Buying house with no Building regs for loft - how safe?

G_M

Indemnity insurance is pointless. The council will not now inspect and/or enforce BRs, so insurance will never be needed.

As there is no BT certification, there is no paperwork to guarantee the standard of work or compliance.

So inspection is the only route to determine if it's safe In the various required ways (electrics, access, fire, structural strength etc) and meetsother normal standards (insulation etc).

MattMorgan

A structural engineer who is correctly instructed not "do a survey of the house", but "report on the structural integrity of the loft conversion and its compliance with current building regulations with particular regard to structure, means of escape, fire prevention, and insulation"

and you'll get a good answer.

I think that is exactly what I will ask.

Of course an extension needs building regulations certificate.

You're right I was so concerned with the loft conversion that I hadn't thought to make the same enquires on other building work.

No. Just because a loft conversion doesn't have BC sign off, it doesn't mean it is not a loft conversion without value.

I also agree with this statement and any offer we make will reflect that (subject to the inspections others have suggested), I wouldn't expect to inherit a loft for free but equally I am not sure it is wise buying a 3 bed house for the price of a 4 bed knowing it can only be sold as a 3 bed.

So inspection is the only route to determine if it's safe In the various required ways (electrics, access, fire, structural strength etc) and meets other normal standards (insulation etc).

So I'll need a structural engineer and an electrician?

Doozergirl

You're missing the point. If it is safe, it is absolutely saleable as a 4 bedroom house!

Someone already mentioned above that people on this board seem to treat loft conversions as some special thing with different rules. They are no different to extensions and houses without certificates.

Cakeguts

I didn't treat it as a 4 bed house because in the OP it says that the person who built the loft extension/ room ran out of money so it didn't sound to me like a real loft extension but more of a boarded loft with a fixed staircase but without the fire precautions and the extra insulation required.

MattMorgan

Hi Doozergirl

Thanks for the response - perhaps I am missing the point and will take your comment onboard.

The bank valued it as 4 bed and I'm sure someone will be happy to pay the extra 40k above the top end price it was valued at (and marketed at). I guess my point is it can't be advertised by an estate agent as a 4 bed and so may be challenging to sell as such. I don't want to get into too much of a debate about what it can and can't be sold for - ultimately it's whether it's its worth it for us - we're happy to pay what we think it's with and if we don't we can walk away and so can the vendor.

We love the house and just want to be sure really that it's safe. There's been a lot of good advice on this thread so thanks to everyone who commented

MM

MattMorgan

Hi Cakeguts

On visual inspection the room is done up really well but as we all know that's no testament to the safety.

Reading between the lines (and I won't know till I get more info) I suspect it was inspected and there were some non trivial changes recommended to make it compliant.

G_M

MattMorgan wrote: »

So I'll need a structural engineer and an electrician?

Depends what your concerns are.

If you are worried about structural integrity, you need the former. But he won't be an electrician, so if you are worried about the electrics you'll need the latter.