Buying A Listed Building: Solicitor & Surveyor

[Househunter]

I have a couple of quick questions for the PPUK folk...

I understand that, when buying a Listed Building, it is advisable to find a specialist surveyor with experience of such properties. Is it also advisable to find a solicitor or conveyancer who has experience in dealing with Listed Buildings, or will just an ordinary one do?

As for finding a good surveyor, I thought I might simply ask the Conservation Officer to recommend one --- is that a sensible idea?

Should anyone here know somebody who'd fit the bill (the property in question is a brick-built Georgian terraced house in Powys), then I'd be glad to hear more. ...And any tips on getting a good solicitor or surveyor (or avoiding bad ones!) are much appreciated.

Thanks,

HH.

 

[MikeG]

Any experienced solicitor dealing regularly with property purchase will be fine for a Listed Building.

 

[Flyfisher]

Agreed. We've used the same solicitor for years, on recommendation of a friend - which I think is generally the best way to find one.

As for a specialist surveyor, you could certainly ask your CO but you might find he won't recommend one as it could compromise him/her if anything goes wrong.
Historic England provide guidance about how to find specialist in period properties: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/your-home/looking-after-your-home/finding-specialist-help/
This article might also be of interest: http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/ppuk_discovering_article_009.shtml

 

[Feltwell]

My "top tip" would be to get 2 surveys done, if you have a mortgage:-

- A valuation survey by your mortgage company
- A proper structural survey addressed to you by an surveyor experienced in older properties, that you do not show to the mortgage company

Why? A valuation survey doesn't cost much because it has very little detail on it - telling your lender as little as possible stops them putting retentions on for things like damp or woodworm - which pretty much every old building had had at some point - and insisting on DPC injections and other inappropriate and unnecessary works before they will release the full mortgage value.

SPAB I believe have list of surveyors experienced in older buildings on their website. Any decent solicitor will do, as others have said - or for that matter a conveyancer, we had excellent service from one here, she was great and far far better than the solicitor we were using for the sale of our old house!

 

[Pennyviz]

Although it has to be said, surveyors seem to put so many caveats into their work and don't/can't look under carpets etc, in my case it wasn't money particularly well spent. An experienced builder friend (if you have one) is just as likely to spot defects and judge how fixable they are.

Penny

 

[88v8]

When you have found your olde buildings surveyor, either accompany them on the visit, or speak with them afterwards.

Because in the written report they are likely to mention all sorts of trivia, just to cover themselves in case some snowflake later comes after them for not mentioning... example, we have a retaining wall above the drive... 'there are cracks in the wall'... well, yes, pftt,

But when you speak to them they will tell you what matters and what doesn't.

And the benefit of a specialist is that they won't fuss over inherent old-house issues such as absence of a damp course, wonky timbers, single skin walls.

Otoh, unless they are telepathic, they won't find every little thing. Or even some bigger things. Like the dpm under the sitting room floor and consequent damp in the walls, and the woodworm in parts of the roof where no one had set foot for 200 years.
But it's better than nowt.

Ivor

 

[Househunter]

Thanks to all who replied --- much appreciated!

I'll update you as to how I got on...

 

[Househunter]

...Well, I promised an update, and so, after a very busy couple of months, here it is.

For a solicitor, I simply asked the estate agents for a recommendation --- don't know whether this is advisable, but it's what I did! --- and they gave me several. I picked one, and he turned out to be excellent; thorough, efficient, reasonably priced, and amazingly quick to reply.

For a surveyor, I went with one who had experience in old buildings and, per 88v8's advice above, quizzed him a bit about the place. There were many things he couldn't inspect (as Penny said), since they would require an intrusive investigation --- notably the ceiling in the cellar, which is clad in damp, warped plasterboard (no doubt covering a multitude of sins).

Still, he seemed fairly positive about it all. Let's hope he was right --- because I went and bought the house!

So you shall doubtless be seeing more of me, now that I've joined the ranks of period property owners... :wink:

 

[MatthewC]

Well done, Househunter. Does that mean that you will change your user ID?

Matthew

 

[Househunter]

Well done, Househunter. Does that mean that you will change your user ID?

Ha ha! I suppose I should do. Given the things that I've been discovering, maybe I should swap "Househunter" for "DIY Doctor"...

 

[88v8]

Jolly good.
Hope you take lots of early pics. One thinks one will remember, but one doesn't really.

Worth buying a couple of hygrometers. When you start to close the house up in the winter, they'll show you the damp rooms and enable you to monitor progress in alleviation.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ThermoPro-Thermo-hygrometer-Temperature-Humidity-Batteries/dp/B06XZYP5FW/ref=sr_1_1_sspa/262-1489599-9758313?ie=UTF8&qid=1530780933&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=hygrometer&psc=1

Oh, and now you're settled, update your Location. It may help recommending local suppliers etc.

Ivor

 

[Househunter]

Thanks for the link, Ivor --- a couple of those hygrometers sounds a prudent idea!