Buying a house with a garage converted to bedroom that doesn't have building regs certification

Phase66

Hi MSE folks,
We are looking to buy a house that has a garage converted to a bedroom down here in Cornwall. The estate agent hasn't included the new bedroom in the number listed as it hasn't been done with approval or certification of building regs. I'm struggling to find what the process would be to get the change certified if we chose to go ahead with the purchase, does anyone here know?
There is a new exterior wall with uPVC window where the garage door once was which was built to a good standard and the rest I can bring up to standard by having the electrics certified plus some insulating and re-lining. Would it be best to do this first or to get in touch with the council? How do I find the council contact for such matters?
Thanks a million in advance
Rich

Surrey_EA

At this stage don't contact the council. This will close off other avenues to resolve the problem that could be useful later.

It's important to know when this work was done - if it was 2 years ago that's one thing, if it was 32 years ago that's something else.

Newnoel

Call your council's Building Controls department on a "no names basis"  to ask them if you can apply for ‘regularisation’ - retrospective approval for work already carried out without consent.

AdrianC

When was the conversion done?
Unless it was very recently, there's no way the council can enforce failure to get the BR signed off.
Unless it was fairly recently, there's no way the council can enforce lack of planning permission.

There is no official listing of the "number of bedrooms" that means anything very much. Nobody is going to stop anybody sleeping in there.

Are you just worried about paperwork, or about the quality of the work?

Phase66

Thanks for such quick responses!
Great to hear that it isn't likely to be demended to be returned to its original purpose.

I will find out when the work was done, it is most likely around a year old based upon my limited viewings.

@Newnoel I will get in touch with them anonimously once/if we have purchased, thanks for the tip.

@AdrianC I was worried about the council finding out in the near future somwhow and me having to immediately foot the bill of any rectifications they saw fit. We are stretching our budget and I hope to deal with it over the course of years not days.

All the best and thanks again
Rich

Lokolo

If you contact the council and they are aware of the lack of buildings regs, you will then be unable to get indemnity insurance. 

Newnoel

Phase66 said:

@Newnoel I will get in touch with them anonimously once/if we have purchased, thanks for the tip.

You need to do this before you exchange. Why risk buying something that you will have to knock down?

eidand

Newnoel said:

Phase66 said:

@Newnoel I will get in touch with them anonimously once/if we have purchased, thanks for the tip.

You need to do this before you exchange. Why risk buying something that you will have to knock down?

well, for one, they will be paying the price for a house that doesn't count that as a bedroom and if it can be rectified then they have one extra proper room, which is always handy. There could be a win in there.

Newnoel

eidand said:

Newnoel said:

Phase66 said:

@Newnoel I will get in touch with them anonimously once/if we have purchased, thanks for the tip.

You need to do this before you exchange. Why risk buying something that you will have to knock down?

well, for one, they will be paying the price for a house that doesn't count that as a bedroom and if it can be rectified then they have one extra proper room, which is always handy. There could be a win in there.

Or they could be paying the costs to reverse the existing conversion.

They need to be clear on this, rather than take a gamble, which is why a "no names" conversation with the council is neeed

hazyjo

I'd probably be just as worried about it being bloody freezing in there. A friend had a converted garage and he just never used that room. The lighting and heating were terrible and it never really felt part of the house.

What heating is in there?

Even if you're not paying for the room, what are you paying for? If not a garage, it should be even cheaper than similar properties with garages or conversions. Not sure why they'd have wanted to devalue their house rather than doing a proper job.

Phase66

We are surely paying a good price for a 3-bed and not a 4. There is a quality window in plus a radiator and electricity although I'm obviously not sure about the quality of the wiring as they wouldn't let me take the room apart as someone was clearly living in there fulltime. I have budgeted for removing all the wall and ceiling boards and insulating everything properly which is mostly my man-hours vs material cost.

I just heard that the previous owners did the work and so it has definitely been this way for at least 14 years! So much for my guess of a year

So hopefully @AdrianC you are right about the council having no say over the lack of planning permission or BRs. Should I get this confirmed with a solicitor or does anyone have a link to some kind of building regs statute of limitations at all?

Thanks everyone!
Rich