit. However, this guidance states that doing so is not permitted.

Unfortunately, therefore, the owner of the property had to incur further costs to make sure the property is compliant.

Great. We’d love to work with you. HYPE has a large portfolio of HMO conversions.

We’re HMO conversion specialists. Not only that, we also know a thing or two about letting properties in the area.

Therefore, we know how to convert your property to maximise the appeal to students. Plus, we know the areas that have most potential in terms of letting.

Think HMO. Think HYPE.