Heritage Renovation Experts: Do you need them?

Even the most hands-on renovator will need to engage professionals to achieve a manageable and successful project.

Just how much assistance you require will depend on the complexity of the renovation works needed, your own level of competence and how enthusiastic you are about getting stuck in. On a heritage home, there will inevitably be some elements that simply must be undertaken by a skilled professional.

There are broadly three categories of specialist you’re likely to engage at some point during this kind of renovation project:

• Expert advisers for assessment, design, specification and gaining the necessary consents.
• Specialist craftspeople to carry out any work requiring particular heritage materials or techniques.
• Skilled trades to undertake general building work and conventional installations (such as plumbing).

In this article, I’m looking in depth at who you might need to bring in for your period scheme, and how best to work with them effectively.

Expert advisers

Heritage buildings perform differently to modern buildings. This is largely a result of the materials and techniques that were used to construct them.

It is essential to understand these characteristics before embarking on any extensive work. Failure to do so can result in very serious, long-term damage to the building.

With that in mind, your first port of call when embarking on a project should be a properly qualified expert, who understands how old buildings work. This might be a specialist consultant, capable of acting as lead advisor for the project – providing guidance and a sounding board as you find your way.

Preserving fine plasterwork is one of those jobs where you’ll definitely need a skilled craftsperson

If there is a significant design component to what you want to achieve, an accredited conservation architect who can fulfil the roles of both designer and consultant might suit you best.

Alongside, you may need to engage a range of other advisers, such as a building surveyor, quantity surveyor (who can help establish costings), structural engineer, project manager or planning consultant. Successful heritage renovations often involve multidisciplinary teams, with input from some or all of these experts.

The lead consultant will be able to assist in building your team, and will usually coordinate these parties on your behalf. Be sure you’re personally happy with each member of the team before they’re brought on board. With a major project, personal chemistry and a shared vision of what you want to achieve are just as important as expertise and experience.

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