>20 year old garage conversion. Selling up.

davidmcn

Ozzuk wrote: »

Hard to see how you can market it as a habitable space if you can't prove it, estate agents will know it is common for people to convert these so unless you can prove it is up to spec it should be priced accordingly (IMO). Same goes for loft spaces.

There's no need to "prove" anything for building works which are this historic - they're well beyond the timescale for any enforcement action, and if they were up to any sort of spec it would have been regulations long since superseded.

Like I said above, why not be equally (or more) concerned about not seeing building regulations for the house itself?

Ozzuk

davidmcn wrote: »

There's no need to "prove" anything for building works which are this historic - they're well beyond the timescale for any enforcement action, and if they were up to any sort of spec it would have been regulations long since superseded.

Like I said above, why not be equally (or more) concerned about not seeing building regulations for the house itself?

I agree, mostly, but garage conversions that aren't done to any real spec are very common, so it is a fair assumption it might not be a habitable space, same as a loft conversion with no paperwork. However, for the majority of the house you'd assume all was fine.

I stand by my point, unless it is clear it is a good conversion (difficult to tell without a destructive inspection) then hard to sell it as a habitable room, just IMO of course and I'm not the one buying!

Cakeguts

They probably suspect that is it going to come up on surveys.

Mistral001

Estate agents will play it safe. Some would only call it a three bedroom house if it was clearly a garage converted into a bedroom. You could hunt around for an estate agent who will not mention the "problem" and classify it as a four-bedroom house, but I would not bet on getting one.

Garage conversions are rarely done to a high standard if they have not obtained building control approval. The walls of garages are usually not cavity and have no insulation or dampproof membrane in the floor. Also, because the door is closed off during a conversion the escape distances in case of fire have been increased.


I would consider getting retrospective Planning and Building Control Approval as the increased price you get will probably outweigh the costs of getting the approvals.

PS. Mortgage valuation surveyors will probably flag up the conversion to any mortgage providers so you might limit your market to cash buyers.

lincroft1710

Mistral001 wrote: »

I would consider getting retrospective Planning and Building Control Approval as the increased price you get will probably outweigh the costs of getting the approvals.

Problem being is that although .the conversion may have been up to Building Regs standards in force when it was carried out, it most probably won't meet current standards.

They could try for a Regularisation in regards to planning, but there is little point as the time during which lack of PP could be enforced has long, long passed.

pattypan4

wait until the solicitors get onto the case, they ask for any and every bit of paper to do with anything that has changed. I was asked for paperwork from 6 years prior to moving in. That is when the stress well and truly starts and I would start saving for the indemnity insurances they have you buy

EssexGirl

Looks like we are in for fun when we sell then! I'm hoping an indemnity insurance will go some way to sorting it out.

Ozzuk

EssexGirl wrote: »

Looks like we are in for fun when we sell then! I'm hoping an indemnity insurance will go some way to sorting it out.

I wouldn't worry too much, you paid for it as a 3 bed, it should be valued/viewed as a 3 bed so you aren't losing out.

MalcRH12

If there is worry about the estate agents not removing the useless note about the garage conversion then why not go with an online one where you have more control over what goes in the ad and you pay significantly less commission. Yes I know there are cons to this approach but there are also cons to using traditional high street estate agents

Doozergirl

I'm trying to work it how it would ever be sensibly marketed as a 4 bed if the 4th bedroom is downstairs anyway.

Most people wouldn't accept it. For some with particular needs, perhaps, but they'd look at the downstairs potential of any house. The advertised number of beds wouldn't be important, the number of reception rooms would.

The building regs thing will be an issue to some, but mean nothing to others. The house will sell to someone without being directly down-valued.

I wouldn't be selling it as a 4 bed though. You didn't even buy it as one. What's the point? You'll disappoint more people than you'll impress.