inherited victorian schoolhouse listed this month

[schoolhouse]

Hi - following my father's death I have inherited a Victorian schoolhouse with leaded lights and a crest on the wall. The building has just been listed and I really don't know where to start. I'm trying to decide whether to restore/renovate and live there, or sell, or just to sell first (my job involves a lot of travel and it would take me ages and ages to restore it). What financial help is available as I understand listed properties can eat money quicker than teenage boys can empty fridges! Are there still grants to be had?

Also if I sell how do I know that the people buying will be sympathetic to the restoration? (the house is in the corner of the plot and developers have shown an interest - there is land to the side and back too - I appreciate that they can only do so much now it is listed - but even so)

Also someone has suggested the best way to sell is via a sealed bid on a deadline via an estate agent, is this true? Is the market awful now for listed buildings - or are they not affected by the downturn (the estate agent said the latter a while back - but are they just trying to get any properties). Another suggestion is that a covenant is placed to require my permission to build to the side of the house at any time.... which I would then sell to the person... is this worth it?

As you can see I am rather confused by it all. Any tips, suggestions, anyone 'been there, done it' ?

Thanks for all your help. - J

 

[middi]

My thoughts on this.

If in your situation and wanted to sell purely for financial gain, I would first exploit the possibility of obtaining outline planning permission for any other dwelling or whateverelse could be possible to eret within the restrictions of listed consent,THEN put it on the market to exploit the situation. If there is that potential on the plot and the schoolhouse is one of those nice desirable "cottagy thingy" you should not have too much difficulty in selling. Everything will sell at the right price, desirable properties sell quicker.

None of the above applies if you want to restore it.
Putting a covenant on the property will only put some prospective speculative buyers off.
You have to dwell with your coscience. I am afraid, then make a decision.

( sorry about your loss, they do say that every black cloud has a silver lining)

 

[Flyfisher]

Another option might be to rent it out for a while, assuming it's in a reasonable state. It would allow you some time to investigate other options in less of a rush, while keeping the property occupied.

I wouldn't rely on the availability of grants for any necessary work. I briefly looked into such things for my property but it quickly seemed like it would be more trouble than it was worth to apply.

As for a listed property consuming vast wads of cash, I don't think that's necessarily true although it certainly could be depending on how you decide, or are constrained, to tackle the work. Basically, if you are able to do some/all of the work yourself then costs should be no more than a non-listed property. However, if you want or need to pay for the work to be done, you could find yourself paying a premium for 'traditional' skills.

Also, any work other than like-for-like repairs will require listed building consent (LBC), which will require application to your local council. The application process itself is free but you will have to prepare the necessary paperwork and drawings, which will be an extra cost if you don't do it yourself.

It's interesting that it was only just listed; do you know what prompted it? Something that might help is to arrange a meeting with your Conservation Officer and discuss your plans for the property. The CO should be able to tell you what would and wouldn't be acceptable, which might help you decide whether to keep the property or sell.

 

[Nemesis]

I seem to recall a discussion about a schoolhouse which sounded very similar some while ago - crest, leaded lights.

Is this a school or a house?

 

[skier-hughes]

Although you have inherited your house, our CO said, don't buy if you can't afford it, why should the council pay to help you do up your house, listed or not?

Another option if you decide to sell is to add an uplift clause, so a percentage of any profits made by developing come back to you. Word it right adn your family for generations to come can benefit. Depends on whether you have the time or inclination to prepare outline planning permission or not.

As to whether the new owners are sympathetic or not is hard, you could go for less money and sell to someone who appears to have the house' best iterests at heart, or just go for profit, a "big devleoper" is going to have their best interests at heart.

 

[Penners]

The matter of grants is a thorny one, and I'm not any kind of expert. But there just might be some kind of grant system available, depending on what the building is, and what you plan to do with it.

The trouble is, even if your local authority has a grant fund, you'll invariably find that it's already all used up.

