1 London Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire, SK9 7JU info@kiif.co.uk01625 830714 HomeAboutServicesBuilding ContractorsOne contract for the whole buildNew BuildBespoke homes and developmentsRenovationWhole-house renovation programmesRefurbishment & RestorationPeriod buildings brought up to dateLandscapingExternal works and hard landscapingPlasteringSkimming, rendering and lime workJoineryStructural carpentry and fitted joineryRoofingNew roofs, re-roofing and repairsGroundworksFoundations, drainage and site works View all services Areas We CoverCounties & Regions - Alderley EdgeOur home village: office and yard on London Road. - CheshireCounty-wide building work from our Alderley Edge base. - ManchesterPeriod refurbishment and commercial fit-out in South Manchester. - LancashireNew builds and conversions north of the Cheshire border. - YorkshireStone-built property and rural schemes across the county. - MerseysideCommercial conversions and coastal refurbishment work. Towns - WilmslowTwo miles from base: extensions, refurbishment and conversions. - KnutsfordTown centre period property and rural barn conversions. - MacclesfieldStone terraces, hillside sites and retaining structures. - PrestburyHigh-specification homes delivered discreetly. - StockportResidential, commercial and industrial work across the borough. - BramhallSuburban extensions and remodelling on close-packed plots. View all areas we cover Our WorkReviewsContact01625 830714Request an Estimate - Home - Services - ConversionsConversions # Barn And BuildingConversions AcrossCheshire A conversion turns a structure that was never built for its new use into a building that works, complies and lasts. We take barns, commercial units and mixed-use buildings from survey and structural strengthening through to finished, fully serviced accommodation, coordinated with structural engineers and M&E consultants under one contract. Request an Estimate01625 830714 Family-run in Alderley Edge with more than 40 years across residential, commercial and industrial construction. 40+ years Construction experience spanning residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Directly employed Joiners, bricklayers, plasterers and groundworkers on our own books. In-house support Estimating, procurement and project coordination handled by our own team. Family-run Keep It In Family, David Cain leads delivery with Victoria Kennedy on project management and design. The service ## What a conversion actually demands Conversions are the most investigation-dependent projects in building. The existing structure was designed for a different purpose, storing crops, housing machinery, trading from a shopfront, and now has to carry domestic loads, keep out water at habitable standards, insulate, ventilate, drain and comply with regulations that did not exist when it was built. What is inside the walls, under the floor and in the roof determines the scope, and none of it can be read reliably from the outside. KIIF delivers barn conversions, commercial-to-residential conversions and mixed-use schemes. The work spans structural surveys and strengthening, new foundations and floor structures, opening formation, roof repair and re-covering, full insulation and airtightness, new drainage and incoming services, and complete internal fit-out with our own joiners, plasterers and decorators. Because these schemes involve genuine specialists, coordination is most of the job. We work with structural engineers, M&E consultants, architects and design professionals as a normal part of delivery, and we prefer to be involved before the design is fixed, when buildability problems can still be solved in drawings. Two projects show the range. At Knutsford we remodelled a previously converted barn and delivered it with an upside-down layout, taking approximately eighteen weeks. At Birkdale we converted a former bank building into a wet cup bar for Expansive Horizons Ltd in approximately ten weeks, a commercial change of use on a live high street. ### Who this is for - Owners of agricultural buildings with permitted development rights or planning consent - Buyers of a barn or outbuilding intending to create a family home - Owners of previously converted buildings that were done poorly and need reworking - Investors and operators converting commercial units to residential or hospitality use - Clients with mixed-use schemes needing one contractor across both elements What poor delivery costs ## Why conversions overrun, and what that costs Conversions have the widest gap between the cheapest quote and the real cost of any project type, because the cheapest quote is usually the one that investigated least. These are the specific failure points. ### Structure priced before it was surveyed Agricultural walls frequently have shallow or negligible foundations and no proper footing. Discovering that after work begins means underpinning, new foundations and a rewritten programme, as a variation, not as part of the price. ### Roof timbers not fit for a habitable building A roof structure sized to carry sheeting will not carry insulation, plasterboard and modern coverings. Strengthening or replacing it mid-project affects every finish and every service route below. ### Damp in walls never built to be dry Stone and brick structures with no damp-proof course, buried in ground that has risen around them, will move water into habitable rooms unless levels, drainage and breathability are designed together. ### Services underestimated Rural conversions often need new water, electricity, telecoms, private drainage or treatment plants, and long service runs across land. This is frequently the single largest omission in a low estimate. ### Insulating a solid structure incorrectly Sealing an uninsulated masonry building with impermeable materials produces interstitial condensation, rotting embedded timbers and mould behind finishes, inside a building you have just paid to fit out. ### Compliance discovered late Fire escape routes, means of escape windows, ventilation, acoustic separation and thermal performance are all more constrained in a conversion than a new build. Retro-fitting compliance after fit-out means dismantling finished work. Our