4.9/5 from 130+ combined reviews across Google and Edinburgh Trusted TraderEdinburgh Trusted TraderWritten quote before work starts12-month workmanship warrantyOne project lead throughoutWhat a Home Report does not tell you about a property in Linlithgow
- Edinburgh Trusted Trader4.9 stars, 114 reviews
- VAT registeredGB 400 5543 44
- 15 minutes from LinlithgowEdinburgh base, regular local presence
Every buyer of a property in Scotland already receives a Home Report before they make an offer. It tells you whether the roof slates need attention, whether the windows are rated category 2, and whether the heating system is ageing. What it does not tell you is whether you can carry out the renovation you have in mind, or whether the specific planning constraints that govern this town will quietly prevent it.
Linlithgow is the most constraint-dense location in the Sweet Homes service area, and that is not a casual observation. Three overlapping planning policies create a combination that exists nowhere else in the set, and none of them appears in a Home Report.
The first is the Palace setting policy. Local Development Plan Policy ENV 25 states that there is a presumption against development that would have an adverse effect on the amenity, outlook, character, or setting of Linlithgow Palace and its Peel. Developments within 800 metres of the Palace are assessed for their potential effects. Given the Palace’s position at the heart of the town, this 800-metre radius captures most of Linlithgow’s residential properties, including modern estate houses that buyers reasonably assume are subject to no particular constraint.
The second is listed building density. Within the Palace and High Street Conservation Area, virtually every property on the High Street is Category B or C listed. A buyer purchasing what appears to be a straightforward flat above a shop may find it sits within a listed building, where internal works affecting the building’s character require listed building consent alongside any planning permission needed for external changes.
The third is the riggs. The medieval burgage plots running south from the High Street are explicitly protected by LDP policy: development will not be permitted in the riggs off Linlithgow High Street. A buyer whose property backs onto rig land cannot extend into that space, regardless of how the rear garden looks from inside the house. This constraint is invisible from the street, invisible from the floor plan, and is not mentioned in any Home Report. It catches buyers more consistently than almost any other single planning rule in the Sweet Homes coverage area.
Why Linlithgow needs local knowledge, not generic survey
We know the Palace setting policy
The 800-metre radius is not a suggestion. It captures estate houses buyers assume are free of heritage constraint. We have tested extension proposals inside that zone with West Lothian Council and we know what does and does not carry through pre-application.
The riggs catch more buyers than anything else
From the front of the building, from the selling particulars, and from the Home Report, there is nothing to indicate rig-land status. Buyers discover it only when a planning application comes back refused. We identify rig boundaries before you make an offer.
Listed building density is real on the High Street
Over 150 separately listed entries within the Palace and High Street Conservation Area. Internal works affecting character need consent, not just external changes. We check the listing position before you commit.
15 minutes from Edinburgh, local experience
Linlithgow is the location in our service area where we have the deepest local knowledge and the most frequent presence. We know the High Street building stock, the conservation area constraints, and the riggs question from direct experience, not from reading the LDP.
What the Pre-Purchase Feasibility Check includes
A paid, structured assessment that gives you a written record before you commit.
60-minute site visit
Arranged around access availability. Before or after you make an offer, before is better. We walk the property, check the points a Home Report cannot cover, and note everything that affects the renovation you are planning.
Planning constraint assessment
Conservation area status, listed building implications, the 800-metre Palace setting policy, riggs prohibition where applicable, and Union Canal scheduled monument proximity. Everything that will govern what you can actually do to the property.
Realistic budget range
Based on current contractor and material costs. Where relevant, an assessment of the cost premium for heritage-standard materials and the additional requirements of working within a listed building or the Palace setting zone.
Written Feasibility Summary (PDF)
Delivered within 2 working days of the visit. Includes a Red, Amber, Green list of unknowns: Red means confirm before committing, Amber means sensible to confirm soon, Green means low-risk items to monitor or plan later.
Fee offset against project
If you proceed with Sweet Homes for the renovation work within 60 days, the £350 + VAT feasibility check fee is offset against the project cost. You do not pay for the assessment twice.
How the feasibility check works
Straightforward. You share the listing, we walk the property, you get a written record.
Get in touch with the listing
Share the property listing link and any photographs you have. If you have a specific concern about listed building status, the riggs, or the Palace setting policy, bring those questions to the conversation. A phone call is the natural first step to work out whether a feasibility check is the right next move for your situation. No pressure on timing, no obligation beyond the conversation.
We agree the visit and fee
The fee is £350 + VAT, fixed before we arrange access. We confirm the visit date around seller availability. If you are close to a closing date, tell us and we will prioritise.
The 60-minute site visit
We walk the property with you, or alone if you cannot attend. We check the points the Home Report cannot cover, note the planning position, photograph the details that matter, and flag the constraints that will shape any renovation scope.
Written Feasibility Summary in two working days
A PDF delivered to your inbox. Red, Amber, Green list of unknowns, budget range for the work identified, planning-position notes, and a straight read on whether to proceed, renegotiate, or walk. Contractor-readable so you can take it to any builder for quotation.
What this actually costs you
The Pre-Purchase Feasibility Check is a fixed fee of £350 + VAT, agreed in writing before the site visit. The price you agree is the price you pay. If you proceed with Sweet Homes for the renovation work within 60 days, the fee is offset against the project cost. On a Linlithgow property where a riggs boundary or a Palace setting question is the difference between a straightforward purchase and a planning dead-end, this is usually a fraction of the offer adjustment it saves.
