Grade 2 listed Renovation??

[2005alanab]

Hi all. We have had an offer accepted on a grade 2 property. It’s perfect. It comes with a single level detached garage/stable. Stone material and inside It’s in pretty poor condition - ground is packed earth, roof has asbestos and is very poor condition (holes in roof etc), doors are rotting, mezzanine level poor condition. Basically, it’s unusable. The plan is to turn it into an office/ annex for visitors. I know grade 2 is more about outside alterations, which we want to keep as we don’t want to lose the character. But do you think it’s going to be a struggle doing all the interior? Getting permission etc? We don’t want anything fancy.

Grade 2 isn't just about the outside. Unless it is a like for like repair or decorative then you need to check with the listed buildings consent people informally to see if you need consent before starting work.

In my experience they are often supportive of repurposing builidings as it means they are being repaired and looked after and therefore aren't at risk of falling down.

Getting the asbestos removed might be expensive, and if it means you need a new roof then that would need listed buildings consent and building control.

The packed earth floor suggests that it is pretty old and has no damp proof course. Which means that if you want it to be habitable, you need to either work out a way to insulate it whilst keeping the walls and floor moisture permiable or find a specialist who can do it. There might be a clever way to tank it internally but that might end up damaging the building if not done in the right way.

It will end up being more expensive than a regular conversion and they aren't cheap at the moment.

Try googling the period property forum. Lots of good advice and similar projects on there.