About 35 years ago I got a grant to help me rescue a severely dillapidated listed building. Frankly, by the time I had complied with all of the conditions that were wrapped around it, it was more trouble than it was worth.

Bottom line - you can enquire of your local authory, but I wouldn't hold out much hope.

You talk about "restoring" this school house, but do you really mean "converting"? I suppose I'm really asking the same question as Nemesis - is this already a residence, or is it a classroom building in its original state?

 

[DaveBrigg]

You've already had some wise words, but it might not all be doom and gloom. If you want to prevent a developer buying the site and surrounding the school house with 5 bed exec properties, its listing will be an advantage. Planning consent will eventually come down to the opinion of whoever makes the final decision, but we managed to get an application to build in what was once our garden turned down on appeal. A lot will depend on the help you get from your Conservation Officer. Hopefully, having just gone to the effort of getting it listed, they will not be keen on seeing it disappear in the middle of a new estate.
Grants can be obtained too. Rumour has it that the start of the financial year is a good time to apply, but again, we managed to get a contribution towards the cost of roof repairs, with the only condition being that where replacement slates were needed, they matched the originals. In the grand scheme of things, a grant is only a small contribution, but every little helps (as someone once said). Since you didn't choose this property, and may be faced with the extra expense of ensuring that repair work is in keeping with the listing, you have as much right to whatever funds have been set aside as anyone else.
As I understand it, the ethos behind the listing is that the best option for a building is for it to continue in the use for which it was designed. Where this is not possible (assuming that there are no more little urchins turning up each morning, a la 'Cider With Rosie'), the next best option is for the building to remain in use. Once left empty, unheated and barely maintained, the building soon becomes at risk of damage. Your best bet is to speak to the council Conservation Officer, explain your situation and your worry about what to do next, and ask for his or her advice.
As for property prices, who knows? There are some properties advertised on the main website, which may give an idea of what prices are being asked; whether they get sold or not is a different question.

 

[Nemesis]

I can point you to any number of listed buildings subsumed by new development. The only way to guarantee that it isn't is to keep a chunk of the land and rent it back, if you decide to sell.

Some development may be thought sensitive in the setting, and some not. Low cost housing seems to get preference...

You can discuss this with the CO, but in the end the CO may not have the final say. There is no hard and fast rule, it all depends so much on individual buildings. If it forms a significant group with others and especially if it says so in the listing description that's a help. Have a look too at any local plan, and the authority's requirement for housing quotas.

Grants are in very short supply, and although you can enquire I would suggest that the possibility is remote in many authorities. It depends on many variables, and how important the works are perceived to be, your local authority and how rich it is... nothing simple at all. I wouln't bank on getting rich that way.

As far as sympathy to the existing building goes - the listing should go some way towards this, although what one person's sympathy is is another's ruination.

However - it really would be useful to know if this is a house already, or a school requiring conversion?

 

[Moo]

I'm trying to decide whether to restore/renovate and live there,

No mention of 'conversion', so my guess is that it is a dwelling.

 

[schoolhouse]

Hi - thank you for all the useful suggestions. To answer some questions:
Nemesis - yes I did find this really useful group at the point where Dad was going into a home and we didn't know what would happen to the house (I lost my old id so have a new one).
The school was converted about 65 years ago into a house - my parents lived there for 57yrs (and the only home I've known etc so there is quite a bit clouding my objectivity!). Unfortunately we would have to do a considerable amount of work to make the property habitable (although Dad lived there - I don't think many others would!) - someone (in the building trade) suggested it would take about 150-200k to get it up to scratch.... I reckon on at least 50k to get it habitable - although poss more now as the leaded windows need repair. So temporary renting isn't really an option. I'd rather do things properly than a bodge job.
Yes it is 'cutsey' and you could possibly put a sympathetic small dwelling in the grounds beside it and effectively have the 2 cottages - maybe that's an idea as it would be in proporation.

