Buying a listed property in the UK: The complete guide

In this article:

What is a listed building?

A listed building is a property or structure that is included on the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest. The listing helps protect the building’s character by ensuring that any changes made respect its historical significance.

Almost all homes built before the mid-19^th century are ‘listed’, meaning that their details are kept on the National Heritage List for England and Cof Cymru – the National Historic Assets of Wales. There are around 500,000 listed buildings in England today and around 30,000 in Wales.

There are more recent examples, 30 years is the minimum age for a listed building, however the great majority were built before WWI.

If you’re considering buying a listed building, understanding what qualifies as one is essential. For owners and prospective buyers, listed buildings come with a series of conditions. Typically, the whole building, both exterior and interior, is protected, so that any alterations must be agreed with planning authorities ahead of any work starting.

This protection can apply to the property’s gardens, outbuildings and extensions.

There are three categories of listed buildings in England and Wales:

What’s the difference between grade 1 and grade 2 listed buildings

The higher the grade, the stricter the conditions that apply. Grade I buildings, often structures such as palaces or stately homes, have the strictest planning controls. Any alterations require significant justification and are rarely permitted. Grade II buildings are more common and can be historic homes, townhouses, old schools, and farmhouses. While still protected, there is more flexibility for changes, if they are in keeping with the character of the building and get proper consent.

If you're planning to buy a listed building, knowing the grade will help you understand what kind of alterations you can make and how much red tape you'll face.

Pros and cons of buying a listed building

Before buying a listed building, it’s important to weigh the benefits and challenges.

There are some very attractive advantages of listed buildings: they’re generally beautiful, they have stories to tell, they represent a treasured part of the country’s history and they’ve been lovingly preserved over many generations. You can take pride in your ownership. What’s more, they’re likely to appreciate in value more reliably than non-listed buildings.

On the downside, you will be restricted in how much you can change or add to them, even for something as minor as a new door or a TV satellite dish. Renovation costs may be higher than for other homes, because you may have to use specialist materials and craftspeople or builders. If you fall foul of the regulations, you risk criminal prosecution.

Expert tips for buying a listed building in the UK

What you should know before buying a listed building

Who you should talk to

Besides hiring a specialist surveyor, prospective buyers should arrange to meet the local conservation officer and talk through the buying process. Every listed building is different and unique, and each one will have specific features listed. It’s important to know what theses are, so you don’t buy a property that has been illegally altered. And so that you can plan ahead for your own renovations.

For anyone familiar with planning applications, getting consent for work on listed buildings is a lot more complex and detailed than normal. Even if you plan to replace a window with exactly the same construction, you’ll still probably need to get consent.

It’s a good idea to contact the Listed Property Owners’ Club to get as many details as possible about your particular property. As the Club points out: “Listed property guidance and law is always changing and no two listed properties incur the same restrictions or regulation.”

Contact a heritage expert who can advise you on the kinds of renovation that will be permitted, and how best to carry them out. You may need to build up a strong argument for changes that you’d like to make, so it’s helpful to have as many experts on your side as possible, saying why the changes are in keeping with the building’s history for example.

Of course you should talk to the property’s agents, but beware: they may not be specialised in listed properties and may not have all the relevant information. Find out exactly when the property was listed, its grade and the particulars of the listing.

Steer clear of lower level ‘house buyer’s’ surveys, with surveyors appointed by banks or building societies, but without specialist knowledge. The Listed Property Owners’ Club warns that ill-informed surveys can end up costing buyers enormous amounts of money, through advising them to do unnecessary work, or failing to spot where work needs to be done.

What you should look out for in listed buildings

A quirk of very old homes is that they’re often a bit mis-shapen, thanks to warping timbers or ground subsidence. If that happens to a modern property, you’d want to correct it or rebuild. In listed buildings, it’s part of the character of the place, rather than a defect.

The same goes for incidence of woodworm. This is very common in very old homes, but evidence that it’s happened in the past doesn’t mean you have to start ripping out timbers.

You can think of a very old property as being similar to an elderly person. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, but with care and attention, they can live happily for many years!

In particular, you’ll need to keep an eye on the building’s roof, walls, windows, pipework and chimneys. There are more vulnerabilities in an old home than in a modern one, with its PVC windows and cavity walls.

If you want a listed building to remain in good shape, it will definitely take more of your time and resources than a modern equivalent. It will cost more to buy, to renovate, to decorate and to insure.

On the other hand, you’ll have the pleasure of stewardship over something of timeless value, for which future generations will thank you.

Listed building FAQs

Can you get a mortgage for listed buildings?

It can be harder to get a mortgage when buying a listed building as some high street lenders won’t consider a mortgage on any listed properties, especially if work has been carried out without consent. Lenders will likely check this when going through the mortgage application process. However, there are specialist mortgage providers who will be able to help. A mortgage advisor will be able to let you know what your options are.

Do you have to pay stamp duty on listed buildings?

Stamp duty on listed buildings is worked out the same way as any other house purchase, use our stamp duty calculator to get a cost for your purchase.

What special costs do listed building have?

When buying a listed building, additional costs to factor in include:

Ongoing maintenance costs are also likely to be higher for listed buildings:

How do I find out if my property is listed?

Listed homes are on a national register of listed properties, searchable on the Historic England website.

Is a listed house harder to sell?

Listed buildings can be harder to sell, due to the restrictions and complexities that come with them. However, their unique features and historical significance may also make them more appealing to the right buyer.

Do listed buildings need an energy performance certificate (EPC)?

Some, but not all, listed buildings are exempt from needing an EPC. Most commonly an EPC is not needed if the minimum requirement cannot be met, due to it altering the property’s character or appearance e.g. installing double glazing windows. If you were able to improve the property’s efficiency rating, then an EPC would be required.

Is it more expensive to insure a listed building?

Home insurance for listed buildings is likely to be substantially more, as if there were any damages, you would need to build the property back to its original state, which could be very costly. Therefore, you’d want to ensure you had insurance in place that fully covers the cost of repairing your property. Get a home insurance quote from One Click Cover.