In the modern world that we live in today we have far more options open to us when it comes to buying our dream home. With house prices constantly on the rise we are turning to other means of gaining the home that we have always wanted.

A house, flat, apartment or bungalow; the choice of accommodation is always on the increase with people even turning to making a boat their home but moving away from your average buying and selling process we discover a new trend among home buyers, which involves auctions and a whole lot of DIY.

If you have visited an auction before you will know that they are becoming the most popular way of purchasing a property. With prices being as much as 90% cheaper than going through the estate agents it's no wonder that people are flocking to snap up the latest bargain; however it should be noted that these auctions do not involve buying property that you can simply move your belongings and your life into the next day. These properties more than often are sold so cheap because you are buying them as an investment. When you purchase property from auction they will be in need of a conversion, requiring effective time management and money. You can purchase all sorts of property from these auctions including shops that have been sold.

With the construction of shopping centres and major retail outlets appearing within every town and city it becomes difficult for smaller retailers to compete meaning that many have to sadly close their doors for the last time. It is one of these shops that could become your future home.

Buying a shop and converting it into a house will allow you to get exactly what you want from your home. With a shop conversion you have the ability to add an extra floor to your house and the option of adding a mezzanine level to it. You can also use the basement of the shop of extra space such as a games room, office or extra storage; you could even turn it into an extra bedroom.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you are hoping to carry out a shop conversion such as do you need approval to carry out the building work? The answer is yes. You need to get planning permission before you start your conversion as changing a shop to a house is known as 'material change of use.' The whole or part of the shop may need to be completely upgraded in order to comply with health and safety requirements. You may also want to consider the location of the shop; if it is in a row of shops, none of which have planned to be converted into houses, you will be living within a row of shops, which will be noisy and unpractical for a home.

You should also be prepared to face problems such as you may not have permission to change the large window at the front of the shop, meaning the only option you may be left with is applying opaque glazing. You could also be facing a lack of privacy.

If you do decide to buy a shop for conversion into a house and you have gained the planning permission needed to do so then it is recommended that you hire professionals to carry out the work so that you get the best possible results from the conversion, allowing you to settle into your new home without any problems.

Helen is the web master of ARCH Building Solutions, specialists in Shop Conversions