Just Had The Full Survey Back And......

Money_Doctor

Mentions a Kitchen extenssion that would have required building regulations and suggests checking the permissions. If it is found that no approvals have been obtained , then allowances will have to be made for the work to comply -

Can anybody point me in the right direction of the above please?

It is also mentioning an insufficient number of air bricks found in outside walls (might this suggest that the relevant permissions were not sought?)

Anybody know if this is a major job to get the airbricks put in to rectify and make sure the under floor space is sufficiently ventilated and what the likely cost is?

Thanks to all in advance

Money_Doctor

Sorry forgot to mention that addittional collars & strusts are required (any idea of cost would be appreciated) A timber and dampness report is also reccomended (is this standard and would it appear in all surveys)?

Thanks

goldbyron

Ask your sol if the vendor will pay for indemnity insurance for the works and check to see if there is permission. Installing an air brick should not be expensive to be honest. As for timber and damp - did it refer to any specific concerns or was it just a general 'I don't want to be liable so get it checked out'.

poppysarah

Standard in every survey. Surprised it doesn't say "get asbestos expert in" and "get electrical surveyor in" etc

Airbricks aren't dear to have put in as long as no damage/damp to underfloor timbers already

If you check for permissions - You can search our council's site for regs - you can see if they have them.
Speak to solicitor if there aren't any.

Money_Doctor

Thanks Poppy, would you care to elaborate how I would check with the local council? I need to ring and speak to their planning Dept? Or I can check on line somehow?

Thanks

poppysarah

Look it up online.

If you know the council it comes up under it should be easy.

PasturesNew

If you speak to the council at all .... then a bit further down the line you could have bought an indemnity policy to protect you against the council coming and making you change stuff, then it's too late. Once you've spoken to the council you can't buy an indemnity policy. So, overall, it's best to avoid speaking to anybody/the council until you're SURE you really, really want to.

Milliewilly

PasturesNew wrote: »

If you speak to the council at all .... then a bit further down the line you could have bought an indemnity policy to protect you against the council coming and making you change stuff, then it's too late. Once you've spoken to the council you can't buy an indemnity policy. So, overall, it's best to avoid speaking to anybody/the council until you're SURE you really, really want to.

I dont understand this - anyone could ring the council and ask - are they then automatically excluding any prospective buyers from ever getting an indemnity policy?

Money_Doctor

Thanks to all, As you say Millie what would there be to stop a relative ringing the council and asking, to throw another angle into the mix am I right in thinking that if an extension has been up for four years or more (assuming no planning permission) that you cannot then be forced to pull it down, the other issue of course is that we would need to ensure the building regulations had been followed which we dont believe they have and therefore would require the vendor to put the indemity policy in place whilst this was rectified.

I would appreciate any further input anybody might have, my first impressions were to walk away but that now does not necc have to be the case the further you go, what we need to ensure is that we have a saleable asset in the future, from where I am sitting the vendor seems to have an unsaleable asset at this point in time as things stand

shane42

you have to accept that there is a good reason the work was not signed off. be prepared to discover horrors later on .good luck

backintheday

Are you buying in South East London, zone 2/3 borders, sounds exactly like a house we had to pull out of. I had a full building survey and it came to a lot to put all those things right.