INDEX property


The challenge of a listed home


They look great and they’re often steeped in history but if you’re thinking of buying a listed building there are a few points you need to consider, as Mary Gold explains


‘Listed’ means that the property is of historic or architectural interest and the owner has a duty to keep it looking good. Don’t buy a listed house if making big changes is on your agenda. You may be able to alter some of the layout or even add an extension but don’t think it’s guaranteed. Your local council will have a Conservation Offi cer who can give you a steer – see www. canterbury.gov.uk. Unauthorised work by the previous owners can be a problem. Before you buy, ensure that all past work


had planning permission as the current owner, not the previous owner who carried out the work, is liable to correct any alterations or additions that do not meet with the conservation offi cer’s conditions and standards.


As the new owner you will inherit these problems and there is no time limit on the enforcement of repairs. It’s worth talking to the


Listed Property Owners’ Club [LPOC], based in Kent, which can offer specialist home insurance. This will protect you if you discover that any


unauthorised work has been carried out. A spokesman for the club says: “We developed the policy in direct response to many of our members’ needs. It’s unique in the UK and it saves our members’ thousands annually.” Grants for listed buildings


are rare but your Conservation Offi cer might help, plus the Government offers VAT relief on certain types of work. The Sunday Times reported


recently that owners of listed buildings were missing out on £250m of tax savings; the Listed Property Owners Club can help


with this too. It’s best to use a surveyor who has experience of period properties, and, if you do buy, take out a good insurance policy. If disaster strikes, you may have to repair the property using specialist materials. Tracey Warren, insurance expert at the LPOC, says: “We can structure a policy to ensure that, if the worst should happen, the insurers will pay to rebuild your home exactly as it was before.”


See www.lpoc.co.uk or call 01795 844939.


Property of the month. Orchard Cottage, Sheldwich – £645,000


Listed buildings don’t come much prettier than this. Orchard Cottage is the kind of house you might see on a postcard or the lid of a jigsaw. It’s half-timbered, surprisingly spacious for something called a cottage - and completely gorgeous. The Grade II property is in the little hamlet of North Street, Sheldwich, two miles south of Faversham, and comes with four bedrooms, a garden room, two bathrooms, a lovely garden and even a meadow.


Open the door and you’ll be in the splendid kitchen, which is 23ft by 12ft, with a slate fl oor, high vaulted ceiling and a large island unit. The solid pine fi tted cupboards are handmade and the work


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surfaces are solid granite. There’s a lovely dining room with a stripped wooden fl oor and a playroom, both on the ground fl oor, plus a study and a good-sized bedroom. Hop up the stairs to the fi rst fl oor and you’ll fi nd the sitting room – it’s unusual but this makes for great views of the Kent countryside.


The fi rst fl oor has three double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The master bedroom has more amazing views and an en-suite shower room, plus a dressing room with a stripped pine fl oor. Outside, the gardens are well-kept, with neat lawns, raised flower beds and a


pergola made of hop poles. What a lovely Kentish touch! I would quite like to live there myself, as it happens. Orchard Cottage is on the market for £645,000 with Foundation Property Services. Call 01227 752617 or see www. foundationproperty.co.uk.


The INDEX magazine January 2012


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