Listed Building Residential Surveys

A building is Listed for a reason and that is usually because of its age and/or architectural merit. When you own a Listed Building you have a greater responsibility than compared to one that its Listed.

Listed Buildings tend to be very old and usually pre-1700. However, there are some that are younger and these tend to be Listed for specific reasons rather than age alone. It is not clear how many individual Listed Buildings there are as the Listings can cover more than one building but it is generally believed that there are approximately 500,000 in the UK. English Heritage maintains a record of all the Listing details and this is publically accessible information. The greatest majority of these buildings would be Listed Grade II with a smaller number of Grade II* and a very exclusive number of Grade I.

Owning a Listed Building can be an onerous and sometimes frustrating time. You have the responsibility to maintain it in good condition and to seek Consent for any alterations that you may choose to make. This can be a frustrating process as sometimes even the simplest task can take many months of negotiation before Consent may be granted. There is no time limit for statutory enforcement and local authorities are keen to prosecute when alterations have been made without Consent. Thus, the current owner is also liable for the mistakes of a previous owner.

Consequently, it is vital that you have a detailed building survey prior to purchase. Foxtrot has specific expertise and specialist knowledge of Listed Buildings and historic building construction techniques.