From draughty to comfortable: lessons from a listed home upgrade

Improving comfort and performance in a listed home can feel daunting. Planning rules, heritage concerns and uncertainty about what’s allowed often puts people off before they even start.

Jacki and Martin, who live in a Grade II-listed Georgian home in Plymouth, have been through the process and are sharing what they’ve learned along the way. From early conversations with conservation officers to installing solar panels and home charging for their electric vehicle, their home demonstrates how thoughtful upgrades can improve comfort while respecting the building’s heritage.

1. Start with a conversation

Before drawing up any plans, speak to your local planning and conservation officers. Early advice and guidance can save time, money and frustration, while often revealing more flexibility than people expect.

2. Listed status doesn’t mean you can’t make changes

From a heritage perspective, living in a listed home doesn’t mean everything has to stay the same. Understanding what’s important about the building makes it easier to make sensitive upgrades that improve comfort while respecting its character.

3. Think about comfort as well as efficiency

Reducing draughts, upgrading windows and improving heating controls can make a huge difference to how a home feels, especially in older buildings.

4. Modern renewable systems can work in historic settings

Modern systems like solar panels can work well in older buildings when they’re carefully designed, planned and discreetly sited. In this case, placing the solar canopy at the rear of the property meant it could generate power without affecting the historic streetscape.

5. Combine projects where you can

Joining up restoration work, upgrades and outdoor improvements into one proposal can lead to clearer planning outcomes and a more coherent result.

6. Local examples build local confidence

Seeing what’s already been approved and delivered locally can make a big difference. Sharing real experiences helps others understand what’s possible and feel more confident about taking the first step themselves.

Upgrading a listed home isn’t about changing everything, it’s about doing the right things in the right way. These tips are drawn from a real Plymouth project, read the full case study to explore the details behind each one.