replaced windows - now wanting to sell property

phoebe1989seb

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

It might be a problem for the mortgage company, though.

It was for the mortgage lender our buyers used in 2014.

Like the OP, our (hardwood, double glazed, sash) windows were made by a specialist joinery co who just happened to not be FENSA registered, although we were not in a conservation area.

We (erroneously as it happened) believed the windows were covered by the building regs we had for other building work/alterations to the house.

Our buyers - offered asking price and didn't negotiate down after survey - didn't give a fig about lack of FENSA/building regs and loved the windows, but their lender wasn't happy, insisting (through their solicitor) that we provided the required documentation.

We offered indemnity insurance but as the windows had been fitted (just) less than twelve months previously the lender wasn't prepared to accept this - as I understand it indemnity insurance in such cases is for work done *more than* twelve months ago.

Eventually our solicitor found specialist indemnity insurance at a cost of £500+, but as it happened our buyer's solicitor forgot about it at the last minute and as we were approaching the twelve month cut-off, when they did remember we were able to get standard indemnity at a much lower cost.

As our buyers were so co-operative geverally and perfect buyers in every sense (not passing a £10k gazunder onto us when their buyer shafted them at the eleventh hour) there was no way we'd have expected them to pay for this......

chrisw

You can always get an inspection done by the Council's Building Control for around £100 to regularise unauthorised work instead. Although this obviously has the risk that they might find something amiss.

Since the regulations are about issues such as fire escape, as a buyer I would prefer this to an indemnity insurance so I know everything's in order.