Converting a house into a flat

Andrew_Ryan_89

Hi guys,

My dad currently has a 3/4 bedroom house and has always rented the upstairs. He is in financial trouble and is now looking to sell the upstairs flat. The problem is it was never full converted into its own flat (having separate gas, electric and water supplies). He has planning permission to do so but was told that the council needs to disconnect or connect something at ground level and once that's done he can start making the changes internally (new boiler, metres, etc.).

My question is -

1. In regards to the council bit, does anyone here understand what he's referring to and how to go about getting it sorted?

2. Regards to the cost of the council bit, any tough ideas as to how much it would cost?

Many thanks

Owain_Moneysaver

As well as planning permission he will need building regulations approval as he is creating a new dwelling. This means that fire separation, thermal and noise insulation etc must be to current standards. Additional off-street parking may also be required.

The council will allocate a new flat number which will be passed on to Royal Mail so that mail can be deliverable. The council will also manage any new pavement crossings / dropped kerbs that may be required.

He will also need to get a solicitor to register the upstairs and downstairs parts separately with the land registry, portion the garden, and sort out leasehold/freehold arrangements and access and maintenance over common parts.

jackyann

Begin by looking on your local council's website. Some councils offer free initial advice on building regs (ours does) but some want a fee for discussing.

I do think that they are the best place to start.

It is difficult to generalise. Usually they are helpful about the safety / building regs aspect and it can go through easily. If he already has planning permission (do check it is still current and nothing has changed) it is likely to be straightforward. However, it is not guaranteed, as, depending on the layout of the house, there may be safety issues.

Best to do it though, or he may find that he is uninsured.

Le_Kirk

Regarding your question 1, probably best to read the documents or ask the council.

Ectophile

Don't forget a new flat is going to need a new electricity supply, a new gas supply (if applicable) and a new metered water supply. So don't forget to get the relevant suppliers on-board. This will cost money to arrange.