Getting building regs approved for an existing flat conversion.

jimofwales

Hello guys, i'm looking for some advice regarding a property I am considering, it's my first time buying (although I'm buying with cash due to inheritance from my Dad ) so I'm new to things like building regulations.

The property is a large 4 bedroom house that was converted into a 1 bedroom flat and a 3 bedroom flat upstairs. The flats look like they have been done to an extremely high standard, but the house was repossessed and is now being sold by the bank.

The estate agent is accepting cash only because the flat conversion has not had proper building regs approval, which suits me perfectly.

There are a few obvious things like fire doors, and the stairs up to the third floor will probably need changing. The downstairs flat has a bit of damp which could be costly. However I can easily budget for these things. It was the estate agents first time viewing the property and he was amazed why someone would spend so much time and effort on the conversion, but not get the proper regs in place.

My question is, can I get somebody official (who would likely to be able to say exactly what needs doing) to come and have a look at the property before I buy it? Or would a builder suffice? Should I put an offer in first, then get the checks done, I have a feeling it could get snapped up soon.

The building is gorgeous, and the flats are stunning and it seems like a great opportunity, I'm just looking to identify any potential 'show stoppers' and how to identify them before I put an offer in. Even if the flats are done to a high standard is there any chance that the building regulations would require it to be converted back to a house? This would be way over my budget.

Any help would be hugely appreciated!

Owain_Moneysaver

Are you buying one flat, or the whole house?

There are two issues: planning and building control.

Planning - the worst case scenario is that planning permission was not obtained, and is refused. The owner(s) might then be ordered to reinstate the property to a single dwelling. Not so bad if you own the whole house, but if you only own part of it you would be well snookered.

Building control - the regulations for subdividing properties are now very stringent. The council inspectors might require floors being lifted and walls opened up to check for structural strength, fireproofing, and thermal and sound insulation. If the developer went bust there is no way of knowing what shortcuts were taken.

Even if new staircase and firedoors are fitted it may be that the layout of the building is simply non-compliant and it cannot be divided in the way it has been done. Building control can require you to rectify a dangerous building: in the worst case they can take over the building with a court order, do the work, then obtain a charge over the property until you pay for the work. They can certainly declare a building unfit for habitation.

The property is of course unmortgageable in its current state, but you might also find getting buildings insurance rather more difficult than expected. This is a project that an experienced developer might have qualms about; I suggest it is not a good investment for your inheritance. The risks of it going horribly wrong and you losing everything are too high. There are probably plenty of other fixer-uppers that are scruffy and run-down and difficult to get a mortgage on, but are basically sound and with a cash buyer and some work will turn into 'a nice little earner' - or at least you could walk away and get back most of what you'd put in, if you'd made a mistake.

jimofwales

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Are you buying one flat, or the whole house?

There are two issues: planning and building control.

Planning - the worst case scenario is that planning permission was not obtained, and is refused. The owner(s) might then be ordered to reinstate the property to a single dwelling. Not so bad if you own the whole house, but if you only own part of it you would be well snookered.

Building control - the regulations for subdividing properties are now very stringent. The council inspectors might require floors being lifted and walls opened up to check for structural strength, fireproofing, and thermal and sound insulation. If the developer went bust there is no way of knowing what shortcuts were taken.

Even if new staircase and firedoors are fitted it may be that the layout of the building is simply non-compliant and it cannot be divided in the way it has been done. Building control can require you to rectify a dangerous building: in the worst case they can take over the building with a court order, do the work, then obtain a charge over the property until you pay for the work. They can certainly declare a building unfit for habitation.

The property is of course unmortgageable in its current state, but you might also find getting buildings insurance rather more difficult than expected. This is a project that an experienced developer might have qualms about; I suggest it is not a good investment for your inheritance. The risks of it going horribly wrong and you losing everything are too high. There are probably plenty of other fixer-uppers that are scruffy and run-down and difficult to get a mortgage on, but are basically sound and with a cash buyer and some work will turn into 'a nice little earner' - or at least you could walk away and get back most of what you'd put in, if you'd made a mistake.

Interesting thanks. It's the whole house that is for sale. The building is very impressive, and looks in great condition, for the price, even it was converted back to a house I would happily live there for many years.

What I really need to know is who would decide what work needs to be done before it is 'up to scratch'. Can I employ them to have a viewing and take surveys? Would an experienced builder be able to say 'yes, this is worth doing'....or 'no, stay away'.

Also, is there any way of checking whether planning was granted?

I'm really not looking to make a quick buck. I'd like a flat to live in, and then the flat below could be rented out. I'm thinking long term really.

Fire_Fox

jimofwales wrote: »

Interesting thanks. It's the whole house that is for sale. The building is very impressive, and looks in great condition, for the price, even it was converted back to a house I would happily live there for many years.

What I really need to know is who would decide what work needs to be done before it is 'up to scratch'. Can I employ them to have a viewing and take surveys? Would an experienced builder be able to say 'yes, this is worth doing'....or 'no, stay away'.

You are not listening: the only way any professional will be able to give you a definitive answer is to rip the flats apart to see what is underneath that gloss you are being blinded by. I would suggest this property has NOT been converted to a very high standard - no reputable builder would 'forget' building regs, try to disguise damp or fail to install fire doors.

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Building control - the regulations for subdividing properties are now very stringent. The council inspectors might require floors being lifted and walls opened up to check for structural strength, fireproofing, and thermal and sound insulation. If the developer went bust there is no way of knowing what shortcuts were taken.

The property is of course unmortgageable in its current state, but you might also find getting buildings insurance rather more difficult than expected. This is a project that an experienced developer might have qualms about; I suggest it is not a good investment for your inheritance. The risks of it going horribly wrong and you losing everything are too high.

jimofwales

Fire_Fox wrote: »

You are not listening: the only way any professional will be able to give you a definitive answer is to rip the flats apart to see what is underneath that gloss you are being blinded by. I would suggest this property has NOT been converted to a very high standard - no reputable builder would 'forget' building regs, try to disguise damp or fail to install fire doors.

Yeah I am listening, and I am being cautious, but every building has its price right? And the bank are likely to be desperate to off load it, I could potentially get a fair whack off the asking price. Even if I had to fix the damp, and get the building up to regulations or convert it back to a house, it could still be a good deal.

I've got both a builder and an architect with 35 years experience coming to have a look next week.

DVardysShadow

jimofwales wrote: »

Yeah I am listening, and I am being cautious, but every building has its price right? And the bank are likely to be desperate to off load it, I could potentially get a fair whack off the asking price. Even if I had to fix the damp, and get the building up to regulations or convert it back to a house, it could still be a good deal.

I've got both a builder and an architect with 35 years experience coming to have a look next week.

In which case the price is [what it would cost to put the worst case right plus a bit more] from [the value of it with everything in order]. I would agree. You don't need to know how bad it is, you need to know how bad it could be.