No building regs and or completion certificate

AdrianC

Blush2783 wrote: »

We would have never put in an offer if we had known they didn't have approval as we have also been told that mortgage lenders wouldn't be happy

But you already know your own lender don't have an issue with it...

so if we wanted to sell in the future we could have issues too

...and that's with the work having been done within the last decade (just). If you sell in ten years, it'll be damn near twenty years since the work was done. If you sell in 15yrs, it'll be a quarter of a century since it was done.

and it may well invalidate house insurance.

It won't.

eddddy

If you're uncomfortable about the situation, obviously you shouldn't proceed. (Although it sounds like some people have been feeding you scare stories about home insurance etc.)

In general, houses without building regs approval tend to sell for slightly less - because it deters some buyers, and adds slight uncertainty.

So another purchaser might be pleased, because they get a nice house cheaply - because of the building regs issue.

fezster

Blush2783 wrote: »

Thank you very much everybody for all your replies. Cant believe how stressful it all is. We've moved twice before and have never had as many issues as this time. We love the house but the majority of people I have spoken to seem to be telling us that without the building regs approval we should walk away unless the current vendors sort it all out.

All the extensions have virtually doubled the size of the house and converted the loft into a 'master suite' so we aren't talking about a small amount of work. I'm beginning to think we will have to pull out but will be devastated and really fed up that they didn't mention it before as on the Law society property information form they'd put 'to follow'. No mention of them not existing and our solicitor requested them in writing again over a month ago. We would have never put in an offer if we had known they didn't have approval as we have also been told that mortgage lenders wouldn't be happy so if we wanted to sell in the future we could have issues too and it may well invalidate house insurance.

What was really quite funny was the Estate Agent called me yesterday saying the chain wanted to move the exchange date forward to next week!!!! I said without the certificates we wont be doing anything and the EA said 'oh they have all of those and they are being sent on to your solicitor'. I have no idea how she can think its such a minor issue and surely if they existed they would be listed on the local authority search which currently shows a big fat blank space under that heading.

Anyway, lets see what they send our solicitor......and thanks again for taking the time to respond.

It's possible the council havent updated their records, although this seems unlikely given the length of time which has passed. I'd wait to see what they produce, you may be lucky and they have the completion certificate, but you'd need to follow up with getting the council records updated if that's the case.

Hoploz

Let's hope the EA is right and the certificates really are 'to follow'
Good luck

Thrugelmir

eddddy wrote: »

(Although it sounds like some people have been feeding you scare stories about home insurance etc.)

Depending on the nature of the claim it is grounds that the insurance company can use to decline on.

Hoploz

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Depending on the nature of the claim it is grounds that the insurance company can use to decline on.

I'm sure this will be the case. You couldn't expect an insurer to pay out for a structural problem caused by illegal unsafe work! So if the roof falls in because it's not been properly supported and joists have been cut during a shoddy loft conversion, you can't expect to make a claim.

But I can't see that lack of building regs would completely invalidate a policy. Do they ask you when you take the policy out? I don't think so.

davidmcn

Hoploz wrote: »

I'm sure this will be the case. You couldn't expect an insurer to pay out for a structural problem caused by illegal unsafe work! So if the roof falls in because it's not been properly supported and joists have been cut during a shoddy loft conversion, you can't expect to make a claim.

But I can't see that lack of building regs would completely invalidate a policy. Do they ask you when you take the policy out? I don't think so.

The problem is more that "structural problems" aren't a risk which policies cover, whether or not consents exist. It wouldn't be valid grounds to refuse a claim for an unrelated risk.

AdrianC

davidmcn wrote: »

The problem is more that "structural problems" aren't a risk which policies cover, whether or not consents exist. It wouldn't be valid grounds to refuse a claim for an unrelated risk.

Hush with your facts and reality.

Blush2783

Hello everyone, thanks again for all your replies. Its been a bumpy few days but I am so pleased to say we received word from our solicitor this morning that he has now been provided with a completion certificate from the council dated last week!!!!! They had complied with building regs of the time but for whatever reason no completion certificate was issued.

Very happy and now keeping everything crossed that we do manage to exchange in the next week or so.

Hoploz

That's great news