The property I am buying is Listed. Is there anything I should be aware of when buying?
In collaboration with English Heritage the Planning departments of Local Authorities list buildings that are considered to have a historic or cultural significance in order to preserve them in their entirety or presume certain elements of them.
Many home owners consider it a privilege to live in a Listed Building. Many Listed Buildings are also interesting or unusual properties making them a nice place to live.
However there are some implications of owning a Listed Building that you should be aware of. There are various categories of listing with different standards. Below, we set out some general comments about these. You should consult your solicitor or surveyor for more specific advice regularly in your particular situation.
Obviously no alteration work is permitted to a Listed Building without formal approval from the Local Authority. This includes works to the interior. What may be people are not aware of is that work to any part of a Listed Building is prohibited, even if it does not appear to affect the external appearance or the historic or unusual elements of it. You should always consult the Local Authority before carrying out any alteration works however minor.
You must also be aware that even works of repair or maintenance may require approval. This applies even if a “like for like” replacement is proposed. It is always better to consult first with the Local Authority.
To make an approve alteration or repair to at Listed Building is a criminal offence and can result in a fine or even imprisonment in the most severe cases.
Because many Listed Buildings are older period properties some repair and maintenance work needs to be carried out using specialist repair methods or materials. This can add to the cost and maintenance and repair and make it more expensive than a ‘regular’ building.
The need to obtain approval for works from the Local Authority can also add to a delay in carrying work and add to the expense.
VAT can be waived on some approved alterations to Listed Buildings.