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Guide to Listed Building Insurance Quote
Introduction - AssetSure can quote for either your Grade 1 or Grade 2 listed Building. We can offer cover either on a Building only basis or coupled with your Contents & Personal Belongings. One of our senior members of staff will deal with your request.
What is a Listed Building? - a listed building is acknowledged by the secretary of state and noted on a register( hence the term listed) as being of special interest and as such worthy of special protection. Legislation has been enacted to protect and preserve any building or structure on the list and the penalties for non compliance can be quite severe. A listed building is not always large, stately or in excellent condition, in fact other structure types such as schools, churches, walls, tombstones, milestones, barns, bridges, locks and even telephone boxes can be included on the list. Sometimes a property was occupied by a famous person and this in itself is enough of a reason for listed status. Listed buildings are considered to be part of our heritage and of national importance often people or groups of people campaign to have a property listed and thus preserved for future generations.
History of Listed Buildings in the UK - the process of listing buildings or structures of importance first began in 1947 as a result of extensive damage caused by bombing during World Was 2. It was decided at this time that some registered was needed to preserve our heritage for future generations. Nowadays; the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for compiling the list There is not a definitive reason as to why one a building or structure is chosen to be listed but usually, if they are of historical importance or perhaps “ a focal point “ of a community they they will be considered..
Categories of Listed Buildings - Listed Buildings fall in to different categories and below are the listings for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are slightly different:-
At the present time approx 2 % of buildings are Grade 1 , 4% of buildings are Grade 2* and 94% are Grade 2 *** In Scotland & Northern Ireland, buildings are listed are Grade A, B, C.
Why are Buildings Listed? - Buildings become listed for the following important reasons:-
It is illegal to alter, extend or in any way change the character of a listed building without first obtaining the necessary listed building consent from the relevant local planning authority as mentioned above, the penalties are severe, you may face a large fine or even imprisonment. In general terms, the older a building or structure is, the more likely it is to be listed, all buildings which are still standing in anything like their original condition that were built before 1700 are listed. Most buildings that were constructed between 1700 and 1840 are also listed. Between the years 1840 and 1914 the tendency is only to list properties of “character & quality” and only then if they are under threat. Any building constructed after this period has to be exceptional for it be be considered of a listing.
The Listing Process - as the process of listing can be long and complicated, in the first instance you should check the local land charge register, to ascertain if the building is already listed or not. Your local authority should be able to help you with this If the building is not registered, then contact English Heritage who will consider your application. In considering your proposal, they will require you to come up with some basic information, including the following:-
Other Useful Tips - submitting a detailed application to English Heritage will help your chances of success Try including as much support from local groups and organizations. You could also;
Listing Building Maintenance - to help protect our heritage, listed buildings or property in a conservation area needs to have a sustained program of maintenance and any restoration work should be only carried out after consulting a specialist company . It is recommended that historic features are preserved by re using existing materials where ever possible. Maintenance is important to buildings of all ages and all shapes and sizes but with listed or historic buildings, it is an absolute necessity, owners of buildings in conservation areas can consider themselves environmentally responsible to make sure their building is kept in keeping with the local area. Owners of listed buildings are often seen as wealthy persons who have money to spend on the up keep of their property, this is not always the case and often owners of listed buildings have normal occupations and do not possess a bottomless pit of money to spend on the up keep of their property. Often many jobs are undertaken by owners but without proper preparation and planning , this can actually end up causing more damage. For most of us that have to work, maintenance can seem like a tiresome chore, often we do not have a great deal of time and at weekends we would much rather spend our time relaxing. However, property maintenance is not only necessary, it makes good economic sense, property prices in the Uk are increasing all the time but if you want to sell your property, having it it good condition will certainly help to sell yours quicker than someone else's.
Be careful -The interior of historic of listed buildings can be quite fragile and thus the utmost care is needed when entering roof spaces for example. Old electrical cables are also best left untouched, for one thing they could be dangerous and you may without realising it end up precipitating an electrical fire by disturbing wire that may have been in situ for many many years. Similar care should always be take with gas appliances and these should only ever be handled by a professional. Some key points are:-
The Right Advice - The right help - It can be a very difficult task locating the right professional to help with your listed building work, patricianly if like me, you don't know the first thing about building work. As mentioned above, many people feel up to then task of spotting what remedial work needs to be dome to keep the fabric of their building but some, want to employ a professional from day one. A professional person should be able to produce for you a schedule of work that gives priority to the most urgent jobs and must be able to oversee all works that are to be carried out. If you are really stuck, you could approach a listed building club to ask for their advise or opinion or you could try the client advisory service of the Royal Institute of British Architects. if they are unable to help you, you may be able to obtain advise from your local council listing department. Working with listed buildings on a regular basis, they may be able to recommend a professional person to help you. Before allowing a tradesperson to start work on your property, there are a couple of points to remember.
Copyright Assetsure Limited 2010 Assetsure is an Appointed Representative of Intasure, a trading name of Blenheim Park Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Assetsure Limited is an appointed representative of Highhouse Insurance Services Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Policy especially designed for Holiday Homes & Second Homes
