Anyone know what grade 2 listed means?

[bobblehat]

We've seen a house that we like, but it's an older house that is grade 2 listed. What does this mean? I really like the house but dh is worried we'll need planning permission to do anything in the house, like painting etc. The house doesn't need anything structually doing to it, and doesn't even need decorating, but this would be the house we would be in for the next 20 years.

We've only ever lived in new houses before, so don't really know the score. Any comments (good or bad!) really appreciated!

Grade 2 normally you can do anything inside. Unless maybe it was ripping out beams or something... but mostly it's restrictions on the outside ie. only like for lie replacements like lead pipes for lead pipes and not plastic. And no PVC windows etc.

You won't need to have planning permission to change the interior decoration but you will need planning permission to do any alterations to the interior or exterior and you may have some strange clauses in your Lease which stop you from hanging washing outside etc! (this is what we had when we lived in a Grade 2 listed house).

Go for it, living in a house with character is fantastic.

I'm in a grade 2 listed house.
You cant rip out internal walls, but you can paint/ wallpaper however you want inside.
I have found my local council planning department have been really helpful if I have had any questions.

I havent found the listing to be a problem at all. We are also in a conservation area, and that has been more restricting than being listed.

It has good and bad points. We currently live in a grade II listed house, and I love its character and general wierdness. However, we need to put up some external railings (long story but basically our front wall is getting damaged by f*ckwits) and the conservation people are being arsey about it. Basically, they'd rather I spent £300 a year repairing my front wall (with the correct materials etc) than allow me to put up a railing that would stop people leaning their bikes on my wall, vomiting over it etc.

Anyway, rant over. You can do much as you like inside but cannot change the outside appearance of the building. SO you couldn't for example convert the loft as this would mean you putting new windows in the roof which would not be in keeping with the building. Also be aware that any outbuildings (e.g. garage), while not themselves listed, are 'within the curtailage' of a listed building and therefore must be in keeping with the house.

We used to live in a grade 2 listed building - we decorated throughout, and replaced the bathroom, no permission needed. You tend to need planning permission for structural changes, and for things which affect the outside of the house. You have to bear in mind that permission CAN be granted, needing it doesn't equate to not being able to do something! My parents' house is grade 2, plus in a conservation area, and they've been given permission to knock down a wall without too much trouble.

The stupid thing is that houses are set in stone at the time they're listed, so if your 16th century house had plastic double glazing when it was listed, the double glazing is listed, and you'd have to apply on bended knee for permission to replace it with something much better. Weird system.

You can sometimes get grants to help you with the cost of external repairs etc, eg if the roof needs doing and you HAVE to use appropriate tiles rather than just the cheapest available ones.

Thanks for your thoughts. I love the house, but dh is just a bit worried. The windows have recently been replaced (wood), so these should last a few years.

You know when you walk into a house and you just get that feeling....

bellabelly, have you ever been successful with that? We asked our LA once, as the wrong type of paint has been used on the exterior of our house but it would cost an arm and a leg to have it removed and the correct paint used. We were told that the money was only available for restoration projects and that our work counted as maintenance. Is it something that varies from LA to LA? Thanks

We're in a grade 2. Before we actually bought it, we got an appointment with the conservation/planning officer and went over everything we needed to do to make it habitable, safe and a few alterations we just wanted to make. She was extremely helpful, spent nearly 2hrs with us; told us the sort of things we would have to include/consider etc. I think we actually got everything negotiated at that meeting, as we have had no problems at all getting permission for all the things we needed. What's more, they are incredibly helpful when we have a query or a problem. I think the planning officers are only difficult when people treat them as a nuisance to be got round (or ignored!). Be straight with them and talk to them about the implications before you put in an offer.

Oh and we've had a loft conversion with 5 windows put in the roof. It can be done.

And a conservatory built on the back, and an huge extension (which is a shop) built onto the side at the front. All with permission (all before we got it, though).

Jux I do generally agree with you re the planning officers. If you talk to them first, you can find a good compromise. However, this particular issue we have at the moment is not going well - it may come good in the end yet [fingers crossed emoticon]

Oooh, Jux, just seen your other posts. Can you tell me which area you were dealing with, and was your house a ruin when you took it on?

Poledra, no it wasn't but the first one we put an offer on was. We're in East Devon.

Sorry you're having difficulties and my posts were not in anyway pointed at anyone else on the thread as I had only got pgwithnumber3 when I got distracted and went away for a while, and then posted without refreshing.

'S okay, Jux, my skin is thicker than that . I just thought that perhaps I'd been a bit ranty, when it's just my particular problem at the moment that's pissing me off. Your post was a lot more reasonable than mine. Unfortunstely, I'm really bothered about this - DH went out one night a few weeks ago to ask someone not to vomit over the front of the house, and we ended up with a broken window, damaged door, and having to call the police. As you can imagine, I really really want some railings up to keep people away from the front of the house.

Don't be put off by a Grade 2 Listing, BUT getting permission may depend a little on where you live/who you know. We rented one for years, then moved, and the new owners have.:
Added a porch (knocked through a window).
Widened an outside door. (removed old door and window.
Blocked up another outside door.
Added French Windows at the back.
Put windows in the roof.
Removed some lovely shaped hanging tiles on the side, and replaced them with normal ones (naughty!)
Knocked out sections of the wattle and daub wall in the interior. (the house is circa 1600, Conservation area)
I presume that this was all above board, and I am sure that the fact that the new owner worked in the 'heiritage' business had no bearing on him getting permission

Poledra, no we never applied for a grant when we were living in our listed house (was in Derbyshire) because we never needed to get any of the eligible repairs done, fortunately. I can't remember what % they were prepared to pay - might have been around 40%? This was 10 years ago though and it might vary from LA to LA.

When we needed to get some other stuff done, we got a planning officer to come out and discuss what we were proposing (replacing sash windows and some internal stuff) and I remember she was very helpful and knew lots about what would be in keeping with the period, etc. For the internal stuff, she said you can do pretty much anything you want but it was nice to have a free consultation with somebody with expertise!