Would you buy a house without relevant building regs?

[Cyclone 10]

Yep, just to make it clear, the problem isn't a lack of planning permission, i understand that wouldn't have been required.

 

The problem is lack of building regs, or more accurately no details regarding when the loft was done so dont know if had regs or not....any insurance would help if the council took action (although i believe that is unlikely), the more pressing concern is taking the risk that the loft is up to standard and hasn't been bodged.

 

Do you believe that it was done recently for some reason. Most of the houses in Walkley (for example) would have no documentation about when the loft conversions were done. Mine for example I think was done sometime in the 60's.

[jaffacake 10]

The vendors dont know when it was done, so suspect its not been done in last few years at least, although it has not got any damage, so its either been decorated in last few years or its only a couple of years old and someone is telling porkies.

 

If i had to guess i would say its over 5 years old but like i say just a guess.

[Cyclone 10]

So there's no chance of building regs enforcement then, and it almost certainly won't meet modern regs as they will have changed since it was done.

I don't really see what the problem is, what are you worried might happen if you purchase it without the proof that it was up to code when it was done?

[jaffacake 10]

I guess i'm just a cautious person, i wouldn't normally buy anything that didn't have all the paperwork, and obviously its a big purchase, but i love the house.

 

I suppose cos i've never bought before and so dont know anything about it i just want to be sure, there doesn't seem anything wrong with it, nothing came up in the homebuyers report, it looks in excellent condition, i guess i'm scared that i'll spend all that money on the house and regret it when it goes through...

 

Scaredy cat thats me!!

[Gordonb 11]

Much as though I hate to say it the insurance policy is the best route. The house I sold last year had a conservatory on it and replacement windows which were all carried out by a quality company who advised at the time that I didn't need either Planning or Building Regs.

Times moved on in the following years and because the regs changedspelling I ended up purchasing insurance policies to cover my purchaser. Only did it as the wife had her heart set on another property and we needed to sell ours otherwisw I would have stood my ground.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Gordonb
spelling

[biotechpete 10]

Do you believe that it was done recently for some reason. Most of the houses in Walkley (for example) would have no documentation about when the loft conversions were done. Mine for example I think was done sometime in the 60's.

 

Many of them were also built with attics. Mine for example has floor boards in which look just as old as the rest of the house.

 

OP if you can look at it and lift the carpet the appearance of the floor might give you a clue as to whether recent or not. A recent one will likely have a chip board/hard board floor. Also, a conversion done properly (as I hear it) will have had rigid joists put in to support the floor and the removal of cross braces in the roof. such as something like this:

http://www.loft-conversion-uk.com/loft-flooring.html

Look in the rooms below for a similar sized support spanning the width of the house.

[cosywolf 10]

If you're going to do it, get a proper survey done.

 

We fell in love with a house in Norton Lees, very similar situation with the loft (and yes the estate agent will claim it as a bedroom regardless). I was happy just to think well, they've been using it, it must be fine. It looks fine...

 

But with a proper survey it became clear that the work done had made the house potentially unstable. The vendors suddenly became less than helpful, refused to apply for retrospective building regs, dragged their feet over indemnity insurance (which has major pitfalls, anyway), and wouldn't lower the price.

 

I was gutted at the time, but eventually we found something even better.

 

Don't take risks!