High Birch, Upper Bush, Cuxton, Rochester, Kent – £995,000

Joe Bill
Saturday, January 25, 2014
9:00 AM

Kent has 20,000 listed buildings, but what attracts so many people to buy them?

Hever Castle

BEAUTIFUL thatched cottages sat around an idyllic village green, or perhaps an aged terraced house with worn tiles and lead guttering.

The old flint church with stained glass windows, or even the run-down farmhouse out in the countryside.

The term ‘listed building’ conjures up a different image for everyone.

But while they often pack the looks worthy of being on a picture postcard, the reality of owning and

maintaining a listed building can be challenging.

So just what can you do with a listed property? What does being listed actually mean and just what are the pitfalls?

First, let’s establish exactly what they are.

Listed buildings are those that have been awarded legal protection by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, on the basis of their unusual quality, rarity or historic value. English Heritage oversees the application process and offers expert guidance.

In Kent, there are some 20,000 listed buildings, with more being added to the register every year. It puts us far above the national average.

Listed status does not only apply to castles or ornate homes either – it can be applied to bridges, factories and even war memorials.

There are two main categories: Grade I, which applies to ‘exceptional national architectural or historic importance’; and Grade II, which comprises Grade II* which are ‘of particular national importance and special interest’, and Grade II which is of ‘special architectural or historic interest’.

The latter is by far the most common both in Kent and the UK as a whole (see box).

“Listing helps us acknowledge and understand our shared history,” explains a spokesman for English Heritage. “It marks and celebrates those buildings which are nationally significant; possessing special architectural and historic interest.

“The fact that a building is listed does not mean that it must be preserved unaltered for all time. The idea is to ensure that appropriate care will be taken over the decisions that affect its future in order to protect what makes it special.”

In 2011, it launched the National Heritage List for England, a searchable, online, database of the country’s listed buildings, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, protected shipwrecks and scheduled monuments.

The spokesman added: “It is a significant milestone towards achieving better understanding and protection for heritage in this country by opening up information which previously had not been easily accessible to the public.”

However, having your property listed under one of the categories comes with severe restrictions in terms of what you can and cannot do to the property – as well as commanding, generally, a hefty price tag.

So why the appeal in owning them?

“It’s the connection with the past, the feeling of antiquity. And the character that only comes with age,” said Peter Bell, conservation advisor for the Listed Property Owners Club (LPOC) – the UK’s only advice group set up to help owners.

Based in Hartlip, near Sittingbourne, the company runs a membership programme offering listed building owners advice on which trusted builders to use, how to deal with the local planning authority and even what to do if owners spot damp in their historic home.

Adds Mr Bell: “The people I encounter live in listed buildings because they love them. They want a home which is unique, which you don’t get on a newly-built housing estate.

“Many of them see themselves as custodians of British heritage.”

Listing property came into being after so many of the nation’s most historic sites were damaged or destroyed during the Second World War that the Government took steps to protect, and list, key heritage sites.

In 1947, the first such list was produced. Ten years later and that list began to take on legal implications.

Mr Bell added: “They quickly needed to decide which bits of our heritage needed to be kept and protected because a lot of it was so threatened by bombs and decay. They needed a system to see what was special and what needed to be preserved.

“It’s fair to say that here in Kent we have well above the national average of listed buildings for a county. Kent is a very historic location.”

Across the UK there are now some half a million listed structures. Some of the more unusual ones include the famous pedestrian crossing featured on the front of the Beatles’ Abbey Road album.

So what gets on the list?

“Age obviously helps,” said Mr Bell. “Inevitably the older it is the more likely it is to be listed, because it becomes unique.

“But buildings can be listed for association with historical characters, or because of historic events or because of the value they have in association with other buildings, around a village green for example.

“In fact, there is a war memorial in Faversham which has just been listed. Not because of its architectural merit, but because of its significance to the community and what it stands for with the 100th anniversary of the First World War coming up.”

But living day-to-day in a beautiful piece of history is not always as idyllic as it may seem.

Maintaining one of these properties can be both time consuming and very expensive, not to mention putting a premium on the price when it goes up for sale.

Rob Sabin is director at estate agent Miles and Barr. He says a listed property can be a mixed blessing.

“If the property is in good condition then estate agents can potentially sell it for a larger price than a similar non-listed house,” he explains. “The condition of the property would also make it easier to sell on the market.

“However, if the house is in a poor condition and needs a lot of refurbishment, then the fact it is a listed building can go against it. It will probably be harder to sell because the new owner will have to jump through a lot of planning hoops to change or update things within the property.”

It is perhaps the most commonly heard fear of anyone considering a listed property – just what happens if something goes wrong?

Should a few tiles break off your listed home due to the wind, for example, it’s not as easy as phoning a roofer to get a few new ones put back up.

They often have to be the same style, shape and colour to the originals in order to maintain the exterior look. Buying bespoke is often the only option. And in the case of older properties, unusual building shapes and the need for the right tradesman with the right skills can limit your options on shopping around for the best price.

The LPOC’s Peter Bell owns a Grade II-listed building in Canterbury. He explains: “Yes, repairs and maintenance can be more expensive than living in a non-listed building. You often don’t have the option of doing it cheaply.

“If the gutters deteriorate, they need to be replaced in lead, which can be a worthwhile investment, but it can also be expensive. There is no getting away from that.”

There are no cheap short-cuts either. Carrying out unauthorised work to a listed building is classed as a criminal offence and individuals can be prosecuted. Local planning authorities and English Heritage can also demand that illegal alterations be reversed.

