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Are Listed Buildings More Valuable?

02/02/2023

Listed Buildings are not as common as unlisted buildings; they are often situated in places of great beauty or are of importance or interest, historically or architecturally. Therefore, a listed building will often have a higher value, simply because it is a rare find. Listed buildings are also desirable because of their period features, and the traditional construction methods that may have been used to build them. Listed buildings typically hold their value- even as the housing market becomes unstable- because of these special features.

The housing market is entering into a tougher time here in the UK, after the soaring house prices over the past couple of years (particularly down here in Cornwall); it’s more important than ever to know how to make your house stand out, and get the best price you can for your listed building.

How can I increase the value of my listed building?

The first thing everything thinks of when considering buying a listed building is the cost of maintenance. This is no different for the buyers of your home.

Listed buildings do often require specialist knowledge and regular upkeep, to prevent more serious problems from occurring. Finding a builder with the Federation of Master Builders is a good start to increasing the value of your listed home; the Federation of Master Builders have a directory that shows you some of the builders that are proven to be good heritage companies and contractors.

Investing in good-quality workmanship and construction when maintaining your listed building will increase its value. When a buyer or surveyor comes to view or value your home, they may be deterred by any outstanding work, so get a reliable building team in to make the improvements before you sell.

Additionally, using trusted local builders makes the process smoother when working with local authorities, as there will likely already be a healthy working relationship between the contractors and your local council or Heritage England.

Many buyers anticipate the paperwork involved in any improvements or construction updates to their listed home. This is why it’s also important to find a construction worker who is familiar with heritage planning and building permissions; this will greatly speed up your process of improving your listed building, and up-to-date paperwork is more attractive to agents and buyers. Some builders offer to completely handle the paperwork and will guide you through the application process for planning permission.

Preserving original features also greatly increases the value of your listed building. Where possible, maintain and preserve features such as lime rendering, original wood in beams, staircases, wall mouldings, fireplaces, wooden windows, original glass in windows, lead work and chimneys.

 

A Hysmark-listed building renovation just outside of Wadebridge, near Egloshayle.
A Hysmark-listed building renovation just outside of Wadebridge, near Egloshayle.

 

Landscaping and gardening often get forgotten about when increasing the value of your listed building. Making your home look attractive from the roadside increases its value, but also after the pandemic and with many of us working from home, gardens and green spaces are even more desirable than ever.

Landscaping a garden traditional English garden structure, work by Hysmark

 

Is your house up to date with insulation, secondary glazing systems, draught-proofing and central heating? Ensuring that your listed building is energy efficient and stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter can increase its value by 14% on average, and could even be more than that (up to 38%!) (Because this research is from 2016, this will have likely increased, as we are currently experiencing an energy price crisis here in the UK, and buyers want to know how much they can save on energy costs!) Getting an Energy Efficiency Certificate is fairly inexpensive and is a requirement before you sell (or rent) your listed building.

 

A listed building near Wadebridge, a Hysmark restoration and rennovation

 

For more information about the planning process and how to find the right group of contractors for your listed building project, see our other resources on listed buildings:

Interested in upping the value of your listed building? Why not contact us to find out how we can increase the value of your listed building with our expert construction experience and decades of working with listed buildings?

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