I bought a tatty old pub to move my family in to – we’ve got a ready made games room and love having parties in the bar
AFTER a long day at work, Suzanne Wilcox likes to unwind at an old boozer.
But the mum-of-three’s favourite spot to have a drink is closer than most people’s — because it’s her home.
Suzanne, 51, bought the former Cardiff pub, which still has its bar and optics, seven years ago after struggling to find a large city centre home for her, husband Mark and their three kids.
Now more house hunters are following suit, breathing new life into the record number of boozers that have closed due to rising costs and reduced custom.
In the first half of this year, 383 shut — almost equal to the total closures for 2022.
Analysts Altus Group say these sites are either being demolished for other uses or turned into offices, nurseries, holiday lets, flats and homes, with buyers often getting a bargain.
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Between 2007 and 2020, around 2,400 old inns were converted to residential use in England and Wales — and this figure is rising.
Suzanne says: “When we told family and friends that we planned to live in a pub complete with pool table and optics, they were completely bemused.
“I also thought it was a crazy idea. But it’s been such a fun and special place to live.”
They had been house hunting for six months when Mark saw a For Sale sign on The Westgate, a five-minute walk from Cardiff’s main shopping streets.
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The Grade II listed building had seven bedrooms, two kitchens and came with the original bar and public lounges.
Suzanne, originally from the Midlands, and Welsh husband Mark thought the city was their best compromise in distance to both their families, and sentimentally linked to them as they got married in Cardiff Castle.
Suzanne was adamant she could not live in a pub but agreed to take a look — and was instantly smitten.
She says: “The viewing was surreal as it was still a working pub. But to say it was love at first sight wouldn’t be too far from the truth."
The couple bought it and spent three months getting planning permission to make it a residential property.
They moved in with daughter Elizabeth, then 14, in July 2016.
Sons, Jonathan and James, then in their twenties, had left home so the pub had plenty of space for them to visit.
Suzanne says: “The brewery left almost everything exactly the same as the day it closed.
“It was surreal having breakfast in the bar in our pyjamas."
The couple made conserving the pub’s exterior a priority, spending £100,000 on the roof and 37 sash windows.
They also wanted to preserve the original wooden bar.
Suzanne says: “We had our 25th wedding anniversary party here and gatherings on Christmas Day.
‘It’s our forever home’
“I have enough decorations to fill a department store and our Halloween parties are legendary.
“Mark is fond of the games room with the pool table and dartboard, and we’ve got his and hers gyms.
“He used to be a rugby coach and we get everyone together to watch matches on the big screen.
“It’s cheaper, there are no fights and no queues for the loo.
“When Elizabeth was at school, her friends would come around after class.
“It was also the perfect base for them on nights out.
“Our five grandchildren love it because it doesn’t matter what the weather is like.
“They can run round in safety with space to play.
“There’s also room for our small business advice service which we run together.
“Having Zoom meetings with a genuine pub in the background is a great talking point.”
But since becoming “landlady” of her own public house, Suzanne has now reluctantly put The Westgate up for sale for £800,000.
She says: “It is too big for us and we’re downsizing to a place by the coast.
“We’d love the next owner to reopen the building as a pub.
“It’s special and we’d love it to be part of the community again.”
Vivienne Harris, founder of Heathgate estate agents in Hampstead, North London, reckons pubs make character homes at a good price.
She says: “These things come in trends as buildings fall out of use.
“First we had church conversions, then it was former banks.
“Now we are seeing more pubs on the market.
“They offer a fantastic amount of space and wonderful period features.
“Some come with a large beer garden which can offer space to build a second home to sell for a profit.
“But planning permission isn’t a given as pubs are regarded as community assets and locals can object.
“You often have to do a lot of work to bring a pub up to scratch too, such as rewiring and plumbing.
“Many are listed buildings so you have to consult with English Heritage about changes.”
Charlotte Martin, 34, and husband Lee, 39, a builder, bought the village pub in the area where she had grown up.
The couple — who have children Esme, 13, Dexter, ten, Stanley, seven, and Clementine, two — had been priced out of larger properties near to where Charlotte’s parents and grandparents were farmers.
But they were able to buy the 18th-century Talbot Arms in Benville, Dorset, in May 2021 for £415,000. It had been shut since 2017 and came with permission for residential use.
After paying £150,000 for renovations and doing much of the work themselves, the five-bedroom pad is worth double the purchase price.
Charlotte, a part-time estate agent and cake maker, says: “Lee worked on the house most evenings and weekends for 18 months before we moved in. We still have more to do.
“But this is our forever home and it’s wonderful to live in a place that has so much happy connection to our community.
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“The former landlord even gave me a photo of my late grandparents stood by the bar at a village party.
“I can’t say everyone was happy the pub was no more but I think being a local family rather than a developer helped.”
