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Buying a House in London

The vast majority (over 80 per cent) of people in the UK live in houses rather than flats, although these are obviously less common (and more expensive) the nearer you get to Central London. Houses include any dwellings other than flats (apartments) and include detached and semi-detached houses, bungalows and terraced houses – in fact any building with its own plot of land. Most property in the UK is owned freehold where the owner acquires complete legal ownership of the property and land and his rights over it, which can be modified only by the law or specific conditions in the contract of sale. However, this doesn’t include most flats, which are usually ‘owned’ under a system called leasehold. Houses are generally better value than flats and may also be a better investment. If you decide to buy a house, your first decision will be whether to buy a new or an old house.

New Houses

The quality of new buildings in the UK is strictly regulated and they must conform to stringent building regulations and energy efficiency standards. However, the quality of new houses is extremely variable and some developments in London suffer from poor quality and tiny proportions, being mostly built for the investment (letting) market and not suitable for owner-occupiers. In 2005, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) reckoned that less than 20 per cent of new housing qualified as ‘good’, the rest being poor or average.

New houses may contain a high level of ‘luxury’ features, depending on individual developments and (of course) the price. You can also have a range of ‘custom’ extras included at additional cost. An added advantage is that the cost of extras can be included in your mortgage, although it’s important to check that they provide good value (many developers overcharge on extras, which is a common cause of complaints). The cost of land is usually included when buying a detached house on its own plot, unless you sign separate contracts for the land and the house.

Most new homes are made of brick but some employ steel-framed panels, a fairly recent introduction to the UK. Frames are pre-fabricated with foam insulation board ready for bolting together, which increases fuel efficiency and sound insulation. Although rare, stone (usually from a local source) is again in vogue as a building material for new homes. In some areas, new homes must be styled to blend in with existing homes and many builders offer a variety of ‘mock’ period styles, possibly using recycled materials (e.g. bricks, tiles, oak timber beams, fireplaces, doors, etc.) from old properties, thus offering the best of both worlds for those who cannot decide between a period home and a maintenance-free new home. Some developers even create new houses in the style of barn conversions to meet the demand. Homes with thatched roofs have always been popular and specialist builders offer thatched homes of almost any size – at a price.

Warranty: Most new properties are covered by the National House Building Council’s (NHBC 0845-845 6422, www.nhbc.co.uk) Buildmark ten-year warranty or the Zurich Municipal Building Guarantee (01252-522000). Most lenders refuse to lend against a new house without a warranty. The NHBC warranty covers the owner for claims of up to £10,000 against the builder’s failure to complete the house, for the loss of a deposit (up to 10 per cent of the agreed price) or any expenses incurred in completing building work.
Information: Home and property magazines contain a wealth of information about new homes, including a list of new developments throughout Greater London, plus numerous advertisements from builders and developers. Daily newspapers are a good source of information, particularly the quality Saturday and Sunday newspapers such as The Times and The Telegraph (Saturday editions) and The Sunday Times and The Sunday Telegraph. You can also search for a new home on the internet via numerous websites including New Homes (www.new-homes.co.uk), Smart New Homes (www.smartnewhomes.co.uk) and Your New Home (www.yournewhome.co.uk).
Exhibitions: Many home and property exhibitions are held in London throughout the year, including the Daily Mail Ideal Home Show (www.idealhomeshow.co.uk) staged in March at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, the House & Garden Fair (www.houseandgardenfair.co.uk) held in June at the Olympia Exhibition Centre and the Homebuyer Show (www.homebuyer.co.uk) held in March at the ExCel Centre.

Old Houses

In the UK, the term ‘old houses’ generally refers to buildings that are pre-1940, while homes built before 1914 are generally referred to as ‘period homes’ and their age identified by reference to the monarch reigning at the time they were built, e.g. Georgian (1714-1830), William & Mary (1830-1837), Victorian (1837-1901) or Edwardian (1901-1910). In the case of Victorian properties, these are sometimes qualified as ‘early’, ‘mid-’ or ‘late Victorian’. If you want a property with abundant charm and character, a building for renovation or conversion, outbuildings or a large plot, you must usually buy an old property. When buying an old building you aren’t just buying a home, but a piece of history, part of the UK’s cultural heritage, and a unique building that represents the architects’ and artisans’ skills of a bygone age.

