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Issues on building regulation before exchange contract. Should we proceed???

2

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  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
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    Worst case scenario with chimney breast, if unsupported? It could come crashing down at any time and take your roof with it, plus what/whoever is underneath... worth the risk? Not to us; we walked away from a beautiful house for precisely this reason. It did have other issues, too but that was the biggie.
  • Hoploz
    Hoploz Posts: 3,888 Forumite
    Could I just throw in another suggestion ... Some work you believe to be from 1992. However is it possible that some of the other work was done earlier? Modern building regs as we know them today didn't come in until the 1980's so work done before this would never have been given certificates.
    But basically you have to be happy the building is structurally sound, or that you have been given sufficient discount to put towards the work to rectify if necessary (eg chimney breast support/removal)
    Improvements to the garage conversion are less structural and more about comfort eg might be cold or damp but not unsafe, so your choice.
  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,813 Forumite
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    Smodlet wrote: »
    Worst case scenario with chimney breast, if unsupported? It could come crashing down at any time and take your roof with it, plus what/whoever is underneath... worth the risk? Not to us; we walked away from a beautiful house for precisely this reason. It did have other issues, too but that was the biggie.

    Each to their own. A building professional won't look at it like a major problem at all. Anything that takes less than a day to fix is not a biggie. It might be someone's idea of a 'biggie' but it isn't a big problem at all when addressed. And no one has even checked for support, because it will be hidden if it is there.

    If anyone thinks they are buying the perfect period house, they are almost always mistaken. Every period house comes with dirty little secrets. It's better to know about them first!
    Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
  • steampowered
    steampowered Posts: 6,176 Forumite
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    Have a read of the indemnity insurance policy. Does it cover these defects? What sort of excess is there?
  • Hoploz
    Hoploz Posts: 3,888 Forumite
    An indemnity policy is to protect you if the council find out illegal work has been done and decide to enforce building regs. This is somewhere on the scale between highly unlikely and impossible, but often mortgage companies will not proceed without it in place.
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    Hoploz wrote: »
    An indemnity policy is to protect you if the council find out illegal work has been done and decide to enforce building regs. This is somewhere on the scale between highly unlikely and impossible, but often mortgage companies will not proceed without it in place.
    ....And it won't cover you for reinstatement if part of your house falls down!
  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
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    Doozergirl wrote: »
    Each to their own. A building professional won't look at it like a major problem at all. Anything that takes less than a day to fix is not a biggie. It might be someone's idea of a 'biggie' but it isn't a big problem at all when addressed. And no one has even checked for support, because it will be hidden if it is there.

    If anyone thinks they are buying the perfect period house, they are almost always mistaken. Every period house comes with dirty little secrets. It's better to know about them first!


    Anything is a biggie if you just don't have the money to fix it. The structural engineer's report alone was going to cost £300. That may be small change to you, DG, but to some of us, it is anything but.

    This was hardly a period house, either; 1960s, probably. It was not ignorance on our part, it was necessity. Why pay £x for a house with nothing holding up the chimney when you can pay the same for one with its chimney breast intact? Oh, to be rich.
  • Ozzuk
    Ozzuk Posts: 1,884 Forumite
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    I'd be concerned about resale. The chimney doesn't sound like a big issue (but could become one!). The lack of BC on the extension given the age isn't the end of the world but did he comment on how good the construction was? I'd be concerned if it was sub-standard.

    As for the garage, was it marketed and valued stating this was a usable space? If its obvious that its just a converted garage - i.e. the original garage door is still there but perhaps internally covered up which is quite common then its not a big problem. however...if its marketed as a habitable room then that would be a big problem and you wouldn't be able to sell it on as such.

    For me that would be the big issue and depending on how the room is viewed I'd probably want it re-valued and ask for a bigger reduction (if I still really wanted the house).
  • Doozergirl
    Doozergirl Posts: 33,813 Forumite
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    Smodlet wrote: »
    Anything is a biggie if you just don't have the money to fix it. The structural engineer's report alone was going to cost £300. That may be small change to you, DG, but to some of us, it is anything but.

    This was hardly a period house, either; 1960s, probably. It was not ignorance on our part, it was necessity. Why pay £x for a house with nothing holding up the chimney when you can pay the same for one with its chimney breast intact? Oh, to be rich.

    I said preference, not ignorance.

    If you can't afford it and the vendor is not willing to pay for the report or reduce the price to account for it, then the cost is the issue. You didn't say cost was the big issue, you said the chimney breast problem was. If you seek to influence another poster then fill in the details of why.
    Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
  • Smodlet
    Smodlet Posts: 6,976 Forumite
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    Maybe you just assumed cost was not the issue because to you, it is not.
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