The LPOC offers specialist building insurance policies to help manage the costs when things do go wrong.

Tracey Warren from the group believes that some of these historic homes are actually in a

better state than their modern counterparts.

She said: “Listed buildings do need specialist insurance protection in order to provide the correct cover for repairs.

“These type of insurance policies are no more expensive than insurance for modern homes, because period homes have stood the test of time and were built of traditional materials which are proven to last longer.

“Older properties were not built on flood plains and do not subside like some newer homes, but normal online internet policies can be unsuitable for listed buildings as they tend not to ask for the correct information, such as the construction materials and so on.”

Although it is harder to make changes to a listed property than a regular one, current owners believe that too many people are put off buying a historic building because of the stricter rules on modifications and modernisation.

Martin Anslow has owned a Grade II-listed building in West Malling for 10 years.

A former rural post office which was shut and remained unused since 1985, Mr Anslow had to upgrade the interior of the building to make it habitable.

He said: “When we renovated the house we got a conservation architect involved so they knew what we could and couldn’t do.

“The problem really comes when people buy these properties and think they can do whatever they want.

“It took a year to renovate so it was a major job and you should always get listed building consent for everything you do. But as long as you conform to the rules, and speak to people who know what they are doing, it doesn’t have to be an issue.”

The strict conditions for each property will vary.

Anne-Claire Howard moved into a Grade II*-listed building known as Bloors Place in Rainham just six months ago.

The 15th-century architecture and links to Henry VIII were a rare attraction to the property, but new owner Mrs Howard believes people should think carefully before taking on a listed home.

She said: “We weren’t looking for a listed building at all, but when we saw this place we fell in love with it. But before buying it we did need to do a lot more research into what it means to own one.

“I wouldn’t say it put us off, but it certainly adds another issue to the mix. It does make you think a bit more about the commitment. You need to fully understand that you cannot just walk in and knock walls down.

“You obviously want to modernise a few things and we haven’t been through the joys of planning permission yet. We have engaged a little bit with the council to see how we would proceed.

“We don’t want to significantly alter things that have historic value. And the more you hear about the history of the building the less you want to change.”

Of course, the higher the listed grade, the more difficult it becomes to modernise the building. But Peter Bell was quick to reiterate that putting your own stamp on your home was still possible.

Mr Bell said: “Repairs don’t require any consent at all. They are just putting back what should be there anyway.

“But if you want to make alterations, like build an extension or put new windows in, or take down a chimney stack, then you definitely need listed building consent.

“That does involve lots of forms, and the local planning authority, and it can take time.”

Conservation officers and specialist architects will visit the building and will make a decision as to what is and isn’t in keeping with the building. But Mr Bell, who lives in a converted medieval farm house, believes the rewards are worth the time, effort and inflated costs.

He explains: “When I purchased it there were still gas lights in every

and a water pump at the sink.

“It was pretty antiquated and had been occupied by a farm tenant for the best part of the 20th century, so it was very primitive.

“But I’ve spent 20 years bringing it up to date with a lot of heartfelt love and attention and money dare I say.

There aren’t many listed buildings which you can’t possibly alter, as long as you do it sympathetically.”

The opportunity for people to live in a piece of history was made considerably more difficult after a VAT relief offer was withdrawn by the Government in September 2012. It had originally allowed owners making alterations to a listed dwelling to claim back the VAT spent out on the work.

LPOC tax advisor Dave Brown said: “VAT relief existed until September 2012 – a relief that allowed VAT zero rating for alteration work to a listed dwelling, which required and received listed building consent.

“But if anyone had already applied for listed building consent prior to March 21, 2012, a transitional relief still applies. That zero rating can continue, where appropriate, until September 30, 2015.”

Despite the obvious obstacles that listed building owners face, the prestige and connection to British heritage that comes with residing in one of the country’s most prized buildings, seems to far outweigh the cost of maintenance or the constraints that come with attempted modernisation.

The desire to be part of the county’s historic tapestry proves an alluring one, however, and which many aspire to.

Martin Anslow believes the urge to live in a listed building was handed down from his parents.

“My parents lived in a listed building and I grew up with that. Possibly that’s the reason I am used to it and want that type of house. I wouldn’t go for a more modern building.

“During the process of renovation, you really start to understand and learn the character of the building.

“It can be very easy to sanitise or strip out all of the character, which is what they are protecting against, because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

“Old buildings have a certain attraction that is hard to explain. They are very different to live in; they are much warmer and cosier than many modern houses.”

Mr Bell was another who said he would never consider living in any home other than a listed building despite the headaches that can come with it.

“I guess it differs from building to building and from person to person on why they move in,” he explains, “but I know that I wouldn’t live in anything other than a listed building now.

“I love the feeling and connection with the past. There is a heritage value that you get with a listed building.

“Many owners are so proud to be able to pass on a bit of history, having looked after it for their period of time in the building.

“Yes, I have changed a few windows and changed the internal arrangement in places.

“But the process of listed building consent is there to avoid these things being done without respect for the specialness and significance of the building.”

To underline the appetite for period living, the LPOC stages an annual trade show at Olympia in London – this year taking place over February 15-16.

More than 60,000 people are expected to attend.

Spokesman for the LPOC, Jo Dennis, concludes: “Listed buildings just hold so much character and history that people admire and want to carry on for years to come.

“Properties these days are not built with such love and character that they were in the past – listed properties have stood the test of time making them very, very desirable.”

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