process ## A fixed sequence, so you always know what happens next - Step 1 ### Survey and feasibility We inspect the structure with you, walls, foundations where they can be exposed, roof, floors, ground levels and available services, and establish what the building can realistically become. - Step 2 ### Structural and services diagnosis We coordinate structural engineers and M&E consultants to establish loadings, strengthening requirements, drainage strategy and incoming service capacity before scope is fixed. - Step 3 ### Scope, estimate and approvals In-house estimators price the conversion element by element, including provisional allowances for genuine unknowns which are stated openly. We support planning and Building Regulations submissions with your design team. - Step 4 ### Enabling, structure and envelope Temporary works and propping, foundations and underpinning, structural repair and strengthening, new floor structures, formation of openings, roof repair or re-covering, and weathertight envelope. - Step 5 ### Insulation, services and fit-out Breathable or conventional insulation as the construction requires, airtightness, drainage and incoming services, mechanical and electrical first fix, then plastering, joinery, tiling, decoration and specialist installations. - Step 6 ### Testing, compliance and handover Services commissioned, air and drainage testing where required, compliance evidence assembled for sign-off, external works completed, snagging closed and documentation handed over. What you get ## The practical difference a directly employed team makes ### Unknowns found before you commit We investigate structure, ground and services at survey stage, so the figure you accept is based on the building as it actually is rather than as it appears from the yard. ### One contractor across a complex job Structure, envelope, drainage, services and fit-out sit with KIIF, with consultants coordinated by us, instead of you managing five parties who each know only their part. ### Compliance designed in Escape routes, ventilation, insulation and acoustic performance are planned into the scheme early, which avoids dismantling finished work to satisfy building control. ### Fabric that stays dry External levels, drainage and breathability are handled together, so a structure that has never been habitable performs like one that always was. ### Character retained deliberately Trusses, stonework, beams and openings that give the building its character are retained and made to work, not lost to the fastest construction method. ### Programmes that hold Our own trades are booked against our own programme, the reason our barn conversion at Knutsford ran to approximately eighteen weeks rather than drifting across a year. Detail ## Conversion types, structural methods and materials Conversions vary by original use, construction and target use. This is the detail behind the work, and where residential and commercial schemes diverge. ### Barn and agricultural conversions Traditional stone and brick barns bring generous volumes, large openings and character timber, alongside shallow foundations, no damp-proof course, ground levels raised over decades, and roof structures never designed for habitable loads. Work typically includes underpinning or new foundations, consolidation and repointing of masonry in lime, structural repair and strengthening of trusses and purlins, new insulated floor structures, and glazing to existing cart openings. Steel-framed modern agricultural buildings are a different exercise: the frame is usually sound and the work is about creating an insulated, weathertight envelope within or around it, plus foundations for internal structure and full services. - Underpinning and new foundations - Lime repointing and masonry consolidation - Truss, purlin and roof structure strengthening - Insulated floor structures and limecrete or insulated slabs - Cart opening glazing and structural openings - Breathable insulation, membranes and airtightness ### Commercial-to-residential conversions Converting shops, offices and industrial units to residential use is dominated by regulatory performance rather than character. Habitable rooms need daylight, ventilation, thermal performance, acoustic separation between dwellings and compliant means of escape. Floor-to-floor heights, existing structural grids and the location of stair cores usually dictate what is achievable. Typical scope includes forming new window and door openings in loadbearing façades, new floor and party structures with acoustic separation, new stair cores and escape routes, complete new services and drainage, and full fit-out. Where the scheme is multi-unit, metering, refuse, cycle storage and parking must be planned into the site rather than added at the end. - New openings in loadbearing façades - Acoustic floor and party wall construction - New stair cores and escape routes - Fire compartmentation and protected corridors - Complete drainage and utility connections - Multi-unit metering, refuse and access provision ### Mixed-use and hospitality conversions Mixed-use schemes combine commercial space with residential accommodation, which means two performance standards, two sets of services and two occupancy patterns in one building. Separation, acoustic, fire and services, is the technical heart of the project, and it must be built in from first fix. Hospitality change of use adds its own requirements: extract and ventilation, grease management, trade waste, accessible provision, licensing implications and durable finishes designed for heavy use. Our conversion of a former bank building at Birkdale into a wet cup bar for Expansive Horizons Ltd covered exactly this ground and completed in approximately ten weeks. ### Reworking previous conversions A significant proportion of conversion work is correcting an earlier one. Buildings converted twenty or thirty years ago frequently have inadequate insulation, cement-based finishes trapping moisture, awkward layouts imposed by the original structure, and services at the end of their life. This work is closer to refurbishment in method, investigate, resolve water, upgrade fabric, then remodel, but retains conversion-scale structural questions. Our