Pre-purchase Heritage Service
Buying a listed or historic property is an exciting opportunity, but its heritage status may influence how it can be altered, extended, repaired or used.
Our Pre-Purchase Service gives you access to experienced professional advice at the right point in your purchase. We help you understand the property’s heritage significance, explore the potential for your plans and identify matters that may require closer investigation. Delivered in three steps, this allows you to begin before making a formal offer and only proceed with the site visit and written report if your purchase progresses.
Clear, proactive advice supporting your purchase
A clear three step process
Step 1 - Online Heritage Appraisal
Start with an online meeting before making an offer or while your purchase is still at an early stage.
Before the meeting, we will undertake an initial review of the readily available information about the property. This may include the estate agent’s particulars, statutory list entry, relevant planning history, and any photographs or documents you provide.
£475 including VAT
During the consultation, an experienced heritage consultant will:
Discuss the property and your aims for the purchase.
Explore any alterations, extensions or other changes you may be considering.
Explain the apparent heritage considerations.
Identify potential opportunities and areas of concern.
Recommend questions to raise with the seller or your other professional advisers.
Help you decide whether further investigation is necessary.
This provides valuable initial guidance without committing you to the later stages of the service before you know whether your offer will be accepted.
Step 2 — Heritage Site Visit
£695 including VAT | In-person site consultation
If your offer has been accepted and you decide to proceed, one of our heritage consultants will visit the property.
Seeing the property first-hand allows us to develop a clearer understanding of its character, apparent significance and setting. We will focus the visit on the matters discussed during your online appraisal, together with any new questions that have arisen.
The visit will include:
A review of the accessible areas relevant to the heritage assessment.
Discussion of your ideas and proposals for the property.
Identification of features that appear to contribute to its significance.
Consideration of apparent opportunities and constraints.
Site notes and photographs to inform the written report.
Identification of matters that may require advice from another specialist.
Step 3 — Pre-Purchase Heritage Report
Starting from £1,500 including VAT
If you require a written report following the site visit, we will bring together our research, site observations and professional opinion in a proportionate Pre-Purchase Heritage Report.
The report will provide:
An overview of the property’s heritage context.
Our assessment of its apparent heritage significance.
The principal heritage considerations identified.
Consideration of the changes you may wish to make.
Apparent opportunities and potential constraints.
Matters that may warrant further investigation.
Recommended next steps before or after completing the purchase.
The report will help you make a better-informed decision about the property and plan any future professional advice, applications or investigations.
The final fee will reflect the property’s size, complexity and the extent of research required. We will confirm the cost before you instruct this stage.
Our review provides proportionate heritage advice based on the information available and the areas that can be accessed safely during the visit.
It is not a building survey, structural inspection, valuation, legal title review or assessment of the building’s condition. We do not inspect concealed or inaccessible areas or assess defects, structural integrity or building services.
We also cannot always confirm that previous works were authorised or guarantee that listed building consent, planning permission or any other approval will be granted. Where legal, structural, architectural, planning or other specialist advice may be required, we will identify this and recommend that you consult the appropriate professional.