Searching for a project

[Nigel S]

Dear Forum,

I have been a poster here off and on for about 4 years - more off than on in recent times, so this may strike you as a naive question, but where does one find houses in need of substantial restoration? My last two houses a delapidated Victorian semi and a 1750s farmhouse have taught me much but they happened to be houses that came onto our radar through local agents.

I'm now looking for a new challenge within 2 or so hours of Manchester but having not looked for a house for 10 years wouldn't know where to find resoration projects and the mainstream property websites just don't cater for this.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[biffvernon]

Ask SAVE

 

[Moo]

The SPAB site usually features a wreck-of-the-month.

 

[middi]

your local council offices planning DPT ( listed buildings section) usually has a booklet you can pick up listing buildings at risk.

 

[Nigel S]

Thanks for the replies. My last contact with SAVE was not very confidence inspiring. I'll ask SPAB ,but any other suggestions most welcome.

 

[Nemesis]

Possibly you asked SAVE the wrong question, or had wrong or unrealistic expectations of what it can and does do as an organisation. It does compile a Register of Historic Buildings at Risk (available to subscribers), mainly Grade II and unlisted, as does English Heritage (Grade I and II* only). Some may be for sale.

SPAB (The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) does not have a Wreck of the Month on its website. SAVE (SAVE Britain's Heritage) has a Building of the Month.

SPAB does issue members with a booklet every once in a while with period buildings for sale, some of which may be in need of work.

Local authorities do not all have Registers of Buildings at Risk; currently around a third of all local authorities do this. For those which do, the buildings will not necessarily be for sale although there may be ways in which they could be acquired by a persistent person.

Local Estate Agents may keep a mailing list of those who are seeking properties in need of work, and may contact you when such a property is put on their books. The more mailing lists you are on the more chance you will have of finding something suitable. Many real wrecks are put up for auction.

 

[MattJ]

Many properties for renovation go at auction, rather than through an estate agent, so have a look for the auctioneers who handle property sales locally.

I found my renovation through a site for people looking for building plots for newbuilds, but they also had a good number of renovations. Think it was Plotfinder.

Matt

 

[Nigel S]

Thank you Matt J I'll check them out.

Nemesis, I spoke to SAVE about contractors who might be able to help with my barn conversion and the list they gave me consisted of companies who were involved in seven figure contracts on major public buildings who were baffled that their name had been mentioned. Thank you for your suggestions.

 

[Nemesis]

I suspect that it was SPAB not SAVE you contacted.

SPAB does keep lists of firms which are capable of working on historic buildings; however, it can't guarantee presumably that they are able or willing to work on small projects.

 

[Craig]

SPAB produces a book of buildings at risk which goes out with the magazine to members.

I got a list of contractors from SPAB once - there is a big variety, its true, but some are small enough to be useful to mere mortals. THe guys who advertise on this website are also a good source.

 

[Becka]

these might also be handy

http://www.empro.co.uk/home.asp
http://www.emptyhomes.com/

not tried them myself but remembered seeing an article about the empro one (and another couple of websites that I've unfortunatly forgotten the name of) and tried to remember then for possible future use...

 

[Becka]

this is the one i was trying to remember!

http://www.renovatealerts.com/

 

[Nemesis]

The majority of the properties in the SPAB booklet are prohibitively expensive to purchase however.

This is the address and contact number for a subscription bulletin which features rural properties for sale nationally, many of which require work:

In the Sticks
Market House Market Place
Alston, Cumbria
Tel: 01434 382680

http://www.inthesticks.com

 

[Nigel S]

Thanks Becka for those links and to everyone who has replied.

 

[usuk2004]

pickupaproperty.com does an email alert service. I didn't subscribe, so I don't know how good it is, but you might want to check it out.

 

[skier-hughes]

SPAB have sent me lists of surveyors, lime testing, lime supplies, timber supplies, all of which have been useful and I have used someone from the list each time.

Nigel however didn't stipulate a budget, so he may be able to purchase one or all of the buildings in the SPAB leaflet, which does make nice reading on a rainy day.............

Graham

 

[Nemesis]

Part of SPAB's work is to compile these lists and provide them to enquirers.

Of the buildings listed in the booklets, they do vary in price; however, few are 'wrecks', although many do require some work. A large number are buildings of high historic character and these would require deep pockets to purchase and to carry out approprate work to put into a good state of repair.