Help. Buying a house with no building regs

Janey09

Hi. I'm really hoping someone can help me. We are in the final stages of buying a house (exchanging contracts next week) and it has now become apparent no building regs for loft conversion or garage conversion. The garage simply has had the door taken off and bricked up with a window. The internal wall has had a door way knocked through. This was done 5+ years ago by a builder who said building regs weren't needed.

The loft has no access put in, just a drop ladder and has been boarded carpeted Velux windows electric points and plaster. This was done prior to who we are purchasing off.

Our solicitor has now said that indemnity insurance can be supplied and they are going to check with our mortgage lender that this is acceptable. In the meantime our solicitor has highly recommended that we get a surveyor in to check out the works but not really sure what they can do at this stage? Surely visually they can't pick up a great deal without moving plaster boards, carpets etc.

Once in we are looking at altering these rooms ie putting stairway to the loft and knocking garage wall through but obviously we will be doing these properly. Our worry is that the other works if we pay for our works to be done to meet building regs then the other work already done is picked up that it doesn't meet building regs therefore will need to do that to get it signed off. And also at that point possibly the indemnity insurance will be void as we bought it to their attention.

Hoping this all makes sense, any advice would be appreciated!

Hoploz

I asked my solicitor this question as we were in a similar case to you. She said the building inspector would not investigate anything other than the current application.

It sounds as though you would be needing to make the necessary alterations to the loft floor as part of your work in any case, indemnity or not, so they wouldn't be interested in how it starts off, only that it complies once you've finished!

Re the garage, if you're leaving this alone, is it cavity wall? Otherwise might be freezing. Is the floor level the same as the house? It should have had a step down into garage before conversion. There are prob other things but that's what springs to my mind as obvious questions to find whether its been done properly. And a lintel over the door but you won't know that by looking, just have to assume it was done ok.

ellie27

You have actually just brought to my mind the house we are buying...... the current owners converted the garage into a granny flat with sink/wc and garage door bricked up and replaced by a window. There is no front door of the garage, only entrance to it is the original side door which is located within our back garden. They have done various other things to the house, all of which the planning permissions are all online except the garage......

Is it a solicitors job to find out for us that planning permission is all there? How would the solicitor know they had converted the garage and therefor know to be looking for planning permission?

I better phone my solicitor!

Is there any way planning permission for this might not have been necessary?

Thanks!

Annie1960

OP

How was the loft described in the EA particulars? Is it described as a boarded loft, a bedroom or what?

Ditto for the garage.