Garage conversion 1999/2000 was building regs needed?

zzzLazyDaisy

Question on behalf of a friend (it is not my field of expertise).

Young couple bought a house which later turned out that one of the rooms had once been an integral garage. By this time they were aware that the room was a conversion, though they did not know this when they purchased. Their own seller form asked if there had ever been any building work, conversions etc and they answered honestly - 'yes, garage conversion to dining room, date unknown'.

It now transpires that there are no building regs for the conversion. Having made enquiries it seems that the mostly likely date that the conversion was done was around 1999 (2000 at the latest).

Of course they will need to discuss this with their solicitor who, unfortunately, is on holiday for two weeks leaving someone babysitting the file but unable to advise them whether Building Regs were required 15 years ago and/or how to go about regularising the situation.

Any information from people with some knowledge of this area may set their minds at rest.... or not... as the case may be!

Thanks

ethank

If it is a habitable room it would need Building regulations approval.

zzzLazyDaisy

Thanks.

Anyone know how to go about getting a regularisation certificate, what sort of time scale they would be looking at and ball park costs?

Thrugelmir

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Anyone know how to go about getting a regularisation certificate,

Presumably the build quality isn't up to standard though.

G_M

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Thanks.

Anyone know how to go about getting a regularisation certificate, what sort of time scale they would be looking at and ball park costs?

Depends if it meets the requirements. If it doesn't, the timescale will depend on availability of a builder to knock it down and start again......

zzzLazyDaisy

So basically, if the conversion is not up to standard (this isn't known yet, but it seems a reasonable conclusion based on the original seller's failure to disclose the conversion) would they need to return it to its original state - ie a garage? Or have the whole conversion re-done?

Or alternatively, if a garage is converted for use as a store room separate from the house but NOT offered for sale as a habitable room, just an external store room, would this still need building regs for the conversion from garage to store room? The reason for asking this is that there is a UPVC external door between the utility room (inside the main part of the house) and what was once the garage, which would have been the personal door between the house and the garage before the conversion, so when that door is closed and locked the main part of the house is entirely separate from the converted room.

Just exploring options.

Also, does anyone know how to find an Independent Approved Buildings Inspector who could come out and give initial opinion/advice. I am aware that this would cost, but I suspect that they will get a faster response than relying on the local authority.

Many thanks for the comments so far. It will at least enable them to ask the relevant pertinent questions of their solicitor on his/her return from annual leave.

lincroft1710

15 years after the event, it's unlikely Building Control would be interested. Building regs have changed and BC would be working to current ones, which a 15 year old conversion wouldn't meet and they may no longer have a copy of the 1999 regs.

Unlike loft conversions where there can be structural issues, most garage conversion problems are caused by poor heating/insulation. A less serious problem.

zzzLazyDaisy

Thanks for that information. It does at least put a more sane perspective on things for a young couple going out of their mind.

davidmcn

Obtaining an indemnity policy would I think be the usual and simplest solution (unless a surveyor thinks there is something actually needing fixed) - and probably the first to explore, as contacting the council could prejudice the cover.

phead

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Unlike loft conversions where there can be structural issues, most garage conversion problems are caused by poor heating/insulation. A less serious problem.

The major work on a conversion is always to reinforce the footing where the door would be, so it can take a wall.

lincroft1710

phead wrote: »

The major work on a conversion is always to reinforce the footing where the door would be, so it can take a wall.

Strange, I would have thought that being an integral garage, the foundations would have continued under the doorway. I am sure in the past I have seen this on houses under construction.