The Dos And Don’ts Of Listed Building Restoration

Restoring a listed building can be fraught with issues and a number of hops through with you will be expected to jump. But with a little preparation and a few calls to the right people, you can help make the process go much smoother and complete your project with minimal delays.

It’s easy to get inspired watching the many TV shows about restoring homes and buildings, but unlike Dick Strawbridge and his Escape to the Chateau series, it’s important to know what to and what not to do when restoring a listed building. Here are five dos and three don’ts to keep in mind.

The Do's of Listed Building Restoration

1. Know your VAT rights. Energy performance improvements within a renovation project will only trigger 5 per cent VAT, so be sure to check before you pay bills, as VAT cannot be reclaimed after.

2. Ensure you have listed building insurance. Seek out a specialist insurance company that deals with listed buildings, who will be able to reinstate you for the right materials to match the house if disaster strikes.

3. Get to know your local conservation officer. They can become a great ally, and will know other listed building owners, who may have encountered similar problems as you, and have solutions.

4. Ensure building consent has been granted before you buy. Any unapproved works carried out by previous owners will become your liability otherwise.

5. Stay organised! Keep all permissions and plans after work is completed, you will need these if you sell your home in the future

The Don'ts of Listed Building Restoration

1. Don’t combine modern with traditional repair methods. Using cement in buildings likely made with Lime Mortar can cause irreparable damage.

2. Don’t remove or alter original architectural features, as they are often integral to the building’s listed status.

3. Don’t rush! Carefully consider any changes you wish to make, and ensure you get advice from professionals and speak to the Conservation office and Historic England. The building will have stood doer many years, so a few months of consideration will be well spent.

If you’re looking for experts in listed building restoration, talk to us today.

London’s Finest Victorian Architecture

As a city dating back to Roman times and now home to nearly nine million people, London has an extraordinarily broad array of architectural styles. From its greatest surviving medieval buildings to the 21st century skyscrapers nicknamed after kitchen accessories and pickles, the metropolitan built environment is nothing if not eclectic.

Even so, there are some styles that just stand out. This includes not just the dominance of Regency and Georgian architecture in central and inner west London, but also many fine Victorian buildings.

This period of London’s history saw rapid growth, with the 19th century as a whole seeing the capital’s population rising from around one million to six million. London also became a better connected city in various ways, from the advent of the London Underground to the creation of an extensive sewerage system, which is only now being supplemented.   

For many visitors, the most notable aspect of this is some of the very famous buildings that emerged in that period.  Buckingham Palace was already a royal residence, but it was Queen Victoria who had it expanded and upgraded into the building we see today.

The monarch also formally opened the Italianate Royal Albert Hall in 1871, as well as laying the foundation stone for the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1899.

To these may be added many more great Victorian buildings across London:  The Pavilion at the Oval cricket ground, the adjacent railway stations at Kings Cross and St Pancras, the Natural History Museum and Tower Bridge, to name just some.

Yet amid all these were vast numbers of Victorian homes, built to house that booming 19th century population. Your own property may be one, featuring the distinctive Victorian coving that signifies the era. If it needs maintenance, our skilled staff are experts in making it good as new.

Of course, not every great London building from the Victorian era survives; the Crystal Palace burned down in 1936 and many homes and major buildings were destroyed or damaged during the Blitz. But with some skilled craftwork, you can make sure the distinctive Victorian features of your home survive for generations to come.

5 Projects to Help You Find a Home Buyer Fast

You’re almost ready to put your home on the market - but you’re worried that selling it will take longer than you’d like. Every seller wants to connect with the right buyer as quickly as possible, yet if your property doesn’t look appealing, it might sit on the market for months on end. To avoid this, you can invest in home improvement projects that will prove attractive for buyers. From restoring and updating plaster features on your property with Ovolo London to decluttering messy rooms, these tips will help you spruce up your home to accelerate your sale timeline!

Smart Sales Strategy

Before you even begin working on home improvement projects, you need to make sure that you’re moving forward with an effective sales strategy. For instance, in order to find the right listing agent, Which? recommends considering their quoted selling fees, whether or not they have sold homes like yours before, and their past selling timelines.

Your listing agent can help you value your home and suggest a competitive price - checking out what other homes in your area sold for will give you a good benchmark. You’ll also want to list your home at the right time. Reader’s Digest suggests putting your property on the market in the spring when homes generally sell relatively fast.

Declutter and Deep Clean

While you could technically list your home and start advertising it without decluttering or deep cleaning each room, it will make a better impression on buyers if your home is clean and tidy when they see it. Before scheduling open houses or private viewings, get rid of items you no longer need and find appropriate storage for items that you want to keep. Then, spend extra time deep cleaning your carpets, kitchen, and bathroom.

