Report result: loadbearing walls removed. Vendor had no approval. What should I do?

goggle

I would ask the vendor to pay for a full structural surveyors report and the costs of getting the building regs etc. If he's confident in his work, he shouldn't have a problem doing so - you can even offer to pay 50% to him if everything is fine

edgex

so:
2 load bearing walls have been removed
some timbers were added in the loft space to take the weight of the roof

what about the weight of the bathroom that was added?
that will now be sat on top of where the downstairs load bearing wall was

where has all the weight of the roof structure now been transferred to?



personally, i would walk away
it dosnt matter if the seller is a builder or not, you simply cannot trust a vendor

if you still are interested in the property, get the vendor to pay for a proper structural engineer to do a full survey
they can then add that to their HIP

bluu2k

edgex wrote: »

so:
2 load bearing walls have been removed
some timbers were added in the loft space to take the weight of the roof

what about the weight of the bathroom that was added?
that will now be sat on top of where the downstairs load bearing wall was

where has all the weight of the roof structure now been transferred to?

The two added timbers (the vendor called them smaller beams:D) now sit on two new walls forming sides of the ensuite bathroom. Those two walls just stand on the floor of first storey, nothing beneath.

The main beam that used to sit on top of the lower load bearing wall is still at its original place, supported at three points: two side walls and one pillar at staircase. My OH said there is another pillar opposite to the staircase's one, but I don't remember that detail--will check again next time we come to see the house.

Supposed the vendor was technically correct in saying that it is safe if the new beams are less than 1 meter away from the original beam (is it true btw??? we measured and reckoned they are app 70cm away from the original one). Then can I assume that technically:

1. the new beams (presumably big and robust enough), together with the original beams, are shouldering the weight from the roof, and transfer part of that weight to the two new walls beneath them; then
2. the new walls in its turn transfer that part of the roof's weight and the bathroom's weight to the original beam of the lower ground which is supported by three (or four) load bearing points.

My previous surveyor (who did the Homebuyer Report) to insert a rolled steel joist to support the roof while my potential full structural surveyor asked me about the size of the new beams, triggering me to think that if the new beams are big and strong enough, then the structure should be OK?

My previous surveyor also made an assumption that the work done for downstair wall was OK (pls refer to my very first post above) so I just need to focus on upstair problems now?

edgex wrote: »

so:
if you still are interested in the property, get the vendor to pay for a proper structural engineer to do a full survey
they can then add that to their HIP

Is it possible that once a structural survey is done with acceptable result (i.e. safe and sound work blah blah) the vendor can apply and get granted a regularisation certificate? Or the LA doesn't care at all whatever surveyors outside of their own team say and might still requests for remedial work, or even set blank refusal?

I know the house will need a full structural survey, but can't help to wait until the survey result is ready.

Thanks and regards,

cashndash

I agree it would be worth getting it looked into, just so you have something written down for when you sell the house.

I think that referring to the house as a "death trap" is a little over the top! just because building regs wasn't obtained, doesn't mean the job is badly done and as someone else pointed out it hasn't fallen down in the last 20 years and the surveyor hasn't mentioned any cracking or movement of the house.

Surveyors do often cover their backs just in case.

I would ask the owner to get a report (everyone is going to pick up on it, so he'll save himself a lot of bother and money).

cashndash

bluu2k wrote: »

Is it possible that once a structural survey is done with acceptable result (i.e. safe and sound work blah blah) the vendor can apply and get granted a regularisation certificate? Or the LA doesn't care at all whatever surveyors outside of their own team say and might still requests for remedial work, or even set blank refusal?

,

A certificate is not the end of the world, that just proves that when the work was done it met standards at the time, the rules change monthly!! there is no way they would know what the rules were 20 years ago - generally after 10 years they don't care.

We had an extension and building regs were around for the foundations, the beam, the windows. I have just had it signed off a couple of years later (we kept forgetting!) and it was a different chap, he had the file, walked around asked me a couple of questions and that was that. If there is no file, the only way they can tell is to undo the work and see and then as I say the regs now are different, so to bring it to 'modern' standards may require more work.

don't be scared. get a structural survey and keep several copies, when you come to sell it, if you face the same problem, you can prove that the work is fit for purpose. That should be good enough, building regs are a council tick sheet, that's all!

I am pretty sure you'll be fine, 20 years is a long time, I am sure there would be signs of movement by now!

bluu2k

Hello,

More news come to light should I say? :think:

Just had another visit to the house and had a chat with the vendor, to be corrected that he only removed the loadbearing wall on first storey level (to make ensuite bathroom, in case some of you forgot the floor plan I described in my early post), and adjusted the roof structure accordingly (added new smaller beams). This work was done app. 20 years ago by him.

He said the loadbearing wall on ground storey level was removed by previous owner before he moved in, app. more than 40 years ago.

This new piece of info I suppose does not effect very much to the situation we are in now?

However, I wonder theorytically what LAs would do with work done w/out permission from those old days, 40 years ago? Obviously the vendor couldn't declare in application for a regularisation cert for that part as he did not do the work, did not know when and how it was done?

Would LAs reject the regularisation application? would they automatically consider the current status of that work as "acceptable state" (given that there's no signs of defect etc)?

When we buy the indemnity policy, should we ask the insurance company to cover for first floor work only (less than 20 years old work), or both up- and down-stair wall removals (20- and 40-years work)?

BTW, the vendor says he will instruct a full structural survey and provide us with the report.

I owe you guys here a lot, indeed--with all your comments and advice I was able to explain things and convinced him to accept that the house needs to be surveyed again, or the regularisation cert should be in place. :A

Well, fingers-crossed now till I get such a report :j