Dream home has no building regs for loft conversion - please help!

chickaroonee

Pull out completely and lose my 'dream house'.

No I wouldn't change my opinion. I think you are beyond foolish actually - you've seen some photos of major building work and therefore you think the building is safe? Yet you seem to have no engineering background yourself? Just because he put steels in means nothing - you need to know (just for a start!) that they were the correct size.

Actually for me the fire regs aren't what would put me off your house most. It's the open plan aspect and not knowing that the floor is supported well enough.

There is a reason you can't afford what you want in the area you are looking - your budget isn't enough. I can and have seen plenty of houses in my area that I can't afford. You then of course have to compromise, but your compromise seems to be buying a potential house of horrors.

Fair enough if you go ahead, it is your money. It's a bit insulting though to say we'd change our minds if we saw the place. I really wouldn't; buying a house off a builder who didn't get building regs would be the last place I would buy. I would possibly consider a naive family who didn't know the rules (but probably not as I wouldn't be able to ascertain the work was safe) but certainly not a builder who knows better.

Has it occurred to you he has no choice but to tell you what you want to hear?

lessonlearned

Pull out completely and lose my 'dream house'.

I don't care how pretty the house is. No I would not see it and change my mind.

No regs, no purchase, no question.

chickaroonee

Pull out completely and lose my 'dream house'.

Do you need a mortgage? I would be surprised if your mortgage company would agree to lend on this to be honest. If it's your cash I guess it's up to you.

hazyjo

Pull out completely and lose my 'dream house'.

I'll get me coat...

Jx

Errata

A thorough survey? The vendor is going to love having a surveyor chipping away plaster and lifting flooring to thoroughly survey what's underneath.
In your shoes, with such an iffy property I'd chuck a few hundred quid at Pimlico Plumbers for a half hour walk through and report before spending significantly more than that on a structural survey.

SnooksNJ

On the plus side you won't need a lawnmower but seeing the two children's beds in the loft area after the issues brought up on this thread makes me sad.

casperlarue

Pull out completely and lose my 'dream house'.

After looking at the floor plans on the agents website, I'm left wondering if any structural calculations were done to provide proof that the long wall on the left side of the house ...... the lounge/diner wall ..... is strong enough to support the new steel beams where walls have been removed, plus the loadings from the new steel beams that have gone into the loft conversion. Along with those massive bi-fold door across the back, again another supporting wall removed at ground floor level.

What is the valuation on a 3 bed detached house on this area? I wouldn't be looking to use the loft room for anything other than storage.

You have had plenty of opinions regarding this property, I'm with the majority .... walk away, and fast.

martinsurrey

Pull out completely and lose my 'dream house'.

housebuyer77 wrote: »

He explained deviations to the approved plans by saying that planning law allows you to make small changes to agreed plans without having to go back and resubmit planning permission.

These are called minor amendments and need to be in WRITTING, and are from the PLANNING department NOT the building control, and planning don’t do site visits as par for the course.

See here

https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/12300/Planning-application-forms

(The council that covers the house)

Look at the fees table section 18.

He pays £28 and gets a letter confirming that the minor changes to planning have been accepted.

So that’s one porky from him.

housebuyer77 wrote: »

He is willing to obtain a gas certificate for the new boiler

This will not satisfy building regulations, he needs it to be signed off and notified to gas safe to get a building completion certificate

housebuyer77 wrote: »

and an electrical safety certificate.

He can do these himself as long as it was part of the building control application, but if not to get a completion certificate BC will need to inspect them, (read pull walls and floors up)

housebuyer77 wrote: »

He says the sash windows were bespoke and not from a FENSA supplier; his carpenter installed them as part of the works; he was the invoice for the windows but no regulations certificate.

Again, are these covered by the building regulation application, if so his carpenter must be able to provide the energy performance calculations for them, as you need to meet the building regulations energy performance criteria. If not, you can’t get a completion certificate without proving they meet the minimum criteria.

If they were not part of wither his original building control application, or FENSA installed, its going to be a new application, with new fees, and energy calculations done.

housebuyer77 wrote: »

I am quite reassured by these aspects.

I am not, he’s taking you for a mug (and by reading all your posts on this topic, I’m starting to agree with him).

housebuyer77 wrote: »

As for the info requested above, it was on the market 3.5 weeks at £610 then reduced to £595 and got the offers from the other party and ourselves that same week. Someone mentioned I can't get another 4 bed at that price because they are more expensive in this area. That is my whole point - I could not afford a house like this in the more affluent areas of Rickmansworth or Chorleywood, where for the money there you may have a compliant loft but a much smaller house with 70s decor, nasty bathrooms and kitchens.

We have been looking for 6 months but nothing we have seen in that time comes anywhere close to this place. If I can satisfy myself the rest of the work is good e.g. through a structural survey, and obtained a reduction on the price sufficient to pay for the reg work (surely it could not cost more than £20k?) then what is so bad about that? I know many on here think that's crazy but I'm sure if you took a close look at this place in person then many would change their opinions?

Its cheaper for a reason...

I think its clear that you are going to go ahead with the purchase, but be prepared for a rough ride.

Errata

No Fensa? So that means the widows are not compliant, just like the internal doors, the whole of the ground and first floors and the roof space. That's quite a lot of non-compliance.

chickaroonee

Pull out completely and lose my 'dream house'.

housebuyer77 wrote: »

Re. the windows this is the reply:

"The windows installed are not manufactured but were bespoke; therefore there is no FENSA certificate. An assessment could probably be made to a company in order to confirm that they comply, but it is not something we were concerned with.
The windows were made by The Original window Company; I have a copy of the estimate if you wish to see it.
Unit 13, Duttons Farm, Bangors Road South, Iver, SL0 0AY
The windows were installed by our master carpenter xxxx
The glass installed was Pilkington Glass (Period Stained Glass) fitted at the time of manufacture."

That's a fudge of an answer. Windows need to meet building regs, fensa is a self cert for that. Your builder says himself he's not interested in whether they met building regs or not.

Crikey I'm shocked at how naive you are.