Flat renovations, Building Regs?

TranceNRG

Hi guys,
I'm after a bit of advice regarding renovations. Apologies if this is in the wrong section.

Some of you might have seen the previous thread I created about my new 2 bed garden flat (Period conversion) in West London. I'm going to do a complete refurbishment and sticking with the current layout:



I own 50% of the freehold of the building. The current kitchen and bathroom are housed in an extension to the building.

Here's the scope of work:

1. Decorate throughout – painting all flat, sanding down/re-plaster where needed, replacing skirting boards
2. Add a partition wall between the 2 bed rooms and remove the current door
3. Knock down the little partition wall in the hallway (next to the steps) so it’s open
4. New kitchen and bathroom (New tiles as well)
5. Install carpets in bedrooms and engineered wood in the hallway and living. Tiles in the kitchen
6. Remove water tank and current heater and install combi boiler (Worcester or Valliant) to make storage space under the stair case. Combi boiler to be installed in the new kitchen
7. Replace gas pipes and radiators
8. Rewire fuse box
9. New front door
10. New uPVC door in the 2nd bed room (opening to the garden)
11. Make the opening in the current living room bigger for French doors (increase the length by about 30cms but same width)
12. New uPVC window in bath room
13. New uPVC door and new uPVC window in the kitchen
14. Replacing the vinyl on the floor in shared entrance
15. New internal doors
16. Replace architraves where needed

I'm going to get the window/door supplier to fit them as well so I wouldn't need building regs as they will be FENSA registered.
The electrician/plumber will give me give me the certificates for fuse box and combi boiler.


Will I need building regs for anything else?

Will no 11, require building regs even though it's not making it any wider?

If I do need building regs, how much can I expect to pay?

I rang my other freeholder (he's in NZ) tonight and he said the extension wasn't done 'properly' back then ( I believe it was built in 1985). Will that affect the renovations I'm doing? Is there a chance the council could say I'd need to 'rebuild' the extension when they inspect the building (if building regs are needed for other work)

I've already arranged my builder to start work tomorrow but he said he's going to do strip out the wall paper tomorrow and not any big work. Should I postpone renovations?

Obviously I don't want to get in to the situation where council says I can't make those renovations or where I'm asked to spend a lot of money to 'correct' previous mistakes.

Really appreciate your advice.

thanks.

davidmcn

TranceNRG wrote: »

Will I need building regs for anything else?

Will no 11, require building regs even though it's not making it any wider?

2 and 3 probably will, not sure what you mean about length and width in relation to 11 but altering the size of an external doorway generally needs consent.

G_M

I suspect some of this will need BRs.
Contact your LA Building Control dept and discuss.

TranceNRG

davidmcn wrote: »

2 and 3 probably will, not sure what you mean about length and width in relation to 11 but altering the size of an external doorway generally needs consent.

I mean make the current opening bigger (remove couple of layers of brick) but we are keeping the same width. But I think you are right that I need building regs.

What if the extension at the back where current kitchen and bathroom are, was't built properly? Will I still be able to replace bathroom and kitchen, plumbing, heating, electrics, etc and get building regs?

TranceNRG

G_M wrote: »

I suspect some of this will need BRs.
Contact your LA Building Control dept and discuss.

Should I mention them what the other freeholder said (extension not being built properly) or I will be asking for more trouble?

I did ask my solicitor about planning permission for the extension and she said it had that but I didn't ask about building regs ( I didn't know about this). I'm a bit worried about this extension now

eddddy

It might have been better to ask the builder to deal with building regs / building control - they may have more experience than you in this area.

You could still double-check that they are notifying everything to building control, and then agree to pay the final balance to the builder when you get the building control completion certificate.

Handling building control yourself makes you the 'man in the middle' passing messages, trying to coordinate site visits etc. And if you tell the builder to do something which building control then reject - it's your problem, rather than the builder's.

TranceNRG

I can ask my builder about getting building regs for his work. I kinda mentioned it previously and he said he doesn't have the time to go to the council and I'd need to organise it. He does seem to have very good feedback on mybuilder and I have seen his work as well.

What about the existing extension that might not be 'structurally sound' according to the other freeholder. I got in touch with him again today and he said they tried to build an extension to their 1st floor flat on top of my extension but was told by their architect or the builder that the extension might not be structurally sound build another one on top of it.

