Fensa Certificate

oakview

After having new windows and a door put in by our a builder, when it came to selling we didn't realise we needed a fensa certificate.I am sure lots of DIY's don't reliase this. If you can't produce a fensa certificate an indemity policy has to be paid for.

Doozergirl

...or you can ask Building Control to come and approve it.

oakview

Just trying to point out a lot of people may not be aware of this.

maninthestreet

Does that apply to double glazing installed, regardless of when it was installed? Or does it only apply to DG installed after a certain date?

Doozergirl

DG installed after a certain date; April 2002(?), maninthestreet.

Just trying to point out the preferable alternative for a buyer to indemnity insurance, oakview

Mrs_Optimist

We currently have this issue with some french doors, a double glazed porch door and a porch window we installed in the house we are selling. The FENSA rule applies for new windows/doors installed after 2000. My Sol said a Insurance policy costs around £50. How much would it cost to have Building Control come out and inspect Doozergirl? Perhaps we can save some money after all!

adr0ck

a fensa certificate isn't worth the paper its written on

[Deleted User]

Mrs_Optimist wrote:

My Sol said a Insurance policy costs around £50. How much would it cost to have Building Control come out and inspect Doozergirl? Perhaps we can save some money after all!

An inspection by Building Control may cost from 115.00 to £175.00 - perhaps more for big extensions. I'm having to pay 175.00 to have and en suite in my bedroom inspected.

Mrs_Optimist

Won't bother with that then - just fork out £50 for an Insurance to cover the windows and doors (which incidentally were replacement windows and doors, not put into a big hole we had just knocked into the wall!) if our buyers sols pick up on it. It just seems a complete scam to me. But then I am just bitter!

prudryden

Mrs_Optimist wrote:

Won't bother with that then - just fork out £50 for an Insurance to cover the windows and doors (which incidentally were replacement windows and doors, not put into a big hole we had just knocked into the wall!) if our buyers sols pick up on it. It just seems a complete scam to me. But then I am just bitter!

I think it's a scam as well - something along the lines of PPI and extended warranties on your iron.

Richard_Webster

Two points.

Firstly Building Regulation Indemnity Insurance only protects you if the Council take enforcement action, which is very unlikley indeed. It does not give any cover for structural failure because the regulations were not complied with!

Secondly the main reason solicitors worry so much about all this is that lenders require us to check that kind of detail. We (I am a conveyancing solicitor) can put it all in context by telling a buyer client that if the double glazing was put in pre April 2002 there wouldn't be a FENSA certificate anyway. The buyer can decide whether it is a big deal for them. (Double Glazing Guarantees are often worthless too.)

Unfortunately we also have do what the lender wants and the mortgage lenders want it all cut and dried. We can't write to the average lender saying things like "you don't mind that there isn't a FENSA certificate do you?" because they haven't got the staff able to make that kind of value judgement. It goes round ther office for a week or two before they send it to their surveyor for his comments and he suggests that the Council's building insopector comes out to inspect - three or four weeks wasted, and the seller finds he has an inspection fee that is much more than the indemnity policy - so we go for the policy because it is quicker!