Building work done, but no regs - advice?

LouC

Thanks again, everyone. This is proving to be very useful, albeit quite frightening.

I guess what I want to avoid now is all the work being dismantled - not just for the cost, but also to lose our lovely new storage space.

Do you think it would be worthwhile getting an independent structural surveyor round to look at it? Would they have a 'duty of care' to inform the council if they found any issues?

Also, I've just had a look through the lease for the property, and although there are floor plans for the rest of the house there's nothing about the loft - so would anyone even question it when the house came to be sold?

Yorkie1

A structural surveyor won't be able to advise properly without proper inspection (i.e. behind the walls / under the floor).

LouC

Yorkie1 wrote: »

A structural surveyor won't be able to advise properly without proper inspection (i.e. behind the walls / under the floor).

That might not be too bad - the new floor is just hardwood screwed down, and the sides have been kept open (only the front and back ends and ceiling have been plasterboarded and skimmed).

Furts

LouC wrote: »

Thanks again, everyone. This is proving to be very useful, albeit quite frightening.

I guess what I want to avoid now is all the work being dismantled - not just for the cost, but also to lose our lovely new storage space.

Do you think it would be worthwhile getting an independent structural surveyor round to look at it? Would they have a 'duty of care' to inform the council if they found any issues?

Also, I've just had a look through the lease for the property, and although there are floor plans for the rest of the house there's nothing about the loft - so would anyone even question it when the house came to be sold?

The structural engineer will not notify the council because he is is working for you and to your instructions. You could be double safe by engaging him and making this a prerequisite of him issuing a report that it is in confidence between the two of you. In reality I have never come across such a problem, so do not worry.

I suggest you try a local Chartered Building Surveyor or Clerk Of Works. I say this because you do not want to end up with a structural engineer whose skills lean towards reinforced concrete or steel framed factories or bridges etc.

Be aware that lifting floorboards or removing plasterboard etc would not be part of their brief. The report can only be on what can be seen or detected - unless you DIY or negotiate with them on this.

hotpot1000

when you move you will be asked if youve had new windows fitted so they are wanting to know if they are FENSA certificated

AlexMac

I don't want to raise a red herring, and this may be nothing to worry about, in that everything is usually fixable, but if you live in a leasehold flat, it may be that you don't own the loft space. I know this may seem idiotic, as presumably you're in a top floor flat and no-one else can access the loft, but that was the position in a shared freehold which we owned til recently. The lease should specify what is shared and what is communal space; in our case, the lease, dating from the 1980's conversion, said that we owned the internal plaster of walls and ceilings, but that external walls, foundations and roof voids and timbers and the roof covering were in effect communally owned- part of the freehold rather than leased to individual flat-owners.

the lease also said that the freeholders (i.e. the joint owners, acting collectively) had to give permission for any major structural alterations.

None of this matters while you live there of course, but these will be Q's which are likely to be raised by any future buyers' solicitors.

Good luck sorting it.

kingstreet

Furts wrote: »

I would question this and side with martinsurrey. The structure of the house has been altered and, as such, is subject to the regulations.

For example, steels have been inserted and one needs assurance that this has been done correctly. If the bearings are unsatisfactory the results could be a disaster.

I do not wish to worry LouC but any competent builder knows of the regulations. The fact that no mention was made of these would make me wary of the work that was undertaken. It might be that the builder was ignorant, or it might be that he was trying to pull the wool over someones eyes. Neither is a good scenario.

Contact the local Building control office and take it from there.

The OP asked about building regulations approval and if the conversion is advertised as storage space only, BR evidence shouldn't be required.

I accept the other issues raised since and I would have expected the OP to have documentation to confirm the work was done to an acceptable/safe standard, if not to building regulations approval.

After all, any potential buyer is going to want to satisfy themselves that the property is sound. A survey or structural engineer's report would satisfy them, the question is, is it the vendor's responsibility to obtain such a report in advance, or to wait until it is requested at the time of a sale?

We are approaching the issue from slightly different points of view, IMHO.

Johnandabby

As the work includes new steelwork I would want to have a survey done for my own benefit now - Bldg Regs are there to check things are done correctly, so who checked the builder did it correctly? Bldg Regs applications are the responsibility of the homeowner, although you would hope that a good builder would mention it to you.

I wouldn't wait until you sell - get a surveyors report for £300/£400, and then keep a copy for when you sell. You need to know if there are any issues now that affect your safety, and if there are things that you need to rectify. If you look at it now you wouldn't need to worry when you come to sell.

Johnandabby

kingstreet wrote: »

The OP asked about building regulations approval and if the conversion is advertised as storage space only, BR evidence shouldn't be required.

Not true as the works included new steel beams - following copied from our local BCO website:

"Internal Alterations
Yes - if the work involved is!structural, removal or part removal of a load bearing wall, floor or chimney breast.

If the alteration involves the insertion of a beam or lintel, then!building regulation approval is required. We recommend that a structural engineer is engaged to calculate the support & bearings."

Even though it's storage, the new steel beams still require Bldg Regs.

kingstreet

Fair enough.

Others, yourself included, have kindly supplemented my lack of knowledge.