Buying house building reg issue

Halla26

Hi all


Currently buying a house and its been flagged up that the orangery attached does not meet building regulations. It is in fact classed and been built as an conservatory so requires separating doorsd into the kitchen. So this means it does not meet building regulations. We've been advised about having a indemnity to counter this?


Question is what would be normal practice in this situation?
Why apply for a conservatory instead of it being an extension/orangery to which it really is?

AdrianC

When was it built?

Halla26

2014 december

AdrianC

Halla26 wrote: »

2014 december

So right on the borders of when building regs breaches can be enforced by the local authority.

It's going to be cold. You might want to put doors in for warmth. I really wouldn't be overly worrying about an indemnity, though.

Halla26

As in to put right or take the extension fully down?

First house purchase and only found out yesterday so learning as I go with this one so I may seem a bit slow at the minute!

Luckily the conservatory/orangery is very well built as we had a survey done on it, so got a double glazed pilkingtons k glass roof. But warmth is not my issue yet, was more where do I stand if I go ahead with the purchase with the conservatory having no building regs on it and is the indemity the answer to all of this? Don't want to move in then to find out issues with the home insurance and it being classed as an illegal extension?

Thanks for the rapid response though!

nicter

We had exactly this when we bought this house in july 2016
A conservatory had been tagged on the back as a kitchen extension and doors had been removed between house and conservatory
Vendor took out an indemnity insurance as part of our purchase conditions
My thread at the time
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5400106

In hindsight the indemnity was worthless as conservatory we were told was over 10 years old

Doozergirl

You either settle for the indemnity or you have the doors put in which removes the non-compliance.

A conservatory with doors is an outbuilding and not usually subject to building regulations. If you want it open to the house it is an extension.

People anecdotally suggest that their conservatories are perfectly habitable but the build cost of conservatories really reflects that they are woefullly inadequate build quality for a lasting extension.