Welding, Thatch and Insurance

[malcolm]

I've been house hunting and have found that thatched houses sell for a whole lot less than normal houses of similar size and location. I have my eye on one. It's really nice and has outbuildings.

Does anyone live in a thatched house? Are there any problems for the insurance doing welding in a detached outbuilding? Phoned NFU and they thought welding would be OK but they weren't sure. Open flame downstairs in the house is OK but bonfires outside are not OK. It's an old blacksmith and has a forge but I guess insurance wouldn't like me to use it and planning wouldn't let me knock it down to make useful space.

Also it's grade 2 listed which makes it a pain to put up more outbuildings to keep Renaults in. Anyone been through the hassle? Planning to chat with the conservation officer next week.

 

[tigler]

No direct experience as in I haven't lived in one myself but a mate did. His house insurance was breathtaking ! That was before some head case threw a match on the roof when walking past it one evening and the whole lot went up ! He wasn't in at the time and before anyone noticed the fire had got hold. Then there is repair and maintenance, very expensive. Listed too, more hassle, you will have to jump through hoops to do anything as I found out recently when I wanted to build a garage on my grade 2 listed property.
Lets put it this way, I will not be moving into another listed property !

 

[malcolm]

Friend with thatch reckoned his insurance was about £100/month. Not the end of the world. Listing worries me though. Did you get your garage built?

 

[mike os]

make sure you can live with listed building status, it can be a total nightmare. If you are not happy with the way the property is now think hard, then think hard again. Changing it may or may not happen and it is pretty much not your decision to make.

Generally once the building is listed, effectively the whole property is listed, it can mean you need listed building consent to change the colour of the garage door, even when it is a 70's precast job, wall colour, windows, drive finish, choice of gates, security lights.... you name it they can make an issue of it if they choose. Then expect to pay 50-100% more for any repairs alterations etc, because it has to be done to conservation standards. Do it without consent and they will make you put it back as it was irregardless of the cost.

Then again you may get the other extreme.... or maybe its just that the local conservation officer knows me now... where you just tell them what you want to do & they let you do it with just a letter.... but that is pretty rare these days

 

[Engineer1964]

Malcolm, There is a specialist insurer Called Thatchline who only insure thatched houses and thats all they do, if anyone can answer your questions mate its got to be them, you can even get a quote online and it may ask you about any "Hot Work" that you might do

heres the Link mate, Hope it helps http://www.thatchline.com/

Gerry

 

[tigler]

. Listing worries me though. Did you get your garage built?

In the end no. I went as far as outline plans but when the architect contacted the conservation officer to get a feel for their reaction it was quite negative. The council planning officer seemed quite happy though ! Problem is, I would have had to submit plans to actually find out if the conservation office would dispute planning permission, so potentially lose the application fee and architects charges.
Pity, it was going to be a 6 car garage with space for a 2 post lift !

 

[malcolm]

That's a pain. The outbuildings at this house should be enough but I'd need to open up the insides of one of them to make a workshop capable of taking a lift. I'm planning to give the conservation officer a call when he gets back from holiday. Good to know that's how it works - I've read hints but nothing solid.

Very few houses around here with any land to build a workshop. If any have land they just build more houses on it.

 

[mike os]

if it is internal, and not in the actual listed building, and is not a material change of use, and does not detract from the historic nature of the property you should not really have too many problems, but again a quick & informal chat is often easiest.

I know wxactly where you are coming from tigler.... I had to do an outbuilding for someone recently...about 4.5x3.5m, by the time conservation were happy they were looking at near enough 20k, should have been about 8k

 

[Chipper]

Being listed here is a massive PITA. It will depend on your local people to a largish extent IME, but for instance it took us a year to get perms for a basic garden shed.. comical dealings with one individual.
Made us pay £500 in surveys for a £3 roof bracket I could've put up myself. We dread dealing with our lot.

Cheaper insurance can be had via a listed building soc or some such.

There's a lot to be said for having a 300yr old house but such a pain with repairs, let alone mods. Only reason we bought it is 3x garage/wkshops, won't go listed again if we ever move though.