City, town and village houses
The allure of a house in England lies in its ability to blend centuries of architectural heritage with the comfort of modern living. City houses were historically multi-storey homes for nobility and gentry to reside in, and today they continue to have the allure of traditional period features, including high ceilings, open fireplaces, and timber sash windows. In addition, they often form part of a private community or gated neighbourhood.
Be it detached or semi-detached, town and village homes are an ideal compromise between a city and country home, homes with a garden are usually located on the periphery of central London and in touching distance of the English countryside.
Most houses are freehold, occasionally if on development, a house will be leasehold with additional facilities.
Thinking of purchasing a city, town or village house?
Here are the quirks to be aware of:
Personal space
A clear difference between owning a house versus a flat or apartment is personal space. With houses, you have exclusive use of your outdoor space as well as a private entrance. With that additional space, comes further benefit. Increased land footage increases your chances of approved planning permission on renovations such as extensions because you are less likely to impact on your neighbours’ rights and amenity.
However, it is important to remember that space in the capital is a premium, for this reason most houses often have limited garden space and limited development potential. However, for the lucky few, many of London’s beautiful townhouses often have access to their own garden square (though it must be cautioned, just because your house is adjacent to a garden square, does not mean you have permission to enjoy it).
Development opportunity
Subject to planning permission, there is far greater development opportunity potential when owning a house (for example, if you wanted to build your own home gym). This is because owning the freehold warrants greater control to make alterations to your property.
It should be caveated that some freehold properties have alteration limitations imposed if they are part of an estate. Estate Management Schemes can limit some of your rights to make alterations to your property because the landlord has retained some management control. Restrictive Covenants may also be in place affecting your property title.
Underpavement vaults
Often period houses and basement flats may come with underpavement vaults. These could be incorporated into the property or be accessed externally. Land Registry plans often overlook these areas, and are therefore often excluded from your freehold title (i.e. the property/land you own). This can easily be addressed in a number of ways.
Heritage and preservation
With rich history comes considerations around heritage and preservation. Historic England currently names over 400,000 properties on ‘The List’. Listed buildings have additional protection within the planning system.
Section 106 agreements
A buyer should also be aware of the impact of Section 106 agreements. Obligations under s106 often include financial contributions towards local amenities (e.g. schools or recreational areas), or the provision of affordable housing or other services. It is also common for restrictions to be imposed on parking (whether within the development or on the street)– in order to limit the traffic impact of the new development.
Pedestrian and vehicular access
It is always important to check the pedestrian and vehicular access to a property prior to purchase. Some properties can only be accessed via privately owned roads that have not been adopted by the local authority, particularly on estates or in suburban areas. Such roads might belong to a private landowner or to a trust or company owner by local residents. It is crucial to know that you have the necessary legal rights of way over the roads and who is responsible for their maintenance, and what costs, which can be substantial, attach to the property. There may also be public footpaths or private rights of way passing through or alongside a property or other rights, such as the right to connect to services or to lay and maintain pipes and cable across the property.
Environmental considerations
There are also environmental considerations at play. Prior to purchase it is worth checking if your property falls in an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) or a National Park. Properties located in AONBs and National Parks carry their own set of limitations in particular around further development such as extensions and conversion of out buildings.
Protected species
If your property is located close to a nature reserve (such as a Special Protection Area or a Site of Special Scientific Interest), the local authority may impose requirements and obligations on you to ensure the protection of any protected species some common examples are bats, newts, badgers, dormice, and hedgehogs.
Conservation areas
If the property is in a conservation area it means that the local authority has designated the area as one of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. This will mean you need to obtain planning permission for certain changes to buildings which would otherwise be freely permitted.
SDLT
If you are trading up and haven’t managed yet to sell your main smaller town apartment by the time you buy this second property, you will be liable to pay SDLT at the higher rates for additional dwellings (HRAD). This adds 5% to each rate, so that the top rate of 12% becomes a top rate of 17% (19% with NRSDLT). If you subsequently sell your apartment, you may be able to claim back that 5% surcharge.
Derelict properties
But you may be able to pay considerably less if either the property is totally derelict, or there is genuine commercial use of some or all of the premises and in which case commercial rates of SDLT at a top rate of 5% may apply.
Remediation works
If the property is derelict and has been so for at least 2 years, it may be possible for your contractors to charge 5% VAT on some of the remediation works.
Download our full report to learn more or contact our team today to help you navigate your own home buying journey.
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Poornima Andrews
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Lucy Barber
Partner, Head of Residential Property
Robert Barham
Partner, Residential Property
Ben Barrison
Partner, Head of Real Estate Disputes
Jayne Beardmore
Senior Associate, Rural Land and Business
Henry Cecil
Partner, Head of Rural Land and Business
Lanna Chen
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Victoria Du Croz
Partner, Head of Planning
Penny Elliot
Consultant, Rural Land and Business
Christopher Findley
Consultant, Rural Land and Business
Justin Fuller
Property Lawyer, Rural Land and Business
Georgina Haddon
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Tracy Hon
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Freddie Hunter
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Anna Jassani
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Selina Karki
Paralegal, Rural Land and Business
Tatiana Kinsky
Associate, Rural Land and Business
Bryan Lai
Paralegal, Residential Property
Andrew Lane
Partner, Rural Land and Business
Lizzie Letley
Associate, Rural Land and Business
Shelley Lloyd
Associate, Residential Property
Helen Marsh
Partner, Residential Property
Anna Maude
Paralegal, Residential Property
Charles Miéville
Partner, Residential Property
Polly Montoneri
Partner, Rural Land and Business
Andrew Parker
Partner, Head of Construction Disputes
Bhavleen Puri
Paralegal, Residential Property
Lily Robertson
Chartered Legal Executive, Residential Property
Charlotte Ross
Senior Knowledge Development Lawyer, Real Estate and Construction Disputes
Victoria Salter-Galbraith
Counsel, Rural Land and Business
Gethen Sasanow
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Adam Saunby
Senior Associate, Rural Land and Business
Jessica Scarlett
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Ruth Thi
Paralegal, Residential Property
Cecelia Thornhill
Paralegal, Residential Property
Will Tidy
Associate, Rural Land and Business
Samantha Tomczyk
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Harvey Tomes
Associate, Rural Land and Business
Adam Whitfield-Jones
Senior Associate, Residential Property
Caroline Wild
Senior Associate, Real Estate Disputes
Jayne Woodland
Licensed Conveyancer, Rural Land and Business