Does this meet building regs?

marcsshell

http://https://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67996549.html

Hi all,

A young girl at work is planning on buying her first house and has seen the above. It’s not in all that good an area but she seems ok with that. When she was showing me the pictures I was a bit concerned with the loft conversion which she is planning on using as her bedroom if she does buy it.
From the pictures does it look like it would have passed building regulations?

I have offered to go with her to view this house and any others she may be interested in as her family are all down south and I know buying your first home is a big thing so just wanted to offer moral support and hopefully notice things that she may not.

davidmcn

I doubt it's ever complied with building regulations, but judging from the decor it seems to be decades old - so (a) no risk of the council suddenly knocking on the door wanting her to do something with it, and (b) if there were any structural issues caused by the conversion they'd have manifested themselves by now.

It does at least seem to have a permanent staircase (of sorts) and a door separating it from the first floor.

Bossypants

I find it hard to imagine a 16 year old buying property in this day and age. Presumably you mean 'an adult woman'?

That being said, while your link isn't working for me, it's often good to have a second pair of eyes looking at a property, so good on you for offering. Do encourage her to get a surveyor too, though, they can turn up some very unexpected things at times.

marcsshell

Bossypants wrote: »

I find it hard to imagine a 16 year old buying property in this day and age. Presumably you mean 'an adult woman'?

That being said, while your link isn't working for me, it's often good to have a second pair of eyes looking at a property, so good on you for offering. Do encourage her to get a surveyor too, though, they can turn up some very unexpected things at times.

Yep she is in her early 20s which to me is a young girl :rotfl:

Carlos77

Check for signs of cracking on the first floor ceiling, that's a tell-tale sign of a non-compliant conversion, as its a sign of the floor timbers being undersized and deflecting excessively. Also check on the local councils planning portal to see if there has been anything that is listed there for work on the house

marcsshell

Thanks, I will speak to her about it and hopefully she will do her homework thoroughly before she decides if she wants to purchase it or not.

Doozergirl

No, it doesn't meet building regs. Be very careful with these sorts of houses as the worst bodges I have ever seen have been in these cheap terraced houses where it's not saving a few quid on building control approval, there's just a blatant disregard for basic safety. The purlins aren't visible, which they normally are on a small loft conversion. Have they been cut? Can be common in bodged conversions.

Single glazed winow indicates real age or a disregard for quality. There is no radiator up there and I doubt any insulation. It will be Freezing up there.

I wouldn't sleep in that if you paid me. If you consider how much a proper loft conversion costs, it would cost more than the house could ever be improved in value by - exactly why these things are bodged. Even simple improvements have no impact on the value. It's money down the drain.

Anyone capable of raising a mortgage will bypass this sort of house and look at something more expensive. They are difficult to sell and your neighbours are largely transient and potentially troublesome as most houses are owned by investors and the quality of housing stock poor.

Owain_Moneysaver

The stairs look very bad and almost certainly don't comply.

I can't see any smoke detectors anywhere, and the doors probably aren't fire doors either. Doesn't look the right size or position for an escape window from the loft either.

Mr.Generous

Doozergirl wrote: »

No, it doesn't meet building regs. Be very careful with these sorts of houses as the worst bodges I have ever seen have been in these cheap terraced houses where it's not saving a few quid on building control approval, there's just a blatant disregard for basic safety. The purlins aren't visible, which they normally are on a small loft conversion. Have they been cut? Can be common in bodged conversions.

Single glazed winow indicates real age or a disregard for quality. There is no radiator up there and I doubt any insulation. It will be Freezing up there.

I wouldn't sleep in that if you paid me. If you consider how much a proper loft conversion costs, it would cost more than the house could ever be improved in value by - exactly why these things are bodged. Even simple improvements have no impact on the value. It's money down the drain.

Anyone capable of raising a mortgage will bypass this sort of house and look at something more expensive. They are difficult to sell and your neighbours are largely transient and potentially troublesome as most houses are owned by investors and the quality of housing stock poor.

Single glazed window, Wow, I can hardly see the thing. Good spot. The other thing with poor conversions in lofts apart from being freezing five months of the year is they are boiling hot for another three months at least. Still leaves a possible four months where you could use the room I suppose. And that looks more like a ladder than stairs, isn't there a building reg's definition regarding the angle it becomes a ladder?

Oh Just remembered, if the link doesn't work take the S out, ie HTTP not HTTPS

Mr.Generous

link http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-67996549.html

marcsshell

I thought the same regarding the stairs as they do look more ladder type. I didn't look at the advert properly but she said it has been on the market for quite a while.
Will tell her to steer clear of that one.