Grade 2 - should we reconsider our offer?

redhead123

I did mention the double glazed upvc window so I guess I have alerted them to the breach 😩 since it will need to be changed and the vendor will not be best pleased

redhead123

Yes I did because I thought it was odd it had a double glazed window in the back and was concerned about what could and couldn't be altered and whether consent was given . I didn't know anything about the insurance thing 😩 I just wanted to do some research before spending 000s on fees and a survey and have since read up on it and it seems to be a nightmare. But the more I think about it it would be a recurring problem with resale ... Should I just walk away...,the vendor isn't going to be happy

Doozergirl wrote: »

Did you give them the address, etc? For future reference, you really should put these questions through solicitors so that you're not jeopardising things by accident.

You can ask the local authority for the planning history on a house. What you shouldn't be doing is alerting them to possible breaches.

The original listing will be available online. They aren't that detailed so it's very hard to even establish what the starting point was.

I specialise in the renovation and restoration of listed buildings. What you have to bear in mind is that many of these houses will have had wildly inappropriate additions and changes made before they were listed. And some after.

The worst that can happen is enforcement, but when you consider how many building regs breaches are enforced (virtually none) and then consider just how permanently under staffed conservation is in comparison, the chances of enforcement are pretty much nil. I worked on a house in Birmingham recently. Bearing in mind that it is the largest local authority in the country, while we were working, they had two conservation officers for the whole city. At one point that dropped to zero. Redditch had zero when we had a project there. My husband phoned them after 7 months waiting for LBC and told them he was digging up the floor and that they needed to send someone!

If you love a listed building then you'll be keen to change the window anyway. Perhaps not immediately, but when you come to do some work you can put it in with the application and the conservation officer will be happy to see it go.

If you can be pragmatic about it then you can budget in your offer etc to change that window. You don't need to protect it and the preference should be to change it. It is possible to get DG approved sometimes. Not uPVC, obviously!

redhead123

Ok I have been quoted about 10k to replace the windows which includes the one at the side which is rotted and the front ones which are in need of repair
And I am worried about whether the inside has had work done

t0rt0ise

I live in a listed building. I don't have double glazing but have recently had secondary glazing installed. It's brilliant, almost as good as double glazing for keeping the heat in and the sound out. We also do have a small double glazed window put in on the stairs at the top of the house. Permission was given for this. You don't have to live uncomfortably for sure.

SG27

Hoploz wrote: »

This really is something you need to look at carefully. You need to think of the implications of the listed building status. It doesn't just mean you have to ask permission to make changes, it means that a lot of what we would normally expect these days cannot be changed.

For example the double glazing. It doesn't mean you've got to ask to get it, but means you can't have it.

Thats not true, I own a listed building and we are surrounded my many others in a conservation area. Several have double galzed doors and windows all in keeping with the originals and all with LBC. In reality what you can and cant do depends on how strict your local conseravation officer is.

If you want to buy a property and make lots of changes then dont buy a listed building. Otherwise the only issue I have experienced is listed building consent takes ages. I have never actually had a problem getting things approved like replacement doors and windows.

redhead123

I don't want to make any changes at apart from be sure that the changes that were made were done with approval. I know listed buildings require maintenance but one of the windows is rotted and the other is desperatelt in need of repair and one may now need the DG replacing

SG27

redhead123 wrote: »

Hi all,
We offered on a listed house - aware of the need for changes etc to be approved by the council. I rang the council to check what could and couldn't be changed, as this property had a double glazed window at the back. The EA said I shouldn't have done that and said hopefully they wouldn't find out as it invalidates the insurance. We were not told about this at the point of offering. This means that the problem we be passed on to us - however the fact that it sounds like this was done without permission makes me wonder if anything else has been done! I wonder whether to request proof of permission before I spend money on mortgage valuation let alone a survey. We do like the house and know it costs more to upkeep because it is listed but the fact we were not told about this makes me nervous. Any advice would be much appreciated.

You can check the local councils website to see if it had listed building consent. If not then I would be wanting to knock off the cost of reinstalling approved windows should the council enforce it. Which is unlikely. Dont let the estate agent tell you that you have done wrong. Its the vendors who have installed the windows without permission!

SG27

redhead123 wrote: »

I don't want to make any changes at apart from be sure that the changes that were made were done with approval. I know listed buildings require maintenance but one of the windows is rotted and the other is desperatelt in need of repair and one may now need the DG replacing

If you want to change the Windows anyway then its fairly simple to just make an application for replacement and put new ones in with approval. It may even be possible to replace with DG however its normally a slim version which is more expensive. You can book an appointment with the conservation officer for a chat and to get some pre application advice. Listed building consent applications are free unlike other planning permission. However my last one took 3 months to get approval!

What type of windows are they?

davidmcn

redhead123 wrote: »

And I am worried about whether the inside has had work done

Well, you're the one who's been there - does it look like there have been any alterations?

SG27

redhead123 wrote: »

Ok I have been quoted about 10k to replace the windows which includes the one at the side which is rotted and the front ones which are in need of repair
And I am worried about whether the inside has had work done

How many windows is that for?

Ask your solicitor to ask the vendors what work if any has been carried out on the property since they have owned it. Then check on the council website for listed building consent. They could lie of course but there would at least be possible legal recourse if you needed it in future.