Old houses can provide better value than new houses, although you must check their quality and condition carefully. As with most things, you generally get what you pay for, so you shouldn’t expect a fully modernised property for a knock-down price. If a house needs extensive renovation or modernisation, it’s important to thoroughly investigate the costs, which are invariably higher than you imagined or planned. If you’re planning to buy a property that needs major renovation, have a full structural survey done and obtain an accurate estimate of the costs before buying it. While you may get more for your money when buying an old home, the downside is that they require more maintenance and upkeep than new homes, and heating costs can be high unless a property has good insulation.

Listed Buildings

Listed buildings are buildings of special architectural or historic interest, which are protected throughout the UK. Buildings can be listed because of their age, rarity, architectural merit or method of construction. Occasionally a building is listed because it has played a part in the life of a famous person or was the scene of an important event. An interesting group of buildings, such as a model village or a square, may also be listed.

WARNING
There are also conservation areas in many historic towns and cities, where there are strict rules governing new developments and the changes that can be made to existing houses.

The older a building is, the more likely it is to be listed. There are over half a million listed buildings in the UK – around 350,000 Grade I and II listed buildings in England and Wales, plus a further 175,000 in Scotland and Northern Ireland – most of which were built before 1840. They include all buildings built before 1700 that survive in anything like their original condition and most built between 1700 and 1840. After that date, the criteria become tighter with time, so that post-1945 buildings need to be exceptionally important to be listed.
In England and Wales, buildings are graded to show their relative architectural or historic interest as follows:

● Grade I – buildings of exceptional interest (only some 2 per cent of listed buildings are in this grade).
● Grade II* – particularly important buildings of more than special interest (some 4 per cent of listed buildings).
● Grade II – buildings of special interest warranting every effort to preserve them (over 90 per cent of listed buildings).

The task of identifying and protecting buildings in England and Wales is under the control of English Heritage (23 Saville Row, W1S 2ET, 020-7973 3000, www.english-heritage.org.uk).

Making Alterations to Listed Buildings

You must obtain listed planning consent to make alterations to a listed building and may also need planning permission. Obtain advice from the local planning department or English Heritage if you wish to make changes to a listed building. Any building work must also comply with building regulations – your local library should have a copy of the ‘Planning Policy Guidance. Note 15’, which contains (in annexe C) a detailed guide to what you can do to a listed building and the materials to use.

WARNING
With a listed building, you cannot even change the colour of your front door without permission.

No structural changes are permitted with Grade I (mostly churches and public buildings) and Grade II* (star) buildings (of outstanding interest but usually in a local context). Grade I and II* buildings may be eligible for English Heritage grants for urgent major repairs, although you’re unlikely to get any sort of grant for a Grade II listed building. Restoration costs are exempt from VAT when the work has been granted listed building consent, although it mustn’t consist of repairs or maintenance (which means that it’s more economical to replace something than repair it). Grants are also available from English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore derelict Grade I and Grade II* properties (or install indoor sanitation) and to repair items such as old iron railings or sash windows in conservation areas.

Bear in mind when restoring a listed building that costs can spiral dramatically (adapting or converting a listed building can add 25 per cent to your budget) and you will invariably face battles with English Heritage at every turn with a major restoration. It doesn’t matter if a listed building was trashed by the previous tenants/owners – YOU must do everything by the book if you wish to return a property to its former glory, irrespective of the cost. If a listed building is in a conservation area it must comply with the borough’s Unitary Development Plan (UDP).

WARNING
Make sure (as far as possible) that what you want to do with a property, such as extend it, will be permitted BEFORE buying it.

Organisations of interest to owners of listed building include the Listed Buildings Information Service (020-7208 8221, www.heritage.co.uk), the Listed Property Owners Club (01795-844939, www.lpoc.co.uk), Save Britain’s Heritage (020-7253 3500, www.savebritainsheritage.org), the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (020-7377 1644, www.spab.org.uk) the Georgian Group (020-7529 8920, www.georgiangroup.org.uk) and the Victorian Society (020-8994 1019, www.victorian-society.org).

Copyright © Survival Books Limited 2006

“Buying or Renting a Home in London” 1st Edition, David Hampshire and Sue Harris.
Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying or Renting a Home in London” 1st edition, by David Hampshire and Sue Harris.

For extensive, annually updated information about buying or renting a property in London, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net

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