Our last place was a listed Georgian townhouse, semi-derelict when we bought it. We had a mortgage and structural survey which largely pointed out the bleeding obvious (i.e. It's semi-derelict), so I reckon the most valuable insight I got into the condition and potential pitfalls was f.o.c through a walk-round with a respected builder. Saved us 20% on the purchase price...
Fortune favours the bold! Good luck!