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Re-jigging house after separation

Hi, in need of some wisdom from those in the know please!

My husband and I have separated recently but are still on good terms and living in the same house. It is in joint names and we have paid off the mortgage.

As we both love where we live and have no desire to move we have would like to split it into two living areas - him upstairs and me downstairs. This would entail adding a shower to our downstairs toilet by pinching a bit of the utility room, making the spare bedroom upstairs into a kitchen diner by adding a sink unit and a couple of base and wall units (no cooker, just a little table top hob/grill), and knocking a doorway from the kitchen/diner into the living room which will serve as my bedroom.

We will still own the house jointly and will be paying equally into the existing joint account for all bills so nothing will change there. The hall and staircase are 'neutral territory' and there is only one front door, and the 2 areas will nor be physically separated by locked doors.

We've had some quotes and nobody could foresee a problem except one builder who said this will make it 2 dwellings and we will need planning permission etc., and this has thrown us into a bit of a panic as we thought all we were doing was rearranging our living space to suit our circumstances.

Can anyone advise who is right please?

TIA
Oh dear, here we go again.
«1

Comments

  • I don't see it would be considered as two separate dwellings, it would still be one house but with two bathrooms and an added kitchenette, so I think the builder is wrong on that point.
    The whole idea sounds like it could be a recipe for disaster though, you might be on good terms now but what would happen if one of you ends up bringing someone home for the night? It could get pretty awkward.
    Also have you considered the impact any work you do will have on the resale value of the house? what suits two seperate adults might not be what a family of a couple want in a house.
  • Old_Git
    Old_Git Posts: 4,751 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! Cashback Cashier
    I assume you will have one water supply ,electric supply and gas supply .You won't need planning .You may need building control ,but this would really only be needed if you decided to sell.
    "Do not regret growing older, it's a privilege denied to many"
  • Hmmm, do you really want to hear him bumping his new girlfriend upstairs?

    Do you want him to hear you through the ceiling?

    Will be home be saleable after turning it into a "we can't move on" property

    Will you be happy when the 25 year old girlfriend double parks in the drive?

    I think the idea of splitting up is to lead separate lives. You need to move on
  • jennyjelly
    jennyjelly Posts: 1,708 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    Thanks for the replies. Yes all the utilities will remain as they are, nothing is being split, even the phone and internet will still be shared.

    Regarding resale, the way we are planning to do it will need minimal work to return it to it's original layout. The kitchenette can easily be removed and a downstairs shower room would hopefully be a good selling point.

    On the emotional side, we are both knocking on and neither of of is interested in new relationships. If it happens though (and it would only be on his side, not on mine as all I want is to live on my own) we will deal with that when it happens. If we need to sell because of it it wouldn't be a problem.
    Oh dear, here we go again.
  • pmlindyloo
    pmlindyloo Posts: 13,073 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Old_Git wrote: »
    I assume you will have one water supply ,electric supply and gas supply .You won't need planning .You may need building control ,but this would really only be needed if you decided to sell.

    Have to disagree with 'building control only needed if you decided to sell'.

    If you are changing one room (eg. the utility room into a shower) to a room with a different use then it is likely that you will need building control.

    http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/kitchensbathrooms/

    Not adhering to building regulations at the time you have the work done can lead to all sorts of problems when you come to sell (which eventually will happen even if it's a long time in the future.)

    Ring your local council and speak to building control, explaining what you need to do. They are usually incredibly helpful.
  • jennyjelly
    jennyjelly Posts: 1,708 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    Thank you, I'll check with the council. If we just went ahead and made our changes what would the repercussions be?
    Oh dear, here we go again.
  • jimbog
    jimbog Posts: 2,205 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
  • I know nothing about building control etc but might there not be a possible problem in the future if one of you needs to claims any benefits and your bills are in joint names from a joint account. You will have to convince the authorities that you are separated.
    "'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
    Try to make ends meet
    You're a slave to money then you die"
  • jennyjelly
    jennyjelly Posts: 1,708 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    Thanks jimbog, we've already been given that bit of advice by many many people!

    Good point PlymouthMaid Maybe I should just bump him off and done with ;)
    Oh dear, here we go again.
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 18,346 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    You may end up with 2 Council Tax bills, if you have 2 self contained units. Shared utilities and no locks on the doors won't affect this.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
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