interested in house - lloft converted without permission

cmgames

I am interested in purchasing house on market but i have been told by the estate agent that there is a loft conversion, however it appears no planning permission was made for that. just wondering how this will affect things for me and would it be wise to purchase e this.

Midas

What kind of conversion is it? Does it change the outside appearance of the house? Many conversions don't need planning permission at all. See here

http://www.house-extension.co.uk/conversions/conversions_planning.htm

princessamy86

I'm not 100% sure, but I seem to think you can build into the loft under permitted development, depending on siting of windows etc. Again-very not sure! I know it needs to be signed off by building control to ensure it is up to the correct standards for building regs. Somebody will know I'm sure they'll be along shortly.

Doozergirl

You can convert the loft without any planning permission and add dormers etc as long as they don't go above the roofline or protrude over the eaves and don't exceed (I think) 30 cubic metres for attached properties, 40 cubic metres for detached. That's under permitted development rules since 1st October last year but the fact is that even if it did contravene the previous rules, n-one is going to make you take done something that you rebuild in exactly the same way
now without question.

Building Regulation approval is needed but the key is really safety rather than certificates. If the loft conversion is over 12 months old and is structurally sound and safe then the vendor purchasing an indemnity policy against the minimal risk of Building Control pursuing the issue should suffice.

A loft conversion consists of far more structural work than just boarding it out and putting windows up there. It's important that it is surveyed properly if no building regs are in place. Ask the vendor how the conversion was carried out - have the joists been strengthened etc?

cattie

If the room was converted as just a hobby room without having the joists strengthend, then it can't be described as a bedroom.

Lots of people have these low cost conversions, which don't need planning permission in the same way that a proper room would.

Apart from the joists needing to be strengthened, a proper loft conversion needs to have proper stair access & a fire door plus windows that occupants could escape through in the event of fire.

If the room has not been done as a proper bedroom conversion the house can never be advertised for sale as having an extra bedroom. Usually ea's describe these as hobby rooms or useful extra loft rooms.

A house with a hobby room or loft room will not be as valuable as one with a proper bedroom conversion, so this needs to be taken into account if you are going to make an offer for the property.

.

Doozergirl

cattie wrote: »

Lots of people have these low cost conversions, which don't need planning permission in the same way that a proper room would. .

It's unlikely that even a proper room needs planning permission, per my last post. We've ripped the entire roof of so that all that existed was literally four walls. Put back with attic trusses it looks exactly the same as it always did with the exception of the Velux windows.

Much to the disgruntlement of the neighbours, it falls within permitted development. Even such major work.

Unless it's a listed building or in some type of conservation area or involves actually enlarging the exterior of the house by a particularly large amount, it's fine.

planning_officer

Midas wrote: »

What kind of conversion is it? Does it change the outside appearance of the house? Many conversions don't need planning permission at all. See here

http://www.house-extension.co.uk/conversions/conversions_planning.htm

That link is a bit misleading - it says that planning permission can be required for a loft conversion - in fact, no actual loft conversion (i.e. internal alterations) requires planning permission, it is only external works that may require permission, like dormers.

That link also says you require permission if there is 2 habitable rooms in the loft, which is rubbish as the legislation says nothing of the sort. Dormers will always require permission if they face a highway, or if you live in a conservation area, AONB or National Park. Rooflights can also sometimes require permission if a condition attached to the original planning permission for the property precludes the insertion of any further windows.

cmgames

Just to add to things, the house is a repo currently being marketed by an estate agents. It already has an offer in. I'm a first time buyer with a 40% deposit in place and this house is being advertised 30k cheaper than another house being sold in the same road therefore its a more attractive price.

As its a repossession, would this be more ideal for a cash buyer who is in a position to exchange contracts quicker. Or are there mortgage brokers who can sort out the finance for me in the allocated time to exchange period.