Retrospective Building Regs - HELP

hivoodoodoll

Three years ago I bought a 1930s style terraced house. It was advertised as a three bed with a loft conversion. Although I asked when putting in an offer if the loft conversion had been signed off, and was told yes, I soon found out, through the survey, that this was not the case. I still went ahead with the purchase as I didn’t technically need a third bedroom and the price of the property was good even for a two bed.

I think I have indemnity insurance for the loft conversion and I think I was told that if I wanted to get retrospective building regs for it it would cost about £35,000. This is because I would need to put holes in the walls and ceiling to find out if the joists with the right thickness, if the installation was correct and if the stairs complied with building regs now.

The loft room is a great size with one velux window but it’s very cold in winter and very warm in the summer so I am assuming that the insulation is not up to BR. The staircase, although it’s great, has steps that are very narrow so I don’t think they would pass BR either. Obviously I have not been able to see the joists but I’m assuming they are not up to standard for it to be a fully complied bedroom.

So taking the situation as the loft not complying to BR am I right in thinking that, a) I would have to get the right insulation b) take up the floor to put in bigger joists? My only concern is that the stairs would not be able to be changed to comply to BR now and if that was the case then there would be no point in doing any of the above.

So I have two questions,
1) am I right in saying the above in regards to getting retrospective building regs?
2) I am having a bathroom refitted and in the process they are replacing the ceiling. I am assuming that when they take the current ceiling down they will be able to see the joists above it (which will be the floor of the loft room) And confirm whether or not they are thick enough.

Doozergirl

You're right about the main things that need to be up to standard to meet building regulations. There will be others but you've got the most expensive things listed. The £35,000 is a finger waived in the air, probably based on everything needing doing.

Yes, when you take down the bathroom ceiling you will see what is there so might be worth having a structural engineer take a peek at it then.

vw100

With 35k you should be able to redo the whole loft conversion!


Sensible to take out the ceiling and getting the advise of experts in, such as a structural engineer who would be able to advise on getting it through retrospective building regs.


For a fee some surveyors will liaise with building control to get it passed and also draw up plans for a builder to make the necessary changes to get it approved through BC. Only local authority Building Control surveyors can issue retrospective building regulations.

hivoodoodoll

Lol. I haven’t got 35k to spend plus it wouldn’t be worth it. Am thinking of putting in better insulation though.

Typhoon2000

If you just want to know for your self if the loft is !!!8216;safe!!!8217; it would a lot cheaper to employ a structural engineer to tell you and for go any building regulation approval. After all if you are in a 1930s house, the rest of the house will fail building regulations completely anyway. It may well be the recently constructed floor in the loft is safer than the 1930s floor 1st floor you have already.