buying a house with a loft conversion without building regs can i get insured?

carlycav · 7 January 2010 at 1:09PM

We are purchasing a house with a loft conversion that hasn't been done to building regs, the current owner has it as a bedroom and we would too. we have to get buildings insurance when we get a mortgage will they insure it?

Badger_Lady · 7 January 2010 at 1:11PM

Presumably the current owner has got insurance..? Can you ask them who they're insured with? And I also assume you're paying less for the unofficial bedroom

poppysarah · 7 January 2010 at 1:54PM

Is it actually safe to use as a bedroom. Regardless of building regs, is it easy to get out of when your house is on fire?

Whether you care about the rules or not, you'd probably care about being trapped up there.

Welsh_Totster · 7 January 2010 at 2:16PM

We have two attic rooms which the previous owners did about 15+ years ago, it doesnt comply with building regs and never has and we use one room as a study and one for storage. each room has a velux window that in todays standard ares big enough for a fireman to get through hence why the rooms can't be marketed as Habitable. When it was on the market, they were marketed as 'storage'. We have never had a problem insuring the house over the past 8+ years, you shouldn't have a problem. good luck

carlycav · 7 January 2010 at 2:44PM

Thanks for the info.

The room is easy to get out of via the stairs onto the landing. Also the velux window is big enough to climb out of.

Not sure what is classed as a safe bedroom?, the current owners have a double bed in there and are storing lots of stuff in there. They say the building regs would mean the velux window would have to be moved elswhere to comply (eg further down almost on the actual front of the property, top of the front wall where all the other windows are) but i suppose we cant really trust what they are saying as they just want to sell the house.

The house is marketed as a two bedroom with loft conversion so the price coincides with a two bedroomed property.

Would i have to tell the buildings insurance about the loft conversion or is it a standard question they will ask.

All i am bothered about is further down the line if we do need to claim for anything and they say well you have a loft conversion not to regs, so its all void.

Welsh_Totster · 7 January 2010 at 3:16PM

We have never been asked, as it wasn't sold to us as a 6 bed property it was sold as a 4 bed with 2 attic storage rooms (and thats how we have sold it) To be honest I wouldnt worry, we have only ever been asked how many bedrooms it was and we have always said 4, and I suspect you'll say 2.

The house we are about to move to has the master bed and ensuite in the converted loft and it does comply with all building regs needed, we still havent been asked by the insurance company if it complies with regs even though I said its a 4 bed house with master in attic conversion.

carlycav · 7 January 2010 at 3:30PM

Great that makes me feel a lot better, like you said if we sell its still a two bed house at the end of the day.

Thanks for all your help on this subject.

Welsh_Totster · 7 January 2010 at 3:36PM

Tis ok, glad to be of service!

lilian1977 · 7 January 2010 at 4:02PM

We have just bought a 2 bed with loft conversion, the survey said the staircase wasn't to regs - we just said it was 2 bed for insurance purposes. I will be getting the window changed before using it as a bedroom.

Hippychick · 7 January 2010 at 4:12PM

We have a property with a loft conversio too, I insured with the same company as my mortgage lender and mentioned the loft conversion at the point of quotation. They were fine with it.

Fire_Fox · 7 January 2010 at 4:43PM

carlycav wrote: »

Thanks for the info.

The room is easy to get out of via the stairs onto the landing. Also the velux window is big enough to climb out of.

Not sure what is classed as a safe bedroom?, the current owners have a double bed in there and are storing lots of stuff in there. They say the building regs would mean the velux window would have to be moved elswhere to comply (eg further down almost on the actual front of the property, top of the front wall where all the other windows are) but i suppose we cant really trust what they are saying as they just want to sell the house.

The house is marketed as a two bedroom with loft conversion so the price coincides with a two bedroomed property.

Would i have to tell the buildings insurance about the loft conversion or is it a standard question they will ask.

All i am bothered about is further down the line if we do need to claim for anything and they say well you have a loft conversion not to regs, so its all void.

There is a lot more to building regs than simply the presence of a Velux! Do you have a fire door at the top or bottom of the stairs onto the landing? Are the Velux windows in the correct position (not simply size) for access by the fire services 'cherry picker'? Have the ceiling joists been properly reinforced to allow furniture to be safely placed in the room? Were the roof trusses properly reinforced to ensure the roof doesn't start sagging at a later date?

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buying a house with a loft conversion without building regs can i get insured?

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