Anyone bought/live in a Grade 2 listed house?

[TheyCallMeStacey]

I have my eye on a lovely and very old listed house for sale, I know getting planning permission etc can be tricky although this house has current permission to extend which is great.

So I am just wondering how much upkeep or cash do you need to maintain a 400 + year old house? Is it a money pit as my dh thinks it will be? We haven't had a survey done yet so don't know full extent of the condition of the house but it seems to have been well cared for by the current owners.

Is it a real pain to change anything in a listed house? For eg do you need permission to change bathroom fittings/carpets/wall colour or is it mainly structural stuff that is protected?

TIA

Blimey, I'm wondering if my DH has put our house on the market without letting me know....

I've scanned the thread and there's a lot of good advice here. Can I add that one of the big things that we didn't budget for was the cost of heating. Yes, I know there is a lot you can do in terms of secondary glazing, wood burners, but the fact is that you will need to spend a lot, particularly if you are reliant on an oil tank for fuel. You will also spend a disproportionate amount of time chopping wood, moving wood, carrying wood etc. if you are reliant on wood burning stoves. On the plus side you will become an expert on lighting fires and keeping them going.

Re. the extension. We managed to get permission for a kitchen/bathroom extension but, having lived in the house a couple of years, we decided we didn't really need it and the money would be better spent elsewhere (like on getting a new roof). I always thought the fact we had permission would be a good selling point - hence my comment above - but in reality, the house works quite nicely without.

Does anyone have advise for me before I contact grade II listing people about a farmer
Who Is damaging my listed barn?
Could this be a two edged sword?
Really grateful to hear how others faired?