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We're in the market for an owner-occupied duplex for an extended family. We're looking at one that used to be a church. (Unfortunately, it doesn't have the original stained glass windows and high ceiling, which would have been a plus. It's just a house that used to be a church.)
Is there anything about church architecture that we should be aware of?
One thing I noticed is that the windows are all on opposite sides of the house . They're nice big windows, but they're on the east and WEST sides. I'd much rather have windows on the south and east sides! Is there a reason why churches had windows on opposite sides like this, and would it have any bearing on living in there? I'm guessing that the big windows will improve the amount of natural light we get, but are there any special merits and demerits to having them on facing walls? Could it improve wind circulation during seasons where AC is not needed?
Would the west windows be that bad in a cold northern state?
Anything else about church construction that could be a factor in a residence ?
That sounds awesome. I can't imagine too many issues — actually a building that was designed to hold a lot of people and conform to public use codes might be better constructed and designed to last longer than a typical residence (though since I don't deal with commercial/special-use real estate, I can't be sure).
The one thing you might find is that the mechanicals (HVAC, plumbing, appliances, etc.) might be commercial-grade, so they may be more expensive to repair than typical residential grade. Then again, they might be higher quality and break down less.
Does diffused light mean less light? It seems like diffused light may be better, but I'm concerned about getting less light. We want enough natural light that we don't need to turn the lights on in the daytime.
I've read that converted churches are difficult to sell. Do you know why? I'm curious about that.
Also, is this as much of a factor when purchasing a home you plan to live in as when buying something for investment?
And finally, does hard to resell also mean that the current owner might be desperate to sell, and more motivated to accept a lower bid? (My sister thinks it's pretty overpriced.)
Does diffused light mean less light? It seems like diffused light may be better, but I'm concerned about getting less light. We want enough natural light that we don't need to turn the lights on in the daytime.
I've read that converted churches are difficult to sell. Do you know why? I'm curious about that.
Also, is this as much of a factor when purchasing a home you plan to live in as when buying something for investment?
And finally, does hard to resell also mean that the current owner might be desperate to sell, and more motivated to accept a lower bid? (My sister thinks it's pretty overpriced.)
Are you working with a realtor? While it will be harder to find comps but he or she can at least give you a rough idea what pricing for the square footage and "upgrades" (such as flooring or countertops, new cabinets etc) sell for in that area.
And yes, diffused lighting means overall lighting and not direct rays of sunshine directly into the home. If natural lighting is important to you, definitely visit the home during the day to see if it's enough. it should though.
As for hard to resell, I will let someone answer. Only way I would pass on a converted church if it's in a commercial area and not in a neighborhood. Do you also have extra land too or did they sell off the land around it to other homes? What is the area like?
Lastly, if you are intending to rent it in the future or buy it as an investment NOW, tell your mortgage broker to get you the right loan for what you want to do. Some loans don't allow you to rent it out ever while others do after a certain period of time and still others that are strictly for investment homes. Tell the truth and see which is a right fit for you.
I've read that converted churches are difficult to sell. Do you know why? I'm curious about that.
Because it doesn't look like a normal house. People don't want to be weird. So lets say the people that put it up for sale for 2 years and no buyers. Eventually they lower the price until someone finally buys it. You will likely have the same problem. And anyone after you.
Actually it's my mom's boyfriend that is thinking of buying it, but his plan was to buy it for my brother and I. We both live overseas and would like to move back to the US, but the banks won't give us loans because we're self-employed and living outside the country on foreign income. Plus I'd be a little nervous about buying a home I hadn't seen firsthand. So he was thinking of buying a duplex and renting it to us until we decide to buy it from him, or buy a different house. (I'm not sure what he plans to do with it if we don't buy it from him, but probably rent it to other people.)
The church house is in my hometown, about a block from where we lived as toddlers. It's in a walkable neighborhood, near the downtown. It's in a good school district.
It comes with a decent-sized lot, about 1/3 acre, with a picket fence around it. I think that's big enough for our kids to play in, with enough space to grow some veggies. It also comes with some fruit trees, a compost bin, a prepared vegetable garden, and even a wooden fort that the kids would absolutely love. My sister thinks it would be perfect for us, since my brother and I are both into growing our own food.
The idea of getting a house together is also appealing, because we both have kids about the same age. My daughter is an only child, so it would be nice for her to have cousins next door, almost like a substitute for siblings. My brother's kids would also benefit, because they've never been to the US and adapting to a foreign culture might be easier for them if they have a little buddy to help them deal with culture shock.
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