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I know I may have to do some ringing around tomorrow but can somebody shed some light on this please?
Daughter number 1 and her boyfriend are looking to buy a terraced house in Haslingdon. It has had a loft conversion.
I have just gone through the paperwork that the solicitor has sent them and there appears to be only an electrical certificate (I think they are now called Part P). There is nothing in the paperwork about the loft conversion having a completion certificate for building regs.
Am I right that you would need one of these? I'm not sure about planning permission, but I would have thought as a minimum building regs/compliance would have had to be formalised.
cheers
Dave
Yup if done properly will need building regs. Those regs may require such things as protected escape route/stairway, escape windows, emergency egress, fully wired in smoke alarms, fire doors, door closers etc etc
Depends on the age of the conversion.
it was done in 2014
Most Lofts nowadays are done under permitted development, doesn't require the same amount of paperwork as planning permission but will still be under building regs for the above mentioned by wrightyson.
You should also have a completion certificate that will cover all aspects needed to be checked. Sounds like its been forgotten about or just misplaced.
It should have some documents but that doesn't mean the vendors will have anything. Something for your solicitor to chase.
Was it converted or renovated in 2014? Very different things - we recently sold a house with a renovated loft conversion that had no certificates because the original work was done in the 70s
it was converted in 2014
I think they are all logged online now? We're chasing ours and that's how we found out it hasn't been filed yet!
My BIL and I are completing today on a semi-detached that we're renovating and reselling. It has a small extension on the back that had no building regs or planning.
Planning not needed as it falls within permitted development but BR was a def issue. Solicitors searches should show up whether BR was applied for and the vendors just lost the paperwork.
The end result for us was that we got the price reduced by £10k which will pay for the bigger extension we're planning for it.
Although you can get indemnified this only comes into play if the council want the works reinstated - so isn't really worth much (which is why it costs £30!).
You could make it quite clear that unless the vendors get retrospective BR approval you'll be walking or looking for a discount.
Or they could just take the risk - but you can be sure that this issue will raise its head again when the time comes to sell on.
we've looked at a few places listed as a 2 bed with a loft conversion. Legally they are not allowed to list as a 3 bed unless they have had planning permission, building regs, or have a fire escape etc.
Cheers guys, i think we will be ringing the solicitor, estate agent and council to get to the bottom of this, i'll post back when we get some answers
Cheers again
Dave
Be wary of ringing the council as it will mean you probably won't be able to get an indemnity policy, not that I think they are worth much. Just something to consider.
Be wary of ringing the council as it will mean you probably won't be able to get an indemnity policy, not that I think they are worth much. Just something to consider.
righto, i'll bear that in mind, ta
After some ringing around it would appear the at the certificate of completion was in the solicitors office among some other papers 🙄
ta everyone for your help and advice
the vendors just lost the paperwork.
hahaha if they had it they could get another printed off from the BCO - its all recorded on file