Making the most of a listed building

The British love historic houses: timbered Tudor cottages, Queen Anne rectories, Georgian terraces. They’re glories of the nation, treasured for their charms. At the same time, a listing – the designation that limits changes to a building of special interest – can deter people from buying what could be a wonderful home. “A listing can denote a home’s age and certainly its rarity,” says Crispin Holborow, joint head of Savills Private Office. “But some buyers fear they will need more maintenance and expense.”

There are certainly constraints to owning a listed building. Permission from the local authority, known as Listed Building Consent (LBC), is required for any changes to the fabric, inside or out. “If owners undertake work without consent, there could be a demand to reverse the changes,” says Frederick Gatfield of Savills heritage team. Even the process of applying for LBC can seem onerous, leading many buyers to seek unlisted homes instead. So how do you make a listed building work for you?

There are an estimated 500,000 listed buildings in England, in three bands: Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II (the most common, encompassing 90% of all listings). Savills deals with many such homes, particularly in desirable areas such as the Cotswolds, where a listing is a boon, according to Holborow. “Further out in the country, buyers want to become part of the area’s historic fabric,” he explains. “The more central you get, the less important it becomes.”

While historic significance is a point of pride for some buyers, others may have qualms about the potential obligations – including how to approach their local conservation officer. There’s no need to worry, says Holborow: the wheels run more smoothly with a heritage consultant to communicate on your behalf. The heritage team at Savills can help you to get the best out of listed properties, with back-up from sources such as the Georgian Group. Getting a Statement of Significance from a consultant can “help you understand why the building was listed and where you can make improvements”, Gatfield advises. Just don’t go rogue: “Talking to the consultant and the conservation officer will ensure the best outcome.”

“Many owners of Grade II listed homes are confused about what is possible,” says Holborow. “You can normally create an attractive extension, but it could be more difficult to make the case for an architecturally or spatially dominant addition.” Losing original features such as fireplaces or mouldings is frowned on; interpretative changes are not.

“A good question for owners is, ‘What can your building teach us about the past?’” says Gatfield. “Perhaps it has medieval timbers or Tudor brickwork. As long as any proposed changes preserve these qualities, there can be flexibility.” Even at Grade I listed Windsor Castle, permission was recently granted for demolishing a 19th-century internal wall – but, as Holborow says, the higher the grade, the more thorough the inspection.

Another vexing issue is energy efficiency – while you don’t necessarily need to meet the EPC threshold requirements to sell a listed home, there remains a disconnect between heritage and energy conservation. “The advice is often inconsistent,” says Holborow. “On the one hand we want energy efficiency, on the other we can’t breach conservation rules. If you replace a wooden sash window in a cottage with a good plastic one that looks almost the same, your EPC would really improve, but that’s not allowed.”

“The complexities of what you can and can’t do may be seen as a downside, but the system is in place to protect these buildings,” Gatfield explains. You might have to change your way of thinking as the buyer of a listed building: its value is not only pecuniary, but also intellectual, with owners becoming benefactors of our collective heritage. Indeed, if a house is in good order, that might add a premium – and open up other possibilities. Grade I listed Dorfold Hall in Cheshire, for example, has a walled garden that is a thriving wedding venue.

Ultimately, you end up with a great conversation piece. “I’ve seen people become utterly fascinated with their historic properties,” says Holborow. “They love telling the story of their home.” And that just adds to its charm.

Pictures from top: Grade I listed Dorfold Hall in Cheshire; the ballroom in Somerset’s Grade I Ston Easton Park; the swimming pool at Grade II* Poston Court in Herefordshire; and Earlshall Castle in Fife (one of 47,000 Scottish listed buildings)