project at Knutsford was a remodel of a previously converted barn, reorganised with an upside-down layout to put living space where the views and light are, delivered in approximately eighteen weeks. ### Working with consultants and authorities Conversions need a design team. Structural engineers establish loadings and strengthening, M&E consultants design services within tight existing routes, and architects resolve layout and compliance. KIIF works with clients' consultants routinely and can review buildability before drawings are finalised: flagging, for instance, a beam that cannot physically be brought into the building through any existing opening. Planning consent, permitted development rights for agricultural buildings, and Building Regulations approval each run to their own timescales, and where the building is listed or in a conservation area, consent conditions can dictate materials and methods. We programme around those approvals instead of assuming them. Recent work ## Building conversions we have delivered Questions clients ask ## Before you commit to the work How much does a barn conversion cost in Cheshire?Conversion cost is driven by the structure's condition, foundations, roof, and how far services have to be brought, not by floor area. That is why we survey and coordinate a structural assessment before pricing, then quote element by element with any genuine unknowns stated as clear allowances rather than hidden. How long does a conversion take?It depends on how much structural work is needed. For context, our remodel of a previously converted barn at Knutsford took approximately eighteen weeks, and a commercial conversion of a former bank building into a bar at Birkdale took approximately ten weeks. A first-time conversion of an unimproved agricultural building generally takes longer than either. Do I need planning permission to convert a barn?Some agricultural conversions proceed under permitted development rights subject to conditions and prior approval, while many require full planning consent, and Building Regulations approval is needed either way. Listed status or a conservation area adds a further consent. We programme around those approvals and work with your planning consultant or architect. Can any barn be converted?Not economically. A structure that is substantially collapsed, has no viable foundations, or sits where services and drainage cannot reasonably be provided may cost more than a new build for the same accommodation. We will tell you that at the survey stage rather than after you have committed. Do you handle drainage and utilities on rural sites?Yes. We carry out below-ground drainage, soakaways, septic tanks and treatment plants, and service ducting and trenching for water, power and telecoms as part of the contract, see our external works and landscaping page for the wider groundworks capability. Will the character features be kept?Where they are sound, yes: trusses, beams, stonework and original openings are retained and made to work within the insulated envelope. Retaining them requires planning at design stage, because insulation lines and service routes have to be resolved around exposed structure. Do you convert commercial buildings to residential?Yes. We deliver commercial-to-residential and mixed-use conversions, including forming new openings in loadbearing façades, acoustic floor and party constructions, new escape routes, and complete services and fit-out. Can you work with my architect and structural engineer?Yes, it is how most conversions run. We coordinate with structural engineers, M&E consultants and architects as standard, and an early buildability review usually saves both time and money on a project of this complexity. How long will a completed conversion last?A conversion with proper foundations, a strengthened roof, correct insulation and breathability, and functioning drainage is a permanent building with a lifespan comparable to a new build. Conversions that fail early do so at the fabric level, which is where we concentrate the investigation. Which areas do you cover?We are based at 1 London Road, Alderley Edge and work across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Merseyside, including Wilmslow, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Prestbury, Stockport and Bramhall. Related work ## Often delivered alongside this ### Refurbishment & Restoration Fabric repair, lime work and modernisation of existing and period buildings. View service ### New Build Projects Where a structure is beyond economic conversion, a new build may cost less. View service ### External Works & Landscaping Access roads, drainage, driveways and site works around rural conversions. View service We deliver this service across Knutsford, Alderley Edge, Macclesfield, Cheshire and the wider North West. See recent projects, read about the family behind KIIF or return to the homepage. ## Find out what your buildingcan realistically become Send us the location and any drawings or consents you hold. We will survey the structure, coordinate the structural and services questions and give you a scope and figure based on the building as it stands. 01625 830714Request an Estimate - Family-run, over 40 years in construction - Directly employed joiners, bricklayers and groundworkers - In-house estimating and procurement - Site visit with the team who will build it ### Tell us about your project Send the details and we will arrange a site visit at a time that suits you. Keep It In Family. A family-run building contractor in Alderley Edge with over 40 years' experience across residential, commercial and industrial construction. ### Services - Building Contractors - New Build - Renovation - Refurbishment & Restoration - Landscaping - Plastering - Joinery - Roofing - Groundworks ### Areas We Cover - Alderley Edge - Cheshire - Manchester - Lancashire - Yorkshire - Merseyside - Wilmslow - Knutsford - Macclesfield - Prestbury - Stockport - Bramhall ### Get In Touch KIIF Limited1 London Road, Alderley EdgeCheshire, SK9 7JU 01625 830714 info@kiif.co.uk Request an Estimate © 2026 KIIF Limited. All rights reserved. ReviewsCookie PolicyPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions Call UsGet Estimate