House with garaging for 12 cars anyone?

[c4sman]

Found a Georgian mansion that needs restoring and decided if you have the opportunity to live in a house like that you should grab it. If it doesn't happy I will not be exactly upset to stay where I am.

New house has enough land making building a replacement garage easy and I would be able to have all the cars on one level too.

Sounds amazing. I knew it must be something special to make you walk away from this one. Best of luck and hope it all goes well!

 

[Team GCR]

I almost did this about 10 years ago. The house had 27 rooms and wasn't listed, so renovations were viable. We were full steam ahead to buy it when a developer stepped in with a cash offer (deceased estate) and it was gone. It was a magnificent house, the sort most can only dream of owning. I'm really glad in hindsight that we didn't as renovation and running costs would have likely been crippling!

This one has the advantage of being large but not so large it will be unmanageable. It is also unlisted although the former stables which have now been converted into a house is Grade II listed.

It is not in that bad a state, it needs a few repairs but nothing major. It is mostly dealing with tired decor and 80's decor that detracts from the features such as the original fireplaces. Biggest jobs will be putting in ensuite bathrooms to some of the rooms on the first floor, moving the stairs to the second floor to a more sensible place (someone has just cut a whole in the ceiling and put some stairs at one end of the hallway!) and refitting the second floor which until recently was sealed off and hasn't been used since the 1930's.

One of the first jobs will of course be to build a barn/garage!

Luckily it is the sort of house that can earn an income, high end holiday lets in the grounds, there is an Octagonal Folly and Cart House both ripe for conversion for example. It also has woodland some of which shares the same view as the main house whilst still being private where I will put things like this.

http://www.fernhills.co.uk/le-grande-roulotte.html

Anyway I have to sell my house first so it still may not happen but time will tell and if it is meant to be I am sure it will!

 

[Ewan]

Beware of "unlisted" Georgian mansions! If it's any good (even in a poor state), why is it not listed? I only mention this as when we bought ours (also a Georgian country house requiring refurbishment) it was, apparently, unlisted. The owners said it was unlisted. The estate agents said it was unlisted. My solicitors said it was unlisted. But I still didn't believe them so went to the Council myself to check in person. They assured me it was unlisted. So I proceeded to buy it, safe in the knowledge we could do the work it required.

In went the planning application, and back came the refusal. The reason? "It's Listed".

Off to the lawyers I went, and after a bit if argy-bargy with the insurance company acting for the Council (who admitted it was their fault for not having their Listed Building register up to date and accurate) I accepted an out-of-court settlement payment. But of course, I still couldn't do some of the work I originally planned. That said, it's a nice house and 9 years on we're still pleased we bought it.

Just thought it worth mentioning!

 

[Team GCR]

Beware of "unlisted" Georgian mansions! If it's any good (even in a poor state), why is it not listed? I only mention this as when we bought ours (also a Georgian country house requiring refurbishment) it was, apparently, unlisted. The owners said it was unlisted. The estate agents said it was unlisted. My solicitors said it was unlisted. But I still didn't believe them so went to the Council myself to check in person. They assured me it was unlisted. So I proceeded to buy it, safe in the knowledge we could do the work it required.

In went the planning application, and back came the refusal. The reason? "It's Listed".

Off to the lawyers I went, and after a bit if argy-bargy with the insurance company acting for the Council (who admitted it was their fault for not having their Listed Building register up to date and accurate) I accepted an out-of-court settlement payment. But of course, I still couldn't do some of the work I originally planned. That said, it's a nice house and 9 years on we're still pleased we bought it.

Just thought it worth mentioning!

Noted and appreciated Ewan.

I will just have to make sure like yourself I am protected if all the 'professionals' are wrong.

From what I can make out because this house is on the list as one of the 'Lost Houses of Wales' because it was by Victorian times 5 times bigger and then much of it was demolished it appears to be why it isn't listed.

As you say though I am sure should that happen I would still be pleased if I end up buying it. I think it will also help that some of the things I would do would take away recent bodges and others would reinstate some features the house used to have.

Having said that there is no accounting for planners!