I think all in all it is too big a job for me to restore properly (I couldn't do much of the work myself) so I think I would probably like to sell it.... but to someone who will love it! and of course you never know.
Thanks too for all the comments on the grants - i thought that would probably be the case - I might look into it but not be disappointed.
The CO is a great idea - I'll find out who to contact, see what's what and if that helps inform my decision.
(It's recently listed because a villager (via the Parish Council) put it forward once they knew Dad had died)
Apologies for delay in replying - as I mentioned I work away a lot.

Thanks again - J

 

[Jon Maine]

Would love to see some pictures, inside and out?

 

[Philip_I]

Schoolhouse - regarding the market currently for period houses obviously depends on lots of factors but near me (North Essex) good period properties with a bit of land are in short supply and selling well still. I have tried to buy two in last month or so and missed out on both. One sold within four days at 100k above asking. The other sold at asking in two weeks with three offers. Of course many overpriced perioud properties not selling just like with anything else but market does seem a lot more resilient for nice places that are sensibly priced than the newer dross.

 

[Penners]

Speaking as one whose house is currently on the market, Phillip_I, I do hope you're right!

 

[schoolhouse]

Hi - yes I hope he's right too! Hope the photos come through ok - I'm not so good on all this! I think they give good idea of the house - it's definitely a project! I do have other photos too. J

 

[Moo]

It's lovely!

Where is it?

 

[Nemesis]

It looks no worse than some some of us are living in... needs some TLC but I agree Moo - it's a lovely little doll's house of a building. (Clicking on each pic brings it up to full size and some of the exterior detailing is glorious!)

 

[Jon Maine]

Brilliant, pretty facade & roof and what a whopping chimney.

I would say there were few ways of looking at this.



1/ Sell as it is

2/ Get a knowlegable building surveyor or architect, conversant with historic fabric to survey and complete a costed specification of remedial works based on minimum intervention to bring up to standard.

2a/ Get a builder to undertake the works in that spec and either keep or sell

2b/ Sell with the schedule of works

2c/ Keep and undertake the works yourself in spare time.

3/ Do some minimal repairs and rent it out, if you do this get it valued now for future capital gains usage.

You could list in the SPAB for sale publication or on the for sale section of this website.

It does not look bad in the pictures, although I know that pictures cant convey everything.

Try not to leave it empty for to long as this will not help at all.

 

[MdB]

Try not to leave it empty for to long as this will not help at all.

We have moved in to the caravan for a month now and the house feels distinctively unloved already. I guess lack of ventilation and lack of heat are the main reasons but it turned from a home back into a house very quickly.

 

[Jon Maine]

Also it is a well known fact if you have left it empty and untended, i.e. not swept up weeded and looking uncared for it will be more prone to vandalism. So a simple small amount of spring cleaning will help protect from some of the dereliction worm,

 

[schoolhouse]

Thank you again for so much interest and great ideas (by the way what is SPAB? ) The house is in the South East, but as it is empty (and has been for a while, I am loathe to be too specific about its location on a public forum.

You are absolutely right about a home feeling like a house pretty quickly. It was strange enough when my Mum died but once Dad went into a home and then certainly once he died, it really didn't feel like my home anymore.

Yes you are right about the size of the chimney - I never really thought about it before the lady from EH commented on it and its 'lovely angled pots' .... unfortunately as you will see from the internal photos there is a late 60s stone fireplace there (I just remember the previous one 50s tiled (yellow, with a couple of little 'steps' on the top). As a school I expect the original was fairly large. There is some damage to the front of the house since the photo was taken, but it would just mean a little more renovation.

If I was on my own and had inherited it on my own, I might do it up myself but it would take me ages and I work away a lot so evenings would be out. But as there are other family members to consider so that really isn't an option financially.

Do you think it would be best to section off the side with the garages etc and try to get planning for a small, sympathetic cottage to sell as a separate plot? or just sell it all as one?

Thanks j