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No building regs for loft conversion
purplestar133
Posts: 1,731 Forumite
I'm in the process of buying a 2 bed house plus loft room (FTBer). The surveyor is going in this week.
The loft room is not classed as a bedroom (though the vendor does have a bed in it and seems to use it as a sort of spare room). It's all plastered and decorated, well presented and has electricity and a velux window, but no radiator. You can't really stand up in it. I'm about 5.5/6 and I can't stand up straight in it, I have to stoop. There is a steep set of backless wooden stairs to access it, which I would say are more of a ladder!
As I understand it (and I may be wrong) you need building regs for a room that is classed as habitable. I would argue this room might not be considered habitable as you can't stand up in it. I would use it for storage or possibly an office and if I came to sell it I would sell it as a storage/occasional room.
Do you think that's a fair argument to make? Do I need to be worried about this not having building regs? I really hope not!
The loft room is not classed as a bedroom (though the vendor does have a bed in it and seems to use it as a sort of spare room). It's all plastered and decorated, well presented and has electricity and a velux window, but no radiator. You can't really stand up in it. I'm about 5.5/6 and I can't stand up straight in it, I have to stoop. There is a steep set of backless wooden stairs to access it, which I would say are more of a ladder!
As I understand it (and I may be wrong) you need building regs for a room that is classed as habitable. I would argue this room might not be considered habitable as you can't stand up in it. I would use it for storage or possibly an office and if I came to sell it I would sell it as a storage/occasional room.
Do you think that's a fair argument to make? Do I need to be worried about this not having building regs? I really hope not!
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Comments
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Why are you arguing with anyone, once the bed goes, its a storage room/loft.
Who is saying any different???
Or have I misunderstood somethingmake the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
and we will never, ever return.0 -
you are buying as a two bedroom and you will be selling as a two bedroom .The only problem might be the position of the stairs but otherwise its storage space ."Do not regret growing older, it's a privilege denied to many"0
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Why are you arguing with anyone, once the bed goes, its a storage room/loft.
Who is saying any different???
Or have I misunderstood something
I'm not sure! I'm worrying about everything!
I suppose I'm wondering whether I should be buying a house with a loft room that doesn't have building regs. I'm wondering whether it needs to have them because even if it is not classed as a bedroom.
And if it does need them, then it might be prospective buyers (when I sell it) that I might be arguing with/trying to convince that it doesn't need regs when they ask if it has them!0 -
I suppose forgetting the legal intricacies, I would need to think about how safe the floor is ... If they are ceiling joists then they will be thinner and not designed to be walked on. If you are popping up to get something out of a box then it is less likely to give, but if you are walking on it a lot or having children jump about stamping their feet then you might want to know whether it's been reinforced.0
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Looking at your other post, it seems likely to me that you will be altering the loft anyway, if you are ever to get the recommended amount of 270mm of loft insulation in!0
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A quick search of "loft conversion building regs" brings up hundreds of previous discussions. What would you use this storage room for?Been away for a while.0
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