If building control come to the flat to inspect the new work, will they ask me to fix the issues in existing extension (knock it down and rebuilt it???) or is there a chance they might not issue building regs due to the existing problems?

Is contacting Building control for the council a good idea?

eddddy

TranceNRG wrote: »

If building control come to the flat to inspect the new work, will they ask me to fix the issues in existing extension (knock it down and rebuilt it???) or is there a chance they might not issue building regs due to the existing problems?

If the building is dangerous (i.e. likely to fall down, cause injury etc) they will take action.

Otherwise, if the extension is over 12 months old, they cannot take enforcement action for failing to comply with building regs.

See: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/responsibilities/buildingregulations/failure

TranceNRG wrote: »

What about the existing extension that might not be 'structurally sound' according to the other freeholder. I got in touch with him again today and he said they tried to build an extension to their 1st floor flat on top of my extension but was told by their architect or the builder that the extension might not be structurally sound build another one on top of it.

This is illogical.

The extension can't take the weight of another storey above it - but that doesn't make it structurally unsound as a single storey building.

(My car couldn't take the weight of of another car on top of it, but that doesn't mean it's 'structurally unsound' when it hasn't got another car on top of it.)

TranceNRG wrote: »

I can ask my builder about getting building regs for his work. I kinda mentioned it previously and he said he doesn't have the time to go to the council and I'd need to organise it.

Well - you need to make your own judgement.

- It could be that he's an excellent builder who doesn't like dealing with bureaucracy - so he offers a good price, as long as the client does all the 'nasty' admin.

- Or it could be that he's a bodger who doesn't want anything to do with building control.

TranceNRG

eddddy wrote: »

If the building is dangerous (i.e. likely to fall down, cause injury etc) they will take action.

Otherwise, if the extension is over 12 months old, they cannot take enforcement action for failing to comply with building regs.

See: http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/responsibilities/buildingregulations/failure

I don't think the building is dangerous as the survey didn't highlight any highlight any structural issues apart from a minor issue with the extension's roof. Also my builder said the extension seemed fine to him. Obviously being new to all this I'd thought I'd play it safe and get a clear picture first before going ahead with renovations

This is illogical.

The extension can't take the weight of another storey above it - but that doesn't make it structurally unsound as a single storey building.

(My car couldn't take the weight of of another car on top of it, but that doesn't mean it's 'structurally unsound' when it hasn't got another car on top of it.)

Yeah you are right. The other freeholder probably didn't know what he was talking about..

Well - you need to make your own judgement.

- It could be that he's an excellent builder who doesn't like dealing with bureaucracy - so he offers a good price, as long as the client does all the 'nasty' admin.

- Or it could be that he's a bodger who doesn't want anything to do with building control.

I think it's the former as he seems to have a lot of good feedback on mybuilder.com

I had a few other builders come to give me quotes as well and only one builder mentioned about organising building regs.

TranceNRG

So I just want to confirm, any new work I'm doing to the flat (including plumbing and electrical work in the extension) won't be affected by the condition of the extension? (provided it's not going collapse of course)

Angie_B

TranceNRG wrote: »

So I just want to confirm, any new work I'm doing to the flat (including plumbing and electrical work in the extension) won't be affected by the condition of the extension? (provided it's not going collapse of course)

Honestly, no one can know what will affect your flat except the professionals who have inspected your flat. You seem to be putting an awful lot of faith into the opinions of faceless people on the internet who, without wanting to sound harsh, are going to be completely unaffected if your flat shifts structurally, you get a gas leak, you get sued for failing to comply with building regs, you cause damage to the flat above you and get sued by the remaining freeholder/leaseholder for said damage.

You were given the advice previously to get a professional (architect, engineer etc) to review your plans and give advice. There is a reason they are professionals - they also come with PI insurance - something that you will not be able to call on from any person on here.

I am not trying to be mean here but there are some things in life you really should pay for professional advice on.

(Doors also have heights and widths, not lengths - I am really not sure what you are referring to when you talk about lengths and widths of a door. Are you increaseing the width and thus increasing the size of the lintel? If so, then yes, this will undoubtedly need BR).