Buying a house in a conservation area

loulou41

Should this be a problem, not very sure what that means? I read you cannot put a satellite dish on the roof. Can somebody please explain it to me? Thanks

Fire_Fox

There should be guidance on the local council's website as to what is and is not acceptable. If you want to speak to a human, try the planning department. The general idea is the keep the external look of the street/ area in keeping with the period that the properties were built - so wooden windows should not be replaced with plastic or slate tiles with cheaper concrete.

Norma_Desmond

What Fire Fox said!
It's actually not very restrictive - our house is in a conservation area and national park - and when we bought it the solicitor just went through the facts about our wooden sash windows and slate roof tiles. I know a chap in the village tho' who got a bit of grief because he wanted to use 'foreign' slates because they were much cheaper. He wasn't allowed.
Good luck; must be a pretty area you're looking at?
As to the satellite dish, yes, you'll have to check with your local authority - we could tuck ours away at the back of the house luckily.

loulou41

Thanks, personally I do not like the house myself but daughter likes this type of house. It is not something I will buy for myself. I think it is over priced. You also have to go through neighbour's garden to wheel your bin out weekly. What happens if you not get on with neighbour, it is not really my type of house? I can see problems in the future but she said it is in a very nice area. Daughter has been looking for a long time and she goes for these types of houses and one of us must compromise otherwise we will be still looking. Here is the link, will appreciate some advice. Thanks

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-11406660.html?locationIdentifier=STATION%5E4289&minPrice=300000&maxPrice=325000&radius=1.0&pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FsearchType%3DSALE%26locationIdentifier%3DSTATION%255E4289%26radius%3D1.0%26displayPropertyType%3D%26minBedrooms%3D%26maxBedrooms%3D%26minPrice%3D300000%26maxPrice%3D325000%26maxDaysSinceAdded%3D%26retirement%3D%26partBuyPartRent%3Dfalse%26_includeSSTC%3Don%26sortByPriceDescending%3D%26primaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26secondaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldSecondaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26newHome%3D%26auction%3Dfalse%26x%3D118%26y%3D13

Norma_Desmond

Wow! You could virtually buy a whole farm for that price around here!
It's not the prettiest of period houses I agree, but I'm not keen on Edwardian, and I don't know much about Harrow.
I must admit that the 'shared' garden bit would put me right off, even if it was just occasional access.

Gwhiz

Norma_Desmond wrote: »

Wow! You could virtually buy a whole farm for that price around here!
It's not the prettiest of period houses I agree, but I'm not keen on Edwardian, and I don't know much about Harrow.
I must admit that the 'shared' garden bit would put me right off, even if it was just occasional access.

Now you live in a beautiful area!!!

Norma_Desmond

Gwhiz wrote: »

Now you live in a beautiful area!!!

I know!
Though just now it's dark, raining and a howling gale is rattling my *lovely* original-conservation-area-sash windows!

Debt_Free_Chick

loulou41 wrote: »

Should this be a problem, not very sure what that means? I read you cannot put a satellite dish on the roof. Can somebody please explain it to me? Thanks

Extra planning considerations. The solicitor will look at this, but I would want to see the permissions for the replacement windows, that "lean to sunroom" on the back and any other "improvements".

Nice house, but a pity - to me, anyway - that any Edwardian features seem to have been stripped out.

sashman

Conservation area’s does not mean NO PVC......please read on before you slate me. We work extensively with conservation areas up and down the UK, we love sash windows AND the home/streets into which they are fitted but there has been much hype about plastic windows.

The problem is the style of window that has been used, normally hinged or fixed double-glazing, TOTALLY inappropriate and unsympathetic to the property.

You can have the benefits of materials other than wood AND sash windows that slide up and down....real sash windows, made from wood effect PVC, with energy efficient glazing, in conservation areas, even article 4 listings.

BUT take advice first; councils do have the power to force you to remove unapproved windows

hope this helps

Doozergirl

If it's her house Loulou, then I really think you should be the one to compromise.

Aren't they already proceeding with this purchase?

cattie

This is my second house in a conservation area & as others have mentioned the windows have to be approved if they are replaced. With a conservation area any trees in the garden are protected & permission has to be sought for them to be cut back or cut down.

Different area's have different restrictions regarding the exterior of the properties. Where I live there are restrictions put on the type of front doors that the cottages have as well as the windows & the exterior rendered walls can only be painted in a choice of 3 approved colours. There are also restrictions on the fencing to the front gardens, it has to be in the same style as was originally built in the early 1900's.

I've never viewed living in a conservation area a drawback because of set restrictions; to the contrary, I fully appreciate the efforts made to preserve the properties & the area in the original style, although having to ask permission to have a tree in your own garden cut back is a pain, especially when you may have to wait 6-8weeks for an answer.

To many people a house in a conservation area is a real asset & estate agents will view it as a positive selling point.