Attic conversation selling no paperwork help please

Kay14

Hi,

I have a bungalow which a bought with an attic bedroom in 1995. I now have it up for sale as having an en suite bedroom on the first floor. I have suddenly got worried because I do not have any paperwork for the conversation. Could this be a problem with the sale? What are my options to resolve the problem if it could be one, how much would they cost, what are their timescales and what would they involve please? I did refurnish the room in 2008; I had it rewired ( I have paperwork for this), new radiators, new insulation, the eaves boarded and the en suite fitted. The builder said I did not need to do anything as the room was already there.

To further complicate matters I have found somewhere I would like to move to and can reserve it for two months for a deposit so want any sale on my home to go through with no problems!

A response would be gratefully received
Thanks
A very worried homeowner

Sent from my iPad

Davesnave

If it was a conversion done before 1995, no one is going to be interested in enforcement, and if there were structural issues they'd have shown up by now. If you did extra work on insulation, wiring etc and hold evidence of this, that's good.

You may find that a buyer's solicitor requires indemnity insurance in lieu of paperwork, but that will come at a fairly low cost. Your response should always be the fact that the conversion was done before your time.

As a buyer, I would be mainly interested in there being adequate means of egress in the event of fire in the staircase area, and maybe a fire door too. Any lack of PP or building regs from an indeterminate time so far back wouldn't put me off if the structure looked sound.

Kay14

Can anyone else offer some advice please, I really am worried. Should I discuss it with my estate agent and or solicitor?

Thanks

lincroft1710

Your solicitor will try and sell you an indemnity policy, your estate agent will either make soothing noises or tell you a load of rubbish. Nothing can really be added to Davesnave's post.

davidmcn

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Your solicitor will try and sell you an indemnity policy, your estate agent will either make soothing noises or tell you a load of rubbish. Nothing can really be added to Davesnave's post.

I concur with the above - other than I would hope your solicitor will give you some more useful advice - they aren't going to sell you an indemnity policy unless and until a transaction is underway and that seems the best way of getting a buyer to accept the position.

[Deleted User]

When we sold a house about 8 years ago, there were some questions asked by the buyers solicitor. We paid around £100 for an indemnity policy I think, and the buyers lender was satisfied.

Kay14

Thanks for all the advice which has been reassuring.

My only thought is whether I should go along the route of getting building regs whilst I am waiting for a buyer. Any thoughts on this please?

It is a bungalow and the bedroom and en suite is within the roof height. Does this mean it does not need planning permission?

I am very grateful for the replies guys.

davidmcn

I think you should do nothing. It's been there for 23+ years (any idea how old it already was when you moved in?), which means it's too late for the council to do anything about it even if they could be bothered. The easiest solution is an indemnity policy, but that isn't an option if you've already tipped off the council about a possible breach (even though in practice they won't / can't do anything anyway). So keep your head down.

Davesnave

The Building Regs for twenty-something years ago are no longer relevant and it probably wouldn't meet current ones, even assuming you could expose enough of the structure to find out. Not recommended.

As for planning permission, it would probably fall under permitted development today, unless a window was installed in the principle elevation, which is usually the one facing the road.

The local authority has 4 years to challenge anything built without PP which should have had it. After that, provided the structure has not been deliberately hidden, it automatically becomes immune from enforcement action.