A COUPLE have spent six years transforming an old church into their heavenly home.

The former St Michael on the Hill Church, in Burnley Road East, Lumb, Rossendale, has been turned into a modern five-bedroom house and is now for sale for £750,000 The development has retained many of the church’s original features including a spiral staircase.

Mother-of-two Sue Diamond, 46, who owns the house, said: “It sounds strange but I’d always wanted to live in a church.

“When we first bought it it was still classed as a church that was being used so there was a lot of red tape to get through.

“It’s very quiet. You don’t get any bother from the neighbours and there are brilliant views.”

It was built in 1847 for £2,000 and was used as a church until 2001.

It also includes a gym and a music room as well as tall, arched windows and stone brickwork.

Miss Diamond, the head of hairdressing, beauty therapy and media at Manchester College, has transformed the house with her partner, who is a music teacher at Cheetham Music College.

She said: “We did a lot of the work ourselves and we’re pleased with how it looks.”

The couple, orginally from south Manchester, discovered the church when they lived in Ramsbottom.

It is being marketed by Huddersfield-based estate agents Carter Jonas and has been on the market since October.

A spokesman for the firm said: “We’ve had quite a lot interest, especially on the internet, because it is so unusual.”