OLDE WORLDE IS BACK
Frustration with pokey new builds is sweeping the country. Not before time, says Jane Slade
PERHAPS we’ve come full circle. Or maybe it’s a case of despairing at the poor quality of new builds in the rush to provide housing for the nation’s ever-growing population.
Whatever the reason, listed properties are proving winners with discerning buyers who are fed up with shoddy workmanship that seldom stands the test of time.
‘There is a growing trend towards historic, listed homes over modern properties,’ says Charlie Smith, of London Real estate Advisors (LReA), which is marketing an entire street of refurbished Grade II- listed Georgian houses in Warwick, priced from £1.15 million ( northgatewarwick.co.uk).
Smith says that while contemporary architecture can be wonderful, it’s also difficult to get right, ‘which means that the volume of good quality modern homes available is scarce’.
Indeed, the National House Building Council, an industry group which provides the warranties covering homes built by major developers, paid out more than £87 million to nearly 11,000 homeowners in 2015.
The total was up 10 per cent, from £79 million the previous year. Ten years ago, it was £37 million — less than half as much. As a result, buyers are turning to older, quality homes that are built to last.
exposed beams, inglenook fireplaces and roll-top baths still top the list of desirable features as long as modern heating systems and contemporary kitchens are in the mix.
‘Buyers are looking for homes which are refurbished prior to them moving in,’ adds Mr Smith. ‘People today simply do not have the time or inclination to manage serious restoration work themselves. Much better to find a quality restoration they can immediately call home.’
However, there are strict rules governing listed properties, which are graded depending on their architectural and historical value, making extensions and alterations costly and limiting. But one shouldn’t assume that they will cost more to run. energy Performance Certificates are not now required for listed buildings.
‘But where they are available they often give inordinately low ratings which do not reflect the actual running costs,’ says Stephen Binder from Fine & Country estate agents in Lincoln, which is marketing a range of listed manor houses, rectories and village homes in conservation areas around the historic city.
‘Buyers should pay attention to the seller’s actual bills — they might be pleasantly surprised.’
The attraction of listed properties is that they combine character, charm and history — such as Yeoman Cottage, in the village of Shearsby in Leicestershire.
The thatched, four- bedroom farmhouse has a chocolate box facade, inglenook fireplaces (one with an original bread oven), galleried landing, attached barn, and loft space for three more bedrooms. It even has a water well in the garden.
‘Yeoman Cottage is a stunning Grade II-listed property,’ enthuses Peter Buckingham, of Andrew Granger ( andrewgranger.co.uk), which is marketing the medieval home near Market Harborough.
‘It has one of the largest thatches in Leicestershire, and longest jettied upper stories in the county, and a fantastic history dating back to the time of Richard III.’
LIKE many listed property owners, Brian Cross, who is trying to sell Yeoman Cottage for £715,000, sees himself more as a custodian of his home, and has loved researching its history.
‘My love of the property stems from its unique character, the fascination with how it has been lived in and loved by generations past, and the idea that possibly 25 generations have celebrated major events in their lives here,’ he says.
‘Owning an historic house is the 3D equivalent of owning an old master,’ says Dawn Carritt, of Jackson-Stops & Staff, which is selling a one-bedroom apartment within the Grade I-listed Garricks Villa on Hampton Court Road, Richmond upon Thames, for £565,000 ( jackson-stops.co.uk).
A fine example is Fitzroy Gate in Isleworth, West London, where Beechcroft housebuilders have converted a chapel, within a Grade II-listed development, into four three-bedroom homes, incorporating stained glass mullion and rose windows, gable-vaulted ceilings and stone cloisters.
Priced from £1.35 million, the houses are surrounded by three acres of parkland and overlook the River Thames ( beechcroftspecialprojects.co.uk).
THESE days the trend is to stay put and spruce up your property. What’s more, you don’t have to be a super DIYer to make big changes, adding value and style at the same time. So pop the paint lid, get out the tool box and go for it . . .
KITCHEN QUICK FIX
REPLACING a kitchen is costly and requires calling in the professionals, but you can give yours a contemporary facelift with a few small tweaks.
Give tired, dated cabinets a new lease of life by replacing the doors and handles — look for Victorian, vintage, glass or ceramic door-knobs from markets to create individuality.
Provided the carcasses of the units are in good condition, you could build in newfangled kitchen gizmos, such as pull- out larders and pan storage, behind new drawer and door fronts.
Even replacing the taps for something more modern will have a dramatic effect. As long as the plumbing is relatively recent, it should be a straightforward job.
LIGHT FANTASTIC
CHANGING the lighting in a room can be transformative. However, always make sure you call in a qualified electrician unless you are simply unplugging lamps. Industrial-looking lights with exposed filaments are still in fashion, so team dramatic central fittings that have multiple bulbs with down-lighters and wall lights.
Providing a variety of lighting options allows you to instantly change the mood of a room depending on the atmosphere you want to create.
FREESTYLE FURNITURE
PEOPLE have been getting creative with pallets for years now, and using readily available, often mismatched wood to build individual furniture pieces is satisfying indeed.
You can find pallets or offcuts of wood for free if you scour the Freeads type websites and local newspapers, or just nip to a builders’ merchants. Often people are delighted to get rid of them, and once you’ve got the raw materials, all you need are basic woodworking skills.
For instance to create a great garden chair, one pallet forms the base, another the back, and two others the sides. They will need cutting to size, but that’s about it.
The adventurous can incorporate other media such as metal, glass or ceramics. Chunky, rustic furniture is particularly fitting for gardens.
REDECORATE
OBVIOUS DIY territory, but instead of playing safe, take inspiration from designers and consider alternative wall coverings. Metallic papers, leather, cork and textured finishes are all readily available.
Don’t shy away from using colour either. The tiniest rooms can take bold shades as long as it doesn’t make the room appear even smaller.
Smart brands such as Farrow & Ball offer a wide range of fashionable hues, but they can be pricey so check out websites that can match their shades to cheaper brands.
You could also go for wallsized stick- on pictures to decorate an otherwise neutral room — they’re easy to apply.
UP-CYCLE
RECYCLING bulky items that might be otherwise destined for the car boot sale doesn’t require any expert skills.
An old record player, for instance, might be reborn as a funky corner table or a school globe and lamp- stand could be fastened together with some creative use of screws and glue to create a statement piece.
It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work or is broken, so it’s a perfect way to preserve sentimental items that have seen better days.
You don’t need any specialist skills or equipment — drills, screws, hammers, saws and nails will suffice. And some imagination.
You’ll probably have plenty of suitable stuff in your attic so experiment — just as long as you don’t accidentally reconfigure a family heirloom.
STRIP BACK
REVEALING floorboards has been a popular renovation job for years, and it’s a great way to do away with old, worn carpets.
You can hire floor sanders, and with some hours of back- breaking, souldestroying, dust- creating, neighbour-annoying effort, sand and varnish like a pro to create a beautiful, natural floor.
If the boards aren’t in such good shape, paint them to achieve another appealing effect.
MARTIN ROBERTS’ new books — Making Money From Property and The Property Auction Guide — are available from martinroberts.co.uk (£14.99 each plus p&p).