It can be tempting to buy a listed property. There are thousands of listed homes across the UK, all preserved because of their historical, cultural or architectural value and they are mostly beautiful properties with features you won't find elsewhere. Along with the joy of living in a unique building, however, comes the responsibility of its upkeep – which can run into tens of thousands of pounds.

How to maintain a listed building

There are three grades of listed building:

• Grade 1 buildings
• Grade II* buildings
• Grade II buildings

Most homes are either Grade II or Grade II* buildings, granted listing status because of their particular special interest. In most cases, any repairs or changes to the building are subject to planning consent and, in many areas, you need to use specialist tradesmen in order to ensure that the integrity of the building is maintained. The repairs that fall under planning consent are more wide-ranging than those for unlisted buildings, and include:

• Gates, walls and railings
• Roofs and chimneys
• Windows of all types
• Guttering and piping
• Cladding or brick covering
• Panelling and plasterwork
• Floor surfaces and decorative work
• Fireplaces

There may be other elements of repair or maintenance that require permission from your Local Authority, and you will also need their consent to make any additions to your home, from a straightforward security alarm to building additions.

It can be time-consuming and costly to keep up repairs on a listed building, and as the property owner, you are obliged to ensure that features are properly looked-after. If you are the owner of a listed property that is in a dilapidated condition, or you have let several maintenance problems slip by, you may find that it's too expensive for you to undertake the necessary repairs yourself.

In this case, a good option may be to consider selling your listed home. This immediately removes the burden of maintenance and repair from you, and allows you to sell to a company or property investor who has the money and the contacts to get the work done as soon as possible.

If you need help to get a fast sale for your listed property, contact us at Discount Property Auction. We're committed to helping you, whatever your circumstances. If you want to sell your home, you can use our dedicated online auction facility, which allows you to upload your property yourself and put it in front of genuine, interested buyers. Call us now on 0800 1313 999 or email admin@discountpropertyauction.co.uk to arrange a valuation today.