Insurance News Archive

Listed buildings 'may be good investment'

Listed buildings can have numerous advantages for those looking to invest in property, one expert has claimed.

According to property consultancy Lane Fox, Grade I and II listed homes have proved beneficial to buyers for a number of reasons including potential tax breaks for maintenance of the building.

Spokesman for the firm Simon French said of the potential investment: "From my own personal point of view, I would take one on because you're not likely to get a building like that anywhere else.

"And you're buying it for the character. For some people it's the kudos of owning a listed building, but you have to take on board that in doing so you are opening up a lot of different issues."

He added that savvy investors will bear in mind that listed buildings often have more costs involved than normal one and that buyers should allow a little bit more money for working on the property than for a non-listed home.

There are currently around 370,000 protected buildings in the UK, according to English Heritage, over 90 per cent of which are Grade II.

21 Mar 2007