Trusted Trader verified 4.9 stars · 130+ combined reviews across Google and Edinburgh Trusted Trader 12-month workmanship warrantyWhat clients say about working with Sweet Homes
There were some delays and issues along the way that were resolved by Brunon and I now have a solid, stable, non-moving, non-squeaky floor. I am very happy with the end result and would happily recommend Sweet Homes for their care, professionalism and quality of their work.
C James, Verified Trusted Trader review
Brunon does a clear and thorough written quotation before the work, so you know exactly what is expected. He tries to simplify jobs, rather than complicate.
Verified Google review
Meticulous in respecting our property. He knows exactly what he is doing.
Verified Trusted Trader review
The difference this check makes in Linlithgow
A buyer discovering the riggs mid-offer
The rear garden looks fine from the house. The selling particulars do not mention it. A week after missives a planning pre-application comes back saying the extension is in riggs. That is the scenario we remove. We check the rig boundary before you make the offer.
He knows exactly what he is doing.
Verified Trusted Trader review
A modern house caught in Palace setting
You bought a 2015-built executive home assuming standard permitted development. Six months later you submit an application for a garden room and it is assessed against LDP Policy ENV 25. We tell you the 800-metre position before the offer goes in.
A clear and thorough written quotation before the work, so you know exactly what is expected.
Verified Google review
A listed flat that needs listed building consent
You thought it was a normal flat because the listing is for the whole building. Removing a partition or altering a fireplace is a listed building consent job. We check the listing record and tell you what is consent-gated before you commit.
Meticulous in respecting our property.
Verified Trusted Trader review
Enforcement risk inherited from previous works
Previous owners carried out works without the consent they needed. The Home Report has no mechanism to identify this. A buyer inherits the enforcement risk. We check the planning history for the property and flag anything that looks missing or irregular.
They owned it from start to finish.
Verified Google review
Book a Feasibility Walkthrough in Linlithgow
If you are considering a property in Linlithgow and want to understand what the renovation will realistically involve before you commit, we would be glad to hear from you. Share the property listing link and any photographs you have. The walkthrough is £350 + VAT, fixed in writing before we arrange the visit.
★ 4.9/5 · 130+ combined reviews across Google and Edinburgh Trusted Trader
“There were some delays and issues along the way that were resolved by Brunon and I now have a solid, stable, non-moving, non-squeaky floor. I would happily recommend Sweet Homes for their care, professionalism and quality of their work.”
C James, Verified Trusted Trader review
The short enquiry form covers the property, location and the work you are considering. We reply by email where the project appears to fit.
Where we cover around Linlithgow
Sweet Homes operates from its Edinburgh base at 15 Calton Road, approximately 25 minutes from Linlithgow by road. Linlithgow has its own railway station on the Edinburgh to Glasgow main line. The M9 motorway is accessible within minutes of the town centre.
Not sure if we cover your area? Call or email with the property address and we will confirm.
Linlithgow feasibility check: things worth knowing
Local Development Plan Policy ENV 25 creates a presumption against development that adversely affects the amenity, outlook, character, or setting of Linlithgow Palace and its Peel. Developments within 800 metres of the Palace are assessed for their potential effects. Given the Palace’s position at the heart of the town, this radius captures most of Linlithgow’s residential properties including modern estate houses. We check the exact distance during the feasibility visit and flag any proposed works that would face a setting-policy assessment.
The riggs are the medieval burgage plots that run south from the High Street. They are explicitly protected by West Lothian LDP policy: development will not be permitted in the riggs off Linlithgow High Street. If your property backs onto rig land, you cannot extend into that space regardless of how the rear garden looks. The boundary is invisible from the street and not shown on most sales particulars. We identify it directly from council mapping before you commit.
Almost certainly yes. Within the Palace and High Street Conservation Area there are over 150 separately listed entries, including seven Category A buildings, dozens of Category B, and dozens of Category C listed properties. A flat above a commercial ground floor is usually within a listed building, which means internal works affecting the building’s character require listed building consent alongside any planning permission needed for external changes.
Not necessarily. Modern executive developments in Linlithgow often fall within the 800-metre Palace setting radius, which means a rear extension or double garage that would be permitted development elsewhere requires a planning assessment against LDP Policy ENV 25 here. The pages of the Local Development Plan that govern your property are not the ones you expect.
Yes, for works involving ground disturbance near the canal boundary. The Union Canal is a scheduled monument forming part of the Millennium Link between Edinburgh and Falkirk. The Upper Linlithgow and Union Canal Conservation Area covers the upper southern part of the town with Article 4 Directions in force. Garden works, outbuildings, and any ground-level intervention near the canal need careful planning assessment.
Within two working days. The Summary is a PDF you can read, forward to your solicitor, or take to any contractor for quotation. It includes a Red, Amber, Green list of unknowns, a realistic budget range for the identified works, and notes on the specific Linlithgow planning framework that applies to your property.
No. The Feasibility Summary is independent and contractor-readable. You can take it to any builder. If you do proceed with Sweet Homes within 60 days, the feasibility fee is offset against the project cost. If you use another contractor, the fee stays paid, the document stays yours, and you have a written baseline to hold that contractor to.
No. The Feasibility Summary is a contractor’s assessment of what the renovation will involve, what it is likely to cost, and what constraints will govern the work. It is not a substitute for a solicitor’s advice on title or a structural engineer’s report where one is warranted. It complements those professional inputs with builder-led practical detail that neither provides.