In The Press… Charlotte Strang is quoted in The Times about buying a listed home

Bristol and Bath buying agent, Charlotte Strang, provided her top tips for buying a Listed home in The Times’ latest newsletter, as Grade I and II listed properties are abundant in her part of the world, from townhouses to apartments. 

Here are Charlotte’s top tips:

What should you consider before buying a grade I or II listed house? 

• Gain clarity on the Grade of listing the property has as this will determine how prohibitive any alterations may be.
• Consider any alterations that you may wish to undertake to the property during your potential ownership and seek some specialist planning advice and guidance as to whether those are likely to be possible from a specialist planning consultancy and / or local authority.  Listed buildings often fall within Conservation areas so I’d advise seeking specialist advice on this too.
• It is likely that you will need prior listed building consent from your local authority before you make any changes to a listed building.  You will be restricted on the works that you can carry out to the building and much more restricted than if you purchase an unlisted property.  There is a risk that the consents you are seeking will be refused.
• Take into consideration that any alterations may be more expensive for a Listed property as you may need to use specific materials that are in keeping with the original property. The age and characteristics of listed buildings often mean that they require greater maintenance and repair than newer / more modern properties.
• Confirm whether the appropriate consents have been obtained, and are in place for the property (these consents would be requested by your Solicitor throughout the conveyancing process).
• Check with your mortgage adviser as to how easy it will be to gain a mortgage for a Grade 1 or 2 listed property, and whether the mortgage rates / costs for gaining the necessary mortgage are likely to be higher.
• If a listed building is a historic one, it is likely to have an increased cost in insuring. This will be because the materials to repair or replace the property are likely to be higher if a claim is required.