Decluttering your home will make it easier to stage every room. Arrange your decor in a way that draws attention to the best features of your home to entice buyers! This is a critical step in the selling process.

Remodel Your Bathroom

Want to start a more ambitious home improvement project? Remodel your bathroom with new fixtures to catch the eyes of buyers! You could consider adding radiant floor heating, a spacious vessel sink, a recessed shower cubby, additional storage space under the sink, and new fan vents.

Update Your Kitchen

Your future buyers will likely spend a lot of time in your home’s kitchen, so you want to make sure that they will be able to enjoy a full range of modern features while cooking and dining! Remodeling your kitchen can be an extensive project, but by selecting a few particular changes, you can keep your budget relatively low while upgrading the room. For instance, you can install energy-efficient appliances, new countertops, or more storage spaces like new shelves or cabinets.

Focus on Curb Appeal

Finally, take a look at your home’s exterior and consider what your buyers will notice. Could it use a fresh coat of paint? Does your landscaping look unkempt? Do you have an outdoor dining space that needs a bit of sprucing up? If so, it’s time to focus on creating more curb appeal for your home! Improving your home’s curb appeal might mean painting the walls or front door, manicuring the lawn, tending to flower beds, or adding new light fixtures.

If you’re concerned that your home won’t sell quickly enough, you can take steps to make it look like a better choice for potential buyers. Focus on home improvement projects that will improve the aesthetic and overall value of your home. By updating certain rooms and your home’s exterior, you’ll receive an offer from a great buyer before you know it!

Do you need to restore plaster fixtures in your home before selling? Ovolo London specializes in restoring decorative plaster moldings! Send a message to learn more about our services.

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Croydon’s Overlooked Architecture

When it comes to London architecture, Croydon tends not to get a lot of attention. Fans of Regency architecture will naturally focus their attention on the stucco plaster walls of the mansions and terraces of inner west London, while the capital’s most famous buildings are mostly in the centre.

Indeed, it could be perceived that Croydon has not had a particularly notable building since the Crystal Palace, which burned down in 1936, although of course the football club that played in its grounds and now resides at Selhurst Park is a member of the Premier League.

However, for a town that was not technically part of London until 1965, Croydon does have some remarkable and varied architecture, and among its buildings are many fine homes with plaster features, which is why we provide cornice work in Croydon.

There are nine Grade II* listed buildings in the borough, including the red brick Wrencote Building, Airport House, Addington Palace (the Royal School of Church Music) and five churches. The Croydon War Memorial is also listed.

In addition, there are 166 Grade II listed buildings, with the greatest concentration of these being 39 in the Fairfield Ward.

Other notable older buildings include the Victorian Clock Tower and museum complex, another Victorian red brick structure.

Perhaps not surprisingly for a town that has grown in prominence as London’s outer suburbs have become more populated, the architecture has become more mixed as various 20th century styles have also made their mark.

While that may be true of most suburbs in London, a difference is the prominence of the town centre and its use of high-rise buildings. Just as the city and docklands have seen major surges in skyscraper construction, so Croydon has increasingly built upwards in a way other south London suburbs have not.

Indeed, when the One Landsdown tower is completed, it will be the fourth tallest in Britain at 228 metres (748 metres).

However, for all its eclectic architecture, Croydon remains a place where many can feel proud of their stylish homes. With the right maintenance work, they can go on feeling that way.

Takeaway Owner Fined For Illegally Modifying Listed Building

A takeaway owner was fined over £1300 for installing security shutters, lit-up signs and a projector onto the front of a listed building in Bassetlaw, igniting the debate about how best to handle listed building restoration and protect Britain’s architectural heritage.

Davod Mazidi pled guilty to modifying number 10 Bridgegate, a Grade II listed building in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire. As a result, he was forced to pay £64 for failing to comply with the notice, along with a £34 victim surcharge, as well as £1,275.44 in legal fees.

The problems began for Mr Mazidi when he was contacted by Bassetlaw planning authorities on 13th May 2019. He had installed a projecting sign, an illuminating fascia and security shutters to the front of the listed building he had planned to turn into a takeaway.

They warned him that the building was listed and that the installations he had made were done without the necessary consent from the local planning authority, Historic England and other local heritage groups as required.

This is a legal requirement and if consent is not sought out it can be a criminal offence. Mr Mazidi was then issued with an enforcement notice that required him to restore the listed building’s features by 1st November of that year.

This meant that he would have to remove the shutters, new sign and new fascia, replace the original timber board and repaint the shop front.

After two further inspections on 13th May 2020 and 12th August 2020, Mr Mazidi had still yet failed to comply with the listed building consent notice and was charged for a breach of the Planning Act 1990.

