Buying a listed property

suecoo66

I've really wanted to live in an old property for years and we looked at 1 this week that was built around 1494
The house was renovated around 13yrs ago as it had been used as a shop previously and seems to have been done to a good standard by the owner himself. Far as I can see he had consent as I've seen the application on the council website.
When we went upstairs though the floors felt very uneven and rickety . They also felt spongey in some places. Is this normal for property of this age ?
They also told us they use fence stain on the beams which I understand shoukd be treated with linseed oil so should I be concerned ?

Cakeguts

Unless this is a stately home it is unlikely that the floors are original to 1494. However it is possible that the floors are uneven due to either some movement of the property since 1494 or they may have never been very even. Spongy could be caused by all sorts of things. Was there ever a hole in the roof? Unless you look you won't know and if there is carpet you can't look.

Old houses need more maintenance that newer ones. Only you can decide if you want to pay for the maintenance.

AnotherJoe

It's been there since 1494, survived through renovations made by countless owners over more than half a millennium, civil war, revolution, the blitz and then even more devastating, 1960's town planners ....

...... and you are concerned the floors are uneven and they use fence stain instead of linseed oil?

I really don't think you are cut out to live in an old property.

tomatoandcheese

Uneven floors are pretty normal for a property of this age - it will have shifted and resettled many times over the years. Spongy feeling may be more of an issue but is also not uncommon. If you do go ahead, make sure you get a full structural survey done, not just a homebuyers, and check floorboards and other timber elements for evidence of active infestation (historic signs of infestation shouldn't be an issue if the pest is now gone) .

As a side note: The wibbly wobblyness of older properties is exactly what gives them their character and appeal. If that's not for you then please leave the property for someone who will love its quirks! Don't come in and straighten everything out or you'll only lose what made it special in the first place

AdrianC

You REALLY need to get specialists involved - specialist heritage builders to give you a full "survey", as well as a solicitor who understands the paperwork involved in a listed building.

This will be just the start of the reality of expensive old buildings...

davidmcn

I would be disappointed if I bought a 15th century property and it wasn't uneven and rickety.

suecoo66

AnotherJoe wrote: »

It's been there since 1494, survived through renovations made by countless owners over more than half a millennium, civil war, revolution, the blitz and then even more devastating, 1960's town planners ....

...... and you are concerned the floors are uneven and they use fence stain instead of linseed oil?

I really don't think you are cut out to live in an old property.

I just wanted some advice because I've not bought a listed building before

suecoo66

davidmcn wrote: »

I would be disappointed if I bought a 15th century property and it wasn't uneven and rickety.

I expect it to be uneven but wasn't sure if this was more so than normal

suecoo66

tomatoandcheese wrote: »

Uneven floors are pretty normal for a property of this age - it will have shifted and resettled many times over the years. Spongy feeling may be more of an issue but is also not uncommon. If you do go ahead, make sure you get a full structural survey done, not just a homebuyers, and check floorboards and other timber elements for evidence of active infestation (historic signs of infestation shouldn't be an issue if the pest is now gone) .

As a side note: The wibbly wobblyness of older properties is exactly what gives them their character and appeal. If that's not for you then please leave the property for someone who will love its quirks! Don't come in and straighten everything out or you'll only lose what made it special in the first place

I expect quirks , in fact I want something different so that's why I want an older house. I would always get a full survey for an older property even one a lot newer than this. But do I do that before or after making an offer

Davesnave

suecoo66 wrote: »

I expect it to be uneven but wasn't sure if this was more so than normal

How would anyone here know that? It's an impossible thing for anyone to know without experience of the actual property to compare with others like it.

Only a specialist surveyor or structual engineer used to dealing with older property can advise, by reporting on what they find.

suecoo66 wrote: »

I expect quirks , in fact I want something different so that's why I want an older house. I would always get a full survey for an older property even one a lot newer than this. But do I do that before or after making an offer

You'd make an offer "subject to survey."

An owner of such an old house should know that it will need closer examination than a modern eqivalent, especially when repairs might mean much higher expense than in properties where careful retention of appearance and structure isn't so much of a consideration.

Robin9

OP - I do hope you have got a big cheque book.

As others have said you will need specialist surveyors and builders and Listed Building Consent for virtually everything you need to do.

Insurance will be expensive, as will heating