Renting house for Children's nursery?

ncrawley

Not sure if this is in the correct place as it could span various sections of the forum however..

I am after some advice for myself and partner. She is currently on maternity leave from her nursery nurse job (9+ years experience, she has also obtained various business management degrees)

We have been thinking for a while that she would like to eventually start her own nursery/child minding business (we would have no end of parents willing to use her as she is very popular at her current nursery which is on the decline and is constantly asked if she has plans to do her own thing).

We currently have a mortgage but we would want it to be seperate from our house, so we got thinking about renting a seperate house so we can have it as a dedicated nursery.

So the question is, would this be possible, I'm assuming we would need the landlord to agree prior to renting, any licenses/insurances needed etc, or is this not possible at all I.e. We would need to be the sole owners of the house?

We understand the costs for the actual nursery stuff, but not sure regarding the actual property and licensing part.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Yorkie1

The first trouble you will have is the fact that the property will be used solely for business purposes. This impacts on planning permission and also the type of tenancy - commercial rather than residential.

PasturesNew

It'd be very rare to find a landlord that will let you do that. And if you're not living there then it'll be commercial premises. It's pretty much a no-no/no-go really. Non-starter.

Also, don't forget that renting isn't stable. Imagine if you spent a fortune getting set up and the landlord decided to sell it?

You'd be better off scouting round for local premises that'd let you do that. e.g. village halls, church halls, WI buildings - the sort of space you'd need that'd give you the potential for longevity and no neighbour issues. I bet they'd be cheaper than renting a house that'd be big enough.

And/or keep an eye out for odd premises at auction that you think you could get a change of use for.

ncrawley

Thanks for the advice guys, obviously not what we wanted to hear so back to the drawing board!

I have searched rightmove and there are a few commercial properties in the local area ideal for a nursery so that may be the route we go Down a lot of research is needed indeed!

Mojisola

ncrawley wrote: »

we would have no end of parents willing to use her as she is very popular at her current nursery which is on the decline and is constantly asked if she has plans to do her own thing.

Offer to buy out the owner of the declining nursery?

ncrawley

Mojisola wrote: »

Offer to buy out the owner of the declining nursery?

It is owned by a charity/church unfortunately, and is quie a big concern, we are thinking smaller scale

PasturesNew

Something I've seen in the past is a portakabin in the grounds of a primary school. It might be worth investigating if that's an option. Look around, see if others have done it, look at who owns them and try to find out how they managed to get that arranged.

AlexMac

Sounds like a good idea, but if I was planning to start a business, I'd research the regulatory authorities rather go 'back to the drawing board' on the basis of a couple of bits of cautionalry advice from us amateurs - which your wife will of course already know.

My mate ran a childminding operation from her home and got stacks of positive advice from the local authority. While Ofted (in Wales the CSSIW) are now involved (which is a PITA) there is stacks of info out there on the internet

http://www.runadaynursery.co.uk/StartingOutCategory.html
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-rights/legal-system/licences-and-other-types-of-official-permission/#h-childminding-and-childrens-nurseries

The problem with a commercial lease is that they tend to be for longer periods than 6-month ASTs on residential properties, but to clarify whwether you'd get away with residential premises, and before you start talking to landlords, and as they say at
http://net.workspace.co.uk/social/resources/how-to-start-a-day-nursery/
it is worth checking the local Council who will be the enforcement authority for residential - v quasi business use, as well as a body keen to see more local provision.

When I used to run a portfolio of 40+ commecial units for a social landlord (a Housing Association who had to build shop units below the flats as a daft condition of planning) we'd have bitten your hand off and maybe even offred a short let

so go for it!

pleasedelete

Cost likely to be at least £100k- do you have that much start up capital?

Most commercial premises are not suitable as you need secure outdoor space. Residential to convert is tricky even if you own it due to planning restrictions often linking to outdoor play and parking by staff and parents.

Legislation on school playing fields makes it very hard as does the consideration of such land for free schools. If you can get agreement then upwards of £100k for a suitable portakabin for a bespoke nursery and groundworks- including connecting basic services. You would also have to pay business rates and rent to the school.

phoebe1989seb

I had a friend back in my home town who in the mid 1990s bought a large (3500 sq ft) detached house and converted it into a nursery school whilst living on the premises with her young family.

About four years later we purchased the house next door and as such we kind of followed her progress. From small beginnings she expanded, soon accommodating 40+ kids and she and her family moved out, having bought another house to live in. A few years later (four/five iirc) she bought a second house in the road opposite the first which could take another 40 kids.

We moved from the area in 2007 and lost touch but since then she has purchased an even larger property elsewhere in the town and expanded further, all the while keeping the other branches open.

She also moved to a six/seven bed house herself.

She employs masses of staff and the nursery is highly regarded in the local community/by ofsted.

I would imagine she now owns well in excess of £4,000,000 worth of property.

Seems like a very good business model - if a lot of hard work (I wouldn't want to do it, lol!) - and well worth considering......

Good luck with it OP

pleasedelete

The new plans about 30 hours for working parents, 2 year olds in schools and the uplift in the national minimum wage will further affect day nursery businesses.