As of the final hearing date, the remedial works required had still not been completed and failed to meet the standard required in the enforcement notice.

Whilst in some cases listed buildings can be altered with consent if there is an urgent health or safety need, this was not the case here.

Former Bank Building Set For Major Restoration

A former city centre bank in Newcastle-upon-Tyne is set to gain a new lease of life as a leisure and residential scheme.

The Grade-II listed former Allied Irish Bank Building on Collingwood Street was built in the early 1890s for a private bank and was later used by Allied Irish Bank as its headquarters in the city, but its upper floors have been empty since the 1990s and the bank vacated the rest of the building in 2013, the Chronicle and Journal reports. 

However, Portland Real Estate Group has unveiled multimillion pound plans for a transformation of the premises. This would involve turning the ground floor into a bar and restaurant complex, while 12 new apartments will be developed on the higher floors. The third floor will also be extended and there will be new pace for an on-site gym, concierge and cycle storage.

If planning permission is granted, this listed building restoration project will finally bring back into use a building that has been earmarked for development for many years.

The same paper reported last week on plans for another Grade-II listed building in the area to be given a new purpose.

Victoria Hall in South Shields had been in use as a restaurant before it closed in 2019. Later that year a planning application was lodged to turn the upper floors into an aparthotel. Both this and a separate listed building consent application have now been granted, ending fears over the future of the 125-year-old building following a recent fire that damaged the roof.

The South Tyneside Council planners’ report said the redevelopment would “convey sensitive consideration of its surroundings and protect, preserve and enhance the historic character, heritage, visual appearance and contextual importance of the listed building.”

Overall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne has 811 listed buildings and South Tyneside has 195. While many are Victorian structures like the Allied Irish Bank building and Victoria Hall, others are associated with Hadrian’s Wall and the Roman occupation.

The Most Unusual Listed Buildings In The UK

Listed building status is about protecting the history, heritage and character of some of Britain’s most unique buildings, and as such people who own these buildings need to pay this heritage in mind when undertaking listed building restoration.

Whilst there is a certain vision of listed buildings as centuries-old manor houses and particularly iconic buildings, there are some buildings with a protected status that are more unusual, unique and in some cases controversial.

Here are some of the most unusual listed buildings in the UK.

Preston Bus Station

Arguably the most controversial listed building in the history of English Heritage, this Grade II listed large, swooping brutalist celebration of concrete is seen as either a fascinating part of a unique city or a complete eyesore. These two opinions were often for the same reasons.

What makes the story of Preston Bus Station so special is that it had repeatedly been scheduled for demolition by Preston Borough (and later City) Council, but thanks to local campaigns to save it eventually was awarded listed status in 2013.

The Red Hill Esso Canopies

From brutalism to space-age modernism, a petrol station in Leicestershire was filled with fascinating touches that evoked a bygone, forward-thinking age, with the iconic circular canopies having been designed by famed architect Elliot Noyes.

Saltdean Lido

One of the most innovative examples of both an outdoor swimming pool and an art deco building in general in the UK, the Saltdean Lido had a long process of restoration and eventual reopening.

It was originally set to become another Butlins site until local complaints stopped the plan, and first reopened in 1998 after then Sports Minister Tony Banks helped to organise private and public sector investment.

It is also a rare case of a listed building’s status increasing from Grade II to Grade II* in 2011, and after a community interest group took ownership of the building it finally reopened for good in 2017.

Dorset Grade I Listed Building To Become Arts Centre

The future of a historic Grade I listed building has been secured as an application to turn the 18th-century manor house into an arts hub for the region has been approved.

Sherborne House, based in Newland in Dorset, has awaited approval to start work for over eight months on converting the grounds into a multi-use arts and cultural centre, with function, events, exhibition and office space, as well as an on-site restaurant.

Its approval allows for the Grade I building, part of Historic England’s at-risk list, to finally receive a listed building restoration and repair that can bring the site back to its former glory.

Sherborne House was last used in 1992 as Lord Digby’s School for Girls, but after they moved out the building lay empty and becoming increasingly derelict.

It was the subject of the BBC series Restoration in 2004 where it reached the finals but ultimately was unsuccessful in its attempt at getting the £3m Heritage Lottery Grant.

After this, the situation became increasingly dire, as the murals painted by Sir James Thornhill were suffering from water damage as a result of roofing problems.

The first sign of a way out for the house came when the first plans to turn Sherborne House into an arts centre were announced in 2011, and a year later restoration work was carried out on Thornhill’s mural.

It took until 2018 for the property to be bought by Sherborne House Trust, which operated under the sole aim to convert the property into an arts centre and allow public access to the historic mural as well as establishing a new cultural tradition in Dorset.