[jacob and Georgina]

does anyone have a rough idea of how much it would cost to demolish a large stone barn measuring approx 20m X 20m? it is half stone half timber. two stories high! was wandering if anyone had had anything like this done? or perhaps even does it themselves??

[doganjo]

I demolished an old cottage.  It was going to cost £5K but the chap who did it wanted the granite so we did a deal - I got enough to face my house, he took the rest to pay for the demolition.  He was a pro builder so had all the right gear and best practice certificates, and methods of working statements as required in law..

[dyedinthewool]

Quite a lot if you have it done for you and the spoil/stone etc has to be removed - thinks theres rules and regulations - not sure but you may have to have planning permision to knock it down now adays.

No doubt some one with more experience than me will come along and let you know.

[jacob and Georgina]

ah right that sounds interesting we estimated about 5k for the demolition of our barns but that was reallly just a guess, the most difficult bit will be getting rid of the 2 huge metal grain storers/dryers which are far to big for us to use but so big that i dont know if anybody will be able to come and pick them up if we could sell them!

[robert waddell]

you need a demolition contractor they will demolish the barn/barns crush the stone and remove also will cut and remove the grain stores towers now with the downturn in the construction industry demolition company's are basically buying work the English company's are coming to Scotland and charging less than cost and the risk is on them

[doganjo]

A building warrant is required but not planning permission - in Scotland anyway.

[bazzais]

Pen some animals in around it and watch it get demolished steadily by hoof traffic and arse scratching!

[bazzais]

Its so so so so hard to get planning for new buildings - why do you want to knock something down!!? Consider that one day you may need the inside space - make 'dry storage' for now. Any building can be an asset?

Unless a building is listed or is a historical 'wonder of the world' you dont need permission to knock it down and level it.  You do need planning permission to fix them though - which is a strange situation and is why most old buildings are left to rot.

I'd go with doganjo and see if anybody needs the 'spoil' - you may get someone to remove it as they want the precious building materials for another renovation.

Baz

[Anke]

Unless its about to fall down and/or unsafe, why do you want to knock it down??? We would absolutely love a large storage barn - tractor & machinery to store, hay, lambing shed (and dividing it up with hurdles for the likes of goats), turning into a cowshed etc etc - I would say the uses of such a building are endless....

[bazzais]

Aye, you can never have too many buildings!! 

[jacob and Georgina]

well it is actually divided up into 3 barns all measuring at least 10m x 10m, they were used for intensive rearing turkeys, but when the farm was shut down for animal cruelty they were left to go to ruin so are more or less falling down, they only have a tin roof which has been blown off in most places, and as it is concrete block most of them are falling apart and don't fancy the idea of one of them falling and hitting me on my head.

As for not having enough buildings i am talking about a property that we have not yet bought but are considering it, at one stage it was part of a farm which had several hundred acres, all the land has been sold off except for 9 acres which are included in the sale of the house! even if we knocked down the barns there is still another 2, several stables and stone built storage sheds! more than enough for us!! 

[doganjo]

You lucky people, I am quite jealous!  If it is concrete block I can't see it being able to be reclaimed though, they tend to break up when banged about a bit.

[ellied]

I'd still be tempted to leave the buildings and make them secure until they can be repaired or replaced - once they're down you won't have much extra land and if they're concrete block walls and a tin roof then it wouldn't be that expensive to get them working again.  3x10m sheds have so many potential uses I am deeply envious, you can never have enough buildings

[Anke]

I have got 9 acres too - but no buildings, other than the two wooden ones we built (it was field when we bought it). We are just about to get a container for some extra storage (and to make our holding less attractive, as next door a plot has just got PP for a house that would directly look onto it....)

I am envious, a few of your buildings here would be appreciated, especially if they look dilapidated...

[JulieS]

If I were you I would keep the buildings until you know what you are going to do.  As others have said, you can never have enough buildings/storage.

When I moved here I thought I would never need all the outbuildings, and even thought about knocking a couple down.  Really glad I didn't, I've ended up using them all......and still with I had more!

Good luck with everything.