“Pleasant converted barn in beautiful surroundings.”
A couple of negatives however. Although the barn has a ground floor bedroom with ensuite, it is not really suitable for guests with mobility issues. I had to purchase a half step in order to safely use the shower cubicle. The only real access to the barn is via a flight of wooden steps with no handrail. I feel the property description should be clearer on these It is correct that the barn is not compliant with Part M of the building regulations in force at the time this listed barn was converted. The necessary modifications to the listed building and setting would not have allowed for this, and in addition to the fact that this is a farm, with sloping gravel surfaces, it was not feasible to set out to be “disabled compliant”. Thank you for highlighting this to other potential bookers with serious mobility issues. We would of course hope that it is evident from the photographs that there are steps to the property. In fact, there are three external doors to the barn, two of which have steps and no grab rails. There is however a small glazed door to the rear of one of the sofas, with a key for guest use. The threshold of this door is virtually flush with the exterior gravelled surface. We also gave you a key to the glazed doors directly out of the ground floor bedroom, which have a standard height threshold. We have had an access statement since opening the cottage and will double check with our marketing agent that this is available to prospective bookers. The shower in the ground floor bedroom is a 900mm quadrant shower with a standard low rise shower tray. We do not propose to fit grab rails, for several reasons but partly as the shower door handles provide for some stability, along with rubberised matting, which we do supply. We understand that access detail is important to anyone with serious mobility issues, and understand that the ground floor room, whilst generally making for a great and spacious bedroom, may not meet everyone’s specific needs.
issues. I did speak to the owner, by phone, prior to our visit, to ask if there was a grab rail in the ground floor shower. The owner said this wasn't possible, but a temporary one could have been added easily. I would suggest that an access statement should be undertaken and the property details amended. We enjoyed our visit to the area.
It is correct that the barn is not compliant with Part M of the building regulations in force at the time this listed barn was converted. The necessary modifications to the listed building and setting would not have allowed for this, and in addition to the fact that this is a farm, with sloping gravel surfaces, it was not feasible to set out to be “disabled compliant”. Thank you for highlighting this to other potential bookers with serious mobility issues. We would of course hope that it is evident from the photographs that there are steps to the property. In fact, there are three external doors to the barn, two of which have steps and no grab rails. There is however a small glazed door to the rear of one of the sofas, with a key for guest use. The threshold of this door is virtually flush with the exterior gravelled surface. We also gave you a key to the glazed doors directly out of the ground floor bedroom, which have a standard height threshold. We have had an access statement since opening the cottage and will double check with our marketing agent that this is available to prospective bookers. The shower in the ground floor bedroom is a 900mm quadrant shower with a standard low rise shower tray. We do not propose to fit grab rails, for several reasons but partly as the shower door handles provide for some stability, along with rubberised matting, which we do supply. We understand that access detail is important to anyone with serious mobility issues, and understand that the ground floor room, whilst generally making for a great and spacious bedroom, may not meet everyone’s specific needs. We would hope that bookers would research accordingly and feel free to reach out to confirm details if unsure.
Property Owner