Advice for buyers and sellers of listed property in Chiswick

You may own a listed property in Chiswick and be thinking about selling or you may be thinking about buying one and need to understand the obligations and responsibilities that come with it. Owning a piece of Britain’s history can add to the stress of buying. The Listed Property Owners Club offers advice and has produced a guide to clarify the issues. The Guide covers the legal, financial and practical aspects of ownership. What do the three Grades – Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II – mean? A. Grade I and II* are the higher grades which represent only the top 7% of listed buildings. Most buildings are listed Grade II. The main difference is that if you apply for listed building consent to make alterations, greater weight will be given to preserving the architectural and historic significance of the more highly graded buildings. It is worth bearing in mind that all buildings are listed with a view to preserving their character, whatever the grade. Q. What restrictions are there on alterations to listed buildings? A. The law requires that Listed Building Consent be granted by the local planning authorities of Hounslow or Ealing for any alterations which affect the character of listed buildings in W4. The controls don’t normally extend to replacing the bathroom suite or kitchen units but most other alterations will require consent. If in doubt speak to the Listed Property Owners Club or to your local planning authority. Q. What happens if a previous owner has made alterations without getting listed building consent? A. You need to be aware that there is no time limit to when a local planning authority can require unauthorised alterations to be reversed. Consequently new owners can be required to remedy alterations made by previous owners. It goes without saying that you need to be very cautious if you suspect alterations have been made without consent and ensure that your insurance policy offers adequate protection. The LPOC provides insurance policies. Q. What should I look out for when insuring a listed home? A. The answer to this and many other question can be found at the Listed Property Owners Club. Links to other useful sources Listed buildings in Chiswick, London Borough of Hounslow: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/greater+london/hounslow#.VwkAeDYrImI Listed buildings in Chiswick, London Borough of Ealing: http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/greater+london/ealing#.VwkA0DYrImI Map of listed buildings and conservation areas in Chiswick via Lend Lease: http://chiswickhighroadw4.co.uk/listed-buildings-conservation-areas/ National Heritage List for England (NHLE) for all listed buildings: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/ English Heritage have put together an interactive map of listed buildings in England. News from Old Chiswick Protection Society.