Renovating Heritage Houses

Many people who love all things old dream of someday finding a vintage home to restore or possibly renovate.  To the uneducated, preserving historical housing stock, perhaps with some modern improvements, seems like a worthy endeavor.  The educated know the difference between an old house and a heritage house; as well as the difference between renovation and restoration.

Australia as a country is dedicated to preserving its natural heritage, and many significant homes end up listed on the National Register of Heritage Houses.  Once there, rules apply as to what can be done to the house and what can’t.  Restoration projects generally involve restoring a home as closely as possible to its original condition.  On the other hand, renovation projects involve improvements to the home that frequently result in major changes to its existing condition.

If you have the time, the patience, and the money to renovate an Australian Heritage House, you need to educate yourself before you even consider buying such a property.  For starters, check the government’s Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts web site.

There you’ll first learn that it is not the government’s intent to “freeze a heritage house in time”.  However, changes need to be evaluated against the EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation) Act of 1999 to determine whether or not the proposed changes in away alter the heritage value of the property.  In almost all cases this involves drafting a Management Plan.  There are guidelines to be followed in developing such a plan, but the purpose is to specify proposed changes to the property and their impact on its heritage value.  The web site provides some information on what such a plan should contain.

As an example, if you have bought a National Heritage property you would like to convert to a Bed and Breakfast Inn, you might be interested in adding bathrooms throughout the structure.  The Management Plan might show how this could be done without radically altering the character of the structure.

If the property owner or the developer of the plan wants to make a change about which they are unsure, or one which definitely would alter the character somewhat, they must make a referral to the Federal Environment Minister for approval.

According to the government you can change or even completely remove items within a listed property if the items do not embody the heritage values of the property.  Obviously, the key is defining heritage values and that is not something the average homeowner restorer/renovator would want to undertake alone.  If renovating a heritage home has been a lifelong dream of yours, there is no reason at all not to pursue it but the advice and support of someone from a recognized local historical society would be invaluable.

The intent of federal regulations regarding heritage property is sound.  It is likely that at some point in your life you have seen a vintage home, lacking the protection of a National Heritage Listing that has been restored in a way that is completely out of character with its original design.  A heritage listing prevents that, with guidelines designed to allow vintage properties to be restored to their original condition where possible; and renovated where new improvements are needed as long as they don’t radically alter the character of the property.  Don’t be afraid to follow your dream.  Learn the guidelines, get plenty of advice and support, and go for it.