Loft Conversion with no approval

cjames7588

Hi everyone!

I am in the process of buying a house and on looking at the photos knew that the loft conversion did not meet building regulations as it does not have a permanent staircase/fire protected route down stairs etc. The current owners use it as a bedroom (at their own risk of course) and is not sold as a habitable space (despite the floorplan calling the space a study/bedroom!).

Having spoken to the builder, we have had confirmed that:
There is 100m rock wool insulation in the roof
It is unclear whether there is a 25mm ventilation void between insulation and felt
No new ventilation was added in the eaves or ridge
No independent vapour barrier was added behind the plaster board
There is no foil backed face on the plaster board

With all this is mind, bearing in mind the space has moved from a cold storage area to a warm storage area without adequate condensation protection, would you attempt to renegotiate the price for altering and improving the works?

There is an indemnity policy being take out however as far as I know this will only cover us if building control come and tell us to change it to make it comply, not if we end up getting condensation/damp due to the lack of ventilation etc.

Has anyone had this situation on buying a house before?

Please comment for clarification if this doesn’t make sense as it late and I’m tired

cjames7588

Ps, thanks in advance for reading and commenting!

davidmcn

When were the works done?

cjames7588

Within the last 3 years - no more specific date unfortunately.

Cakeguts

You have a nice boarded loft for storage. As long as you aren't pay anymore than you would normally pay for a house with loft storage you are paying the right price. There is only a problem if they are trying to charge you extra for the nice storage.

Davesnave

If you are not paying the same price for a house with this space as a genuine extra bedroom, I don't see the difficulty.


If you get a condensation problem, you install a hatch first. You then ventilate some more if that doesn't work out. Like cakeguts says, at worst, it's a nice extra storage space and at best maybe a hobbies room.

sevenhills

cjames7588 wrote: »

With all this is mind, bearing in mind the space has moved from a cold storage area to a warm storage area without adequate condensation protection, would you attempt to renegotiate the price for altering and improving the works?

It is not a loft conversion, no window and no stairs. You knew from the start what it was, why should you offer more/less?

cjames7588

Thanks to everyone so far. My concern is that we are paying too much when other houses with, give or take a few m2, are the same layout with an converted loft with hatch for around £10k less.

The space does have two velux windows which is why I think the agent may have bumped the price. I think I’d have no problem with it it I knew that the insulation and ventilation had been done in the build but that fact it hasn’t worried my slightly hence why I wanted some advice.

need_an_answer

re read your first sentence of the opening post...why if you "knew " then would you even put in a favourable offer and get mid way through the process of buying before showing your true hand.

Seems to me that you are the one now intentionally moving the goal posts.

At worse your conversion is a good storage space, at best an occasional room you should have pitched your opening offer in accordance with those factors.

cjames7588

I think moving the goalposts is not correct.
We have already, at our own efforts, discovered that ‘can’t find the stove certificate’ meant ‘wasn’t signed off and unknown to HETAS or building control’ and yes we did know that the loft space wouldn’t meet building regs but we’re unaware until last week that it wasn’t built to sustain constant heating.

We made a ‘favourable offer’ as we saw the house first and didn’t want to lose it after trying to offer less.

Davesnave

Many of us find that a house we offer on has a snag or two we were unaware of from first inspections. Sometimes it's physical and sometimes legal.

We then make a decision whether to ignore ithe issues, walk away or negotiate further.

You're adding a non-certificated stove into the mix now, which is something I'd not ignore myself, but you knew the loft was non-compliant and that's exactly what it is; it's just the type of non-compliance which bothers you now.

You also seem to be saying you're paying too much when other sold price data is properly considered.

OK then,it's simple enough: put these points to the vendor with a revised offer and live by the consequences.