How to find a unique property

Looking for a home with a difference? Use these websites to discover your next conversion project or a characterful building ready for a redesign.

From windmills to water towers, and cinemas to schools, across the UK, historic landmark buildings are being given a new lease of life by creative renovators, who often save them from decay or demolition. Many people are keen to convert unusual properties – brimming with character and original features, they offer the chance to create a highly individual home.

A property with unconventional features may turn off some buyers, but that same uniqueness will draw in the growing numbers of those who are longing for a home that’s different from the standard mass-produced designs.

An increasing number of websites are focusing on niche areas of the property market, so here’s where to start your search:

• Browse Unusual Homes to find character properties across the UK and beyond. The web resource allows you to search for specific types of property, such as churches and chapels.
• Cataloguing listed UK properties, with many interesting and unusual buildings, The Listed Property Owners’ Club also advises on renovating and maintaining them.
• For the ambitious renovator, the twice-monthly Unique Property Bulletin lists a selection of surprising spaces for sale. It has recently featured a disused railway station and a Gothic folly.
• Listing sale and rental properties, both The Unique Property Company and Urban Spaces specialise in homes in and around London located within converted buildings, including former schools, factories and hospitals.
• Primelocation allows you to add keywords to its advanced search, so you can tailor it to find a certain type of building, such as a barn, castle or houseboat.

Featured image: Davina Fox-Hill and Clive Bayley took on a unique renovation project in Clapham to create a grand family home.