Loft Conversion and Building regs?

neas

Hi all,

A house we went to look at has a half converted loft conversion (or so the owners 'sold it that way). Roof has been redone and a Velux window installed.

Entry to loft is by a newly installed Loft descendable/collapseable wooden loft ladder.

After a bit of reading it seems they should've got building regulations approval for any work they've had done before they've done it... and more worryingly is that the loft ladder is not sufficient if the room is to be used for anyything other than storage (which... why would you put a velux window in if you just used it as a normal loft?)

I think vendors have dropped ball a bit and started DIYing on loft area without getting proper approval. Loft conversion isnt too far into progress... i think they've just replaced all insulation in loft and had the velux window/loft access put in.

The way room was sold to me was its a lofy conversion.. that they were aiming to use as an office or area for making cards... but this goes against building regs... at the very least as you need to put a fire door in and a staircase right?

Would a survery pick this up.. as am wondering how good a negotiation position I am in terms of knocking a good 15-20% off asking price due to 'loft conversion' which isnt :P.

poppysarah

If you ring council and ask about if they have building regs for it then you'll then not be able to get indemnity insurance. but do you want to buy a structurally unfit building if they bodge it?

Fire_Fox

You also need the roof structure and ceiling joists reinforcing, if this has all been covered over with plasterboard you have no way of knowing what is underneath. If you want to make an offer, asssume you will have to rip out what has been done and start again. Make sure the estate agent knows there is no building regs, they should not be advertising this as a loft conversion.

neas

Think is theres not enough room to add a permanent staircase and a firedoor imo... its probably why most of the neighbours havent bothered.

They haven't dont much work on the roof flooring.

I can still see the insulation in the (roof triangle ceiling).... they were painting the chinmeny stack and have currently added velux window at one side of room and seem to have boarded it off with white plasterboard.

Either way i know they haven't reinforced loft floor with celiing joists nor reinforced roof yet... it seems they didnt think about it before they start...mainly cause they just installed the loft ladder.... which would've cost them a couple of k...... (builders installed it)...

They've stopped work as guy was made redundant. next door sold with lesser quality decor and a bigger kitchen (old roof though) for 170k..... they were initially asking for 205k!...

The only pluses I saw intiially was loft conversion, higher quality decor against:

- half finished work
- Smaller kitchen (so small a utility room has to be used for washing machine, tumble dryer)
- Loft conversion not conforming to building standards.

So on hindsight they wanted 35k more for a bit better decor and to carry on their 'non-approved' lofy conversion' which at best can be used for storage (cause you'd have to sacrifice a small bedroom to install permanent staircrase)..... so i think they've shot themselves in the foot. Sad thing is they paid 205k for it 2 years ago (peak) and have redone roof, redone fireplaces, installed wood flooring (70 quid a pack), installed fitted wardrobes

But its just not worth it.

G_M

Run a mile. You are not getting a loft conversion. Indemnity insurance is not the answer - it's a dangerous construction. If you like the house, buy it on the basis it has NO loft conversion and priced accordingly.

You'll have to either
a) ignore the loft - not use it other than storage
b) rip it out, get the council in, and re-build properly
c) re-instate to original loft

neas

i've sent it as feedback to estate agents that they dont seem to have building regs approval for work carried out... as a loft ladder wont conform to fire safety regs (fire door and permanent staircase).

Funnily enough after my comments they dropped asking price to 195k... its still 20k over priced.. if you didnt have t ofinish the works they carried out.

Other thins that are half done are:

-They were in process of stripping back to original floorboards and treating them... they finished bedroom 2... bedroom 1 has a carpet still in it and bedroom 3 has laminate down... stairs have had the carpet stripped up and banister has already been restored to wood and treated (looks nice).

I dont think they bodged... i think as they explained it was their final home and they've been doing it up for 2 years.... and were aiming to strip top floor down to original floorboards and treat them. Either way you go (recarpet or strip) its half way through.... in addition to loft space.

What annoys me if you use loft as stoarge... velux window makes it look 'dumb' from the outside lol.