Buying A Listed Property – What You Need To Know

In 1947, the listing system in the UK came into being. It was formed with the aim of protecting buildings which were deemed to be of special architectural or historical interest. This article looks at the different gradings of listed properties, the things you need to be aware of if you are considering purchasing a listed property and the advantages and disadvantages of owning a listed property.

In the UK, the grading system of listed properties is structured as follows :

• Grade I : A building of exceptional historical and/or architectural significance;
• Grade II* : An especially interesting building with historical and/or architectural importance;
• Grade II : A building of special interest, which needs to be preserved.

Buying a listed property comes with a big responsibility to keep up the maintenance and condition of the property and preserve it as much as possible. Many people think that you cannot make any changes at all to listed properties but this is not the case. However, you do need to be sure that you obtain planning permission from the local planning authority if you wish to make repairs or changes to the property which will change the appearance. In addition, before completing the purchase of a listed property you should ask your solicitor to check that any changes or repairs that have been made to the property since it became listed have been properly approved. The reason for this is that if the proper permission was not obtained and the planning authority refuse to give retrospective permission for the changes, it will be up to the current owner (which could be you if the correct research is not carried out) to restore the property to its original condition.

Some people are of the opinion that the extra effort and responsibility required in owning a listed property is more than equalled by the pleasure they get in owning a, quite often, charming, quirky and charismatic property. In addition, it may be possible to obtain a grant to help with any repairs or improvements to the property.

On the other hand, older properties do often come with more structural problems and things are more likely to go wrong. This is in part due to the fact that the properties have often been built with outdated materials that are much more expensive to fix than the construction materials used in more modern properties.

Buying a listed property can bring much pleasure and pride but do ensure that you have thoroughly researched the property and the changes that have been made to it so that you know exactly what you are buying.

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