Indemnity insurance loft conversion

Aylesbury_Duck

glasgowdan wrote: »

Some things such as loft conversions bring out the fear in people! Daily Mail headlines may be to blame.

Maybe, but when the OP reports this:

pma13 wrote: »

The surveyor...advises we will need works doing to upgrade ie windows, fire doors , stairs unlikely be fire rated, no mains operated fire alarms etc fire escape inadequate.

...then if it was a house I was buying, I'd be considering an offer that reflected the cost I'd want to incur to make sure it was safe. It's easy to be glib about the level of risk which admittedly is low, but when the OP is in a situation where they may be able to create the financial space to improve the safety of it, why not pursue it?

Doozergirl

RedFraggle wrote: »

So it is now a 3-bed with a "useful loft room" not a 4 bed. What impact has that on price in your area?

This isn’t true. It absolutely depends on the quality of the conversion. Not having building control sign off does not make a room not a room.

I find myself saying this over and over again. When people build extensions without Building Control Approval, no one on this forum pipes up to say it isn’t an extension and the price has to be reduced.

Clearly, if the ‘extension’ is a wooden lean-to it isn’t going to add value - same with a loft conversion. It’s about quality. BCA proves compliance, but a lack of it does not disprove it. The idea of quality shifts with time so there is no hard and fast rule about what qualifies.

Similarly, most houses with loft conversions never had sign off on the houses themselves when they were built, but yet it isn’t an issue.

jimbog

Doozergirl wrote: »

It’s about quality. BCA proves compliance, but a lack of it does not disprove it.

True. But it is the uncertainty that is the issue here and the risks with regards to safety that people are prepared to take.

Even if you were to buy it the next buyer would have similar concerns and it could hit you financially - the problem doesn't go away

Doozergirl

jimbog wrote: »

True. But it is the uncertainty that is the issue here and the risks with regards to safety that people are prepared to take.

Even if you were to buy it the next buyer would have similar concerns and it could hit you financially - the problem doesn't go away

Absolutely. My point specifially was that it is incorrect to make a blanket statement (which happens over and over again on this board) the lack of BCA automatically means that a house physically has less bedrooms and is worth less as a result. Even the phrase ‘useful loft room’ is utterly ridiculous.

Most, if not all houses come with issues. I’ve ripped up enough to know. And I’ve sold enough to know that many people will walk away over apparent non-issues where others are still perfectly happy to pay.

The surveyor has no structural concerns over this extension. It is a room. Fire safety should be improved but this is also the case for thousands upon thousands of existing conversions with BCA from a different era, and in fact, millions of existing homes without loft conversions.

Every house has to be taken on its own merits and people need to be aware that ancient BCA is not a sign for current quality and the ignorance of not obtaining BCA for a more recent addition is not an immediate sign of a structural problem.

Cakeguts

My main worry about this loft conversion would be if they haven't brought it up to the current fire regulations what else haven't they done? I would start with lack of insulation. So that it is freezing cold in winter and boiling hot in summer.

I personally wouldn't buy a house with a loft conversion simply because unless I took it apart I wouldn't know how it had been done or to what standard. There are houses that are built with rooms in the loft area as part of the design but they aren't conversions. Actually there is house not far from me that an ex next door neighbour nearly bought that had a loft conversion done many years ago where there surveyor pointed out that there were not enough supporting timbers in the roof. Just waiting for that one in 20 years winter and the whole thing collapses under a blizzard........The not enough supporting timbers is just bad construction.

unforeseen

Cakeguts wrote: »

My main worry about this loft conversion would be if they haven't brought it up to the current fire regulations what else haven't they done?

Unless a house has been built in the last few years then the whole structure, not just any loft conversion, won't meet CURRENT fire regulations.

All the law requires is that a structure meets the regulations in force AT THE TIME of construction.There is no requirement to update as the regulations change if no further work is being carried out.

I personally wouldn't buy a house with a loft conversion simply because unless I took it apart I wouldn't know how it had been done or to what standard.

To satisfy your paranoia then you would need to do the same with the house as well as that will not meet regulations. In fact, any house you buy unless new build off plan would require you to do that

macman

Surely the issue is not that the conversion does not meet current Building Regs, but that BCA was not obtained when the original conversion was done 10 years ago?
The purchaser will have the same issue when they come to sell, and will be expected to provide indemnity insurance themselves.
How can the surveyor possibly say it is structurally safe without removing the flooring to see how the steels have been inserted?
Bringing it up to current fire and insulation standards is another matter entirely.

lincroft1710

I agree with macman. If BR weren't applied for when the conversion was carried out, why weren't they? It always suggests something was not done properly even if the conversion would have complied with BR in force when built.

Cakeguts

unforeseen wrote: »

Unless a house has been built in the last few years then the whole structure, not just any loft conversion, won't meet CURRENT fire regulations.

All the law requires is that a structure meets the regulations in force AT THE TIME of construction.There is no requirement to update as the regulations change if no further work is being carried out.

To satisfy your paranoia then you would need to do the same with the house as well as that will not meet regulations. In fact, any house you buy unless new build off plan would require you to do that

My current house doesn't have a staircase that ends in a part of the house where there isn't an outside door.

pma13

Ok I get that it wouldn't meet current spec but if I re sell I can't list as 4 bed + my argument is that I thought I aS. Buying a 4 bed now it's just a posh loft room