A Room or not a Room that's the question...

holsum

I'm having a major panic attack (one of many since I started on this housebuying lark), I've put an offer in on a 1 bedroom flat with an added attic room and it's been accepted, the survey is being carried out tomorrow, but I thought I'd speak to the surveyor today just so I could run a few things by her. I mentioned the added attic room and she suggested before she'd even seen the place that as this room was something that the vendor put in himself that I may have to get it checked over seperately because he may not have the correct joists in the floor and he may have removed something structurally important when he added the velux window. Her conclusion was that there might not be a noticable problem now, but the house/walls could bow in years to come. Has anybody bought or viewed a property with an added attic room and did it put them off buying the property? I think this makes sense.. :eek:

annie-c

Well, the best way to find out if there is a structural problem is to get the survey done, but that will involve the risk of paying the survey fee when there is a real possibility that you might have to walk away.

Saying that though, loads of houses have attic rooms that for whatever reason weren't put in to the standards necessary to meet building regs. That doesn't mean that they are all unsafe - but you would need a surveyor to give you an expert opinion on your particular property.

What it does mean is that you can not sell the property, eg as 2 bed flat, because the room only counts as 'storage' or a 'boarded loft'. But once you've bought it you can do whatever you want with it (though obviously after checking out first that it is safe!)

Gem+Dave+Kaci

This sounds a bit dodgy to me.

I live in a block of flats (3 floors - 4 flats on each floor) and we have a huge loft space. When I asked the management company about converting the loft into a room (i.e. putting wooden boards down to make it a bit more secure for storing items), I was told that the flat is owned by me, but the loft forms part of the building itself so is owned by the leaseholder, so I haven't got permission to modify it. They told me that I could pretend I hadn't rung them and go ahead and lay boards up there but I wouldn't've thought it could be classed as an extra room as chances are it's probably not actually owned by the owner of the flat?

holsum

I'm getting a homebuyers survey done, but the surveyor (who will be looking at the property.. today (Friday!) said that I might need to get somebody else in to check if there has been any structural damage done due to the vendor putting in the window... more expense....

david29dpo

Gem+Dave+Kaci wrote:

This sounds a bit dodgy to me.

I live in a block of flats (3 floors - 4 flats on each floor) and we have a huge loft space. When I asked the management company about converting the loft into a room (i.e. putting wooden boards down to make it a bit more secure for storing items), I was told that the flat is owned by me, but the loft forms part of the building itself so is owned by the leaseholder, so I haven't got permission to modify it. They told me that I could pretend I hadn't rung them and go ahead and lay boards up there but I wouldn't've thought it could be classed as an extra room as chances are it's probably not actually owned by the owner of the flat?

this is interesting! i have just bought a top floor flat, 3 floors, 4 on each floor. the flats are freehold, (999 year lease) which means freehold, no leaseholder. the management company told me i could do what i liked with the attic, within reason, and its nothing to do with them. they are employed by the owners of the flats for maintenance etc only, and we are all free to sack them and chose another if they dont do there job. however, the council are very unlikely to give permission!

micheleen

holsum wrote:

I'm getting a homebuyers survey done, but the surveyor (who will be looking at the property.. today (Friday!) said that I might need to get somebody else in to check if there has been any structural damage done due to the vendor putting in the window... more expense....

You'll probably either need a Structural Engineer (expensive) or a reliable builder (cheap), preferably one you know or get a personal reccomendation for. A surveyor wont take the resposibility for OK'ing it.

trickster

We did a loft conversion and ensured that it all complied with building regs. The thing is, it is NOT classed as a room unless you have the certificate from building control to tell you that it conforms to the necessary standards.

We had to put huge steel joists in and comply with things like linked smoke alarms on all floors, installing self-closing devices on all doors, install a proper escape window, etc, etc.

We are thinking of selling and a EA friend of mine said it makes a massive difference whether you have done it to comply or not.

holsum

Well the surveyor just called me and there seems to be a whole heap of other things wrong with the property, so the potentially crumbling roof is the least of my worries.. her first question to me was what is your financial situation it went downhill from there, my dreams of owning my first property is fading fast

trickster

Don't be dissapointed, it sounds like you have just saved yourself a lot of future financial woes and problems.

FWIW, I wouldn't consider a building that had work done on it without correct consent.

Annando

Usually when EAs say things like "Attic Room" it means that it was done on the cheap and can't really be used as a room (i.e. Joists have not been replaced, floor is not properly supported etc...).
When attic rooms become "Loft Conversions" they have the proper paper work and you pay £££££ for it!
A house with an attic room shouldn't cost more than one that hasn't got one, if you do a survey etc, the mortgage company will not lend you more.
Hope you can understand what I mean...the wine is kicking in