Mon Jul 4
There are many great reasons to live in a listed building. Above everything else, they are packed full of character and charm.
Whilst it is great to live in a listed building, one thing that can cause you somewhat of an issue is when the time comes to restore, replace or renovate the building.
There are lots of different rules and regulations that you must follow when working on a listed building, which can really delay your project and leave you feeling frustrated.
To help to make sure that you have everything in place before you start planning your renovations, we have put together our guide for the main things you need to know about listed building renovation.
Check your home insurance
You need to ensure that your home insurance will cover listed buildings whilst the work is being carried out. More often than not, you are going to need to have a specialist provider who has policies suitable for listed buildings. That way, if anything goes wrong during the process, you know that you are properly covered.
Make sure that you check in with your conservation officer
One person you will have to befriend during the process is your local conservation officer. They are going to be someone who can help you with the property renovations and also be able to advise you of any issues that you may face along the way.
Have the right permissions
You must have the correct permissions to be able to carry out any work on a listed property. If you have only recently bought the house, you may be lucky enough to find that the previous owners were already on top of this. Still, if you try to carry out any unapproved work, you may find yourself liable for this and in a lot of trouble.
Not only this, but when you have the permissions and relevant plans to hand, you need to ensure that you keep these well organised and easy to reach. Should you need to have them to hand later on.
Think what is best for the property
You may have particular repair methods and designs in mind for the property, but it is important to consider what is best for your property. You won’t want to use a modern method of repair in a building that is older as this can cause damage to the delicate materials that it has been built from.
Know what you can change
Knowing what you can change when it comes to your building restoration is key. You cannot remove or alter original features that could be a part of the property’s listed status. This includes doors, stonework, fireplaces and windows.
Not only this, but you should also be mindful that stonework, pipework and chimney stacks could also be a part of the listed status of your building.
The main thing to remember is that your renovation project will take time. There are many different aspects that you need to consider, and whilst they may seem like they are dragging on, the truth is that they will be worth it in the long run.
If you’d like to learn more about our window restoration services – including historic window restoration and listed building restoration – please get in touch.
