Anyone bought and renovated a Grade 2 listed cottage?

minibbb

Afternoon folks

My parents have just had an offer accepted on a lovely grade 2 listed Flint cottage in need of modernisation.

Sash windows throughout which appear solid but stuck shut and need restoring. Otherwise it needs some work on the lath and plaster ceilings and electrics/ plumbing throughout. Not sure roof wise until we have the survey.

Has anyone bought a similar project and can comment on how they found renovations? I know it means clearing things with the conservation officer etc as know you have to ask about external paint colours etc too.

Hopefully it all comes together ok- if you can imagine a postcard of a classic English cottage then this is it

Doozergirl

Many times!

Private_Church

Worked on hundreds and hundreds of Grade I & II Listed Properties over my 32yrs as a Carpenter & Joiner.

Basic advice is to expect to pay a large premium for renovation work when you consider the need to apply for Listed building consent to do most jobs.Even proposed work to the garden walls will need Listed Building consent with associated drawings which in general will cost money. If for instance at some point in the past (1980's) a previous owner fitted some alluminium up and over garage doors and you wish to replace them with nice hardwood framed ledged and braced doors ,more in keeping with older properties you will need drawings and LBC.

Having spent decades in the trade I personally wouldn't entertain buying a Listed property because they can be a money pit and literally break your heart.. Sure people do buy and renovate them but just about every job that needs to be carried out will cost a premium over a non Listed property , it can take months to get permission to do some work so if you have plenty of money and time then sure go for it. It money is an issue along with time then don't even go there.....................

I would look at having a Listed property as being a guardian for future generations whereby you live in it,pay for it but accept you don't have 100% control over what is done to the house.Sure you can apply to do certain things but the power lies with the Conservation officers who all have their own ideas/agenda on what they want to see and quite often its different from what you want and somehow you need to find some middle ground.

Just my penneth worth..

I_have_spoken

Less stressful to just stand in the street and tear-up £50 notes

FreeBear

Private_Church wrote: »

If for instance at some point in the past (1980's) a previous owner fitted some alluminium up and over garage doors and you wish to replace them with nice hardwood framed ledged and braced doors ,more in keeping with older properties you will need drawings and LBC.

If the garage door was installed after the property was listed and without LBC approval, the new owner would be responsible for making good the door. The same would apply to any other unauthorised work - The new owner would be liable.

minibbb

Private_Church wrote: »

Worked on hundreds and hundreds of Grade I & II Listed Properties over my 32yrs as a Carpenter & Joiner.

Basic advice is to expect to pay a large premium for renovation work when you consider the need to apply for Listed building consent to do most jobs.Even proposed work to the garden walls will need Listed Building consent with associated drawings which in general will cost money. If for instance at some point in the past (1980's) a previous owner fitted some alluminium up and over garage doors and you wish to replace them with nice hardwood framed ledged and braced doors ,more in keeping with older properties you will need drawings and LBC.

Having spent decades in the trade I personally wouldn't entertain buying a Listed property because they can be a money pit and literally break your heart.. Sure people do buy and renovate them but just about every job that needs to be carried out will cost a premium over a non Listed property , it can take months to get permission to do some work so if you have plenty of money and time then sure go for it. It money is an issue along with time then don't even go there.....................

I would look at having a Listed property as being a guardian for future generations whereby you live in it,pay for it but accept you don't have 100% control over what is done to the house.Sure you can apply to do certain things but the power lies with the Conservation officers who all have their own ideas/agenda on what they want to see and quite often its different from what you want and somehow you need to find some middle ground.

Just my penneth worth..

That's a handy reply thank you. Alteration wise they wouldn't want to do a great deal other than likely extra sockets etc when the electrics are done.


Can you overboard and skim poor ceilings or in your experience did you have to re-do them in lath and plaster?


Ill try and speak to the CO to find out exactly what the listing covers and make sure any previous alterations wont cause us issues!

Doozergirl

A listing covers everything. It's a myth that only certain parts of a building are listed.

Overboarding would be okay as it doesn't affect what is underneath. You shouldn't be ripping down the existing and then replacing with plasterboard.

Whilst you're preserving a historic building, I don't believe that you're a guardian for future generations. You have the benefit of soemthing beautiful that hopefully isn't diluted and ruined by cheap building materials like PVC, concrere roof tiles and bog standard mouldings from Howdens.

It is la labour of love, but the results of a careful renovation are incredibly satisfying. It's for you - and then for existing and future generations.

brightontraveller

If you need ask then don’t buy one :rotfl:
If you research learn about what was originally in yours what should be used internally and externally you’ll have a chance if you leave it all up to historic buildings inspector /conservation officer dungeons and dragons nutters, You'll be spending a fortune to what they “think “ it should have and 99.9 % are absolutely clueless,

There a lot more work, hassle, restrictive, expensive to maintain etc (you can often pick them up at auctions diddly for those reasons.) I’ll bet the sellers are skipping down the road......