When considering a listed building or part of, be it a house, maisonette, flat, serious thought has to be given to what lies in store for anyone thinking of purchasing a protected property. Just like the windmill we are selling for £975,000 in Kirton-In-Lindsey, DN21
Buying a listed freehold or leasehold is something of a privilege to many people (it goes without saying!) but an awareness of the rules and stipulations is absolutely necessary. We have tried our best to go through a reasonably thorough list of things to consider when purchasing a listed property.
A grade 2* listed church we are selling in Melton Mowbray currently on at £695,000.
What is a listed building and how does the grading system work?Â
Protected property in general in England (Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland follow similar rules, but it is best to check) are all of the rarer variety, with the overwhelming majority Victorian or Georgian properties, when swathes of the British countryside on the fringes of towns and cities were expanded as part of the industrial revolution.Â
How uncommon these buildings are generally reflects the grade listing of the building. A great example is Buckingham Palace, a one of a kind building, hence it’s grade 1 listed status. Similarly a Victorian building of significance, such as this former Bath House in Kentish Town we have currently on the market, is grade 2 listed as it was a more common building to be found of the era.Â
A grade 2 listed former bath house in Kentish Town, in which we are currently marketing a maisonette for sale
There are in excess of 370,000 listed properties (source: Historic England), of which approximately 2.5% are Grade 1, Grade 2* around 5.8% and Grade 2 make up the remaining 92%.Â
How does the listing work?
Buildings with any form of listing, generally covers the entire fabric of the building. A common misconception is that it only applies to external features, but commonly some of the internal features may be preserved under a listing status.
Common internal examples that will be protected include panelling, ceiling coving and rose features. Things that are normally decorative, but are original to the building and are of significance to the era.
Nearly everything will be covered under the listed building record on the historic buildings register (search on the Historic England Online Database, we would recommend searching by postcode: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/), but we strongly advise always seeking professional, independent heritage advice if you are unsure.Â
What does the listing permit? What if i wanted to make changes?
This is a very common concern for anyone that wants to buy a historic property. Often these properties were built for a generation who had less furniture, and were frankly, smaller!
Alterations to a listed building are often considered and quite often permitted, but it is normally a tricky process. The best starting point is to check your local authority’s planning portal, where you can normally view all current and past applications.
Sometimes you can find if similar works were granted, or are still effective in the timescale already granted by the local authority, which can of course impact what you would want to do the property. Make sure you always consult a heritage expert who is independent of the council and the person selling the property… that includes the estate agent!
A grade 2* listed Brutalist penthouse we have for sale in the Rowley Way Estate for £575,000
Can I make material changes without having to obtain consent?
With a large number of grade 2 listed properties, generally you will find it is ok to move internal walls and restructure the interior layout, moving non-load bearing walls etc… as long as a full structural survey is carried out. It is always best to check though, as some protected properties have their rights under permitted development removed (this is most common legal method of doing works without prior consent required by the planning authorities). In this instance, full planning consent will likely be required.
To change material items like windows, roof tiles etc… this all needs to be checked with the relevant authority, especially if you fall under a conservation area (likely in an area with a listed property), which limits what can be done to changing the style or era of the outward facing facade. If you can employ the assistance of an expert, and it can be proven to the authorities that you are sympathetic to the listing status, material changes are often permitted.
