Heritage Homes - what you need to know
Longing to live in a grand old Victorian, palatial Federation or an elegant art deco?
Heritage homes are very much sought after in Melbourne, but with their timeless beauty comes great responsibility and a bunch of restrictions.
Before I go down the rabbit hole of heritage homes and important things to ask before buying a heritage property, it is important to understand what “heritage” actually means.
Generally, heritage can be defined as anything that is, or will be, inherited. Heritage is anything that has been passed down from previous generations and is of importance to the history of a particular group of people, community, state, country or the whole world. By anything, I mean that this can include buildings, places, valued objects, natural environments, qualities, languages and/or cultural traditions.
The main takeaway from this is that heritage is not just old buildings!
I’ll only focus on homes because this is your area of interest and hence why you are here.
Homes can be formally recognised to be of heritage significance if they provide evidence of a particular aspect of our history, that is, they help tell the story of how things used to be and why they are how they are now.
In Victoria there are two types of heritage protection.
Local councils are responsible for local heritage within their municipality, and the Victorian State Government (Heritage Victoria and The Heritage Council of Victoria) are responsible for state heritage.
A heritage listing refers to a home that is considered to have historic significance by the State and protected by the Victorian Heritage Act 2017. These ‘heritage-listed’ homes are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register here. A permit must be sought from Heritage Victoria, or a permit exemption, before carrying out any work inside or out.
A Heritage Overlay is part of a local planning scheme administered by the local council giving heritage protection to properties considered historically significant. Homes covered by a heritage overlay need a planning permit approved by Council for any changes visible from the street such as construction, relocation or demolition of buildings (including garages, stables, original outhouse toilets), external alterations and external painting. Usually permits are not required for general repairs and maintenance or repainting using the same colours.
We provide this information with all our listings, or alternatively we can provide you with this information for any other property you may be interested in, please call 0406 028 000 or email concierge@schickerling.com.au.
A heritage overlay generally controls only modifications to external works to a building, however, in some circumstances a permit may be needed for internal changes too. External routine repairs and maintenance is generally permitted, but anything that can change the homes appearance such as a different paint scheme or the use of different colours will need a permit to ensure the works don’t impact the streetscape.
You need to be mindful that you may also need a permit to demolish or alter a pergola or carport, adding a water tank or installing a fence.
Local Councils are helpful and I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to liaise with Council and ensure you get the necessary permits before carrying out any works to a heritage property. If you are found to be in breach of local heritage rules, Council has the power to issue a ‘stop work’ order, issue an infringement and even escalate a breach to the courts. Fines for failing to comply with heritage rules can incur fines of up to $193,000.
Yes! Like any commodity in life, scarcity of an asset is a major values influencer. With Melbourne’s growing population and housing development explosion, there are now fewer than ever period homes available. Even though a heritage home does need extra care and attention, and sometimes extra costs, feature rich properties with historic character are much sought after and attract a premium price.
