Listed buildings 'attractive despite red tape'

Listed buildings are still attractive purchases in spite of the bulk of regulations associated with such properties, one industry organisation has said.

The Listed Property Owners Club (LPOC) has said that achieving permission to make alterations and renovations is the main problem for listed building owners, but added that such changes were still possible.

Prospective buyers looking to extend or renovate a listed building also need to be aware that any previous changes that do not conform to regulations will become their responsibility when the property changes hands, the club added.

"If something does not have listed building consent, then it is the current owner’s responsibility to get that sorted out. This quite often comes to light when a property is changing hands," commented LPOC director Kelly Smith.

"You can apply for retrospective listed building consent, and if the council is happy with it then it's fine and it has got permission, but if it is an issue, either the current owners or the prospective buyers will need to put it right.

"The problem with listed buildings is that there are a lot of rules and regulations but the majority of people that buy listed properties do think that [these] are outweighed by the pleasure of owning one of these properties," Ms Smith confirmed.

Find your perfect renovation opportunity with BuildStore's PlotSearch

© Adfero Ltd