EWS1 B1- reasons to be concerned?

hermanbespalov

Hi all,
I am looking at buying a flat in a 10-storey building which was given EWS1 certificate with the rating of B1 last year. Are there any points of concern in your opinion?
Specifically, I am worried about:
1. Is it possible that the flat's rating changes to B2 at some point given the building does seem to have some combustible materials (as evidences by its EWS1 form?)
2. Is it possible that I'm buying a leasehold that might potentially make me liable for other fire safety improvements that could be introduced in the upcoming Building Safety Bill?
Would welcome any thoughts, thanks!

nightingale101

Hi there, I pulled out of a B1 rating property. Yes it is possible it could change to B2 not because anything new being added to it but because government guidelines are constantly changing as new materials I think are being found to be combustable when previously they have been marked as not. I am trying to find a flat that doesn't have any cladding issues at all but it's not just the cladding we need to worry about but other fire safety hazards such as insulation etc. 

NameUnavailable

Yes and yes.

niceguyed

The EWS1 is valid for five years so you need to consider that when you come to sell. Given how far the goal posts have moved in the last 12 months and the govs reticence to really offer any meaningful plan or enough money to resolve it, any flat is high risk regardless of its EWS1 status.

PebblesLife

hermanbespalov said:

Hi all,
I am looking at buying a flat in a 10-storey building which was given EWS1 certificate with the rating of B1 last year. Are there any points of concern in your opinion?
Specifically, I am worried about:
1. Is it possible that the flat's rating changes to B2 at some point given the building does seem to have some combustible materials (as evidences by its EWS1 form?)
2. Is it possible that I'm buying a leasehold that might potentially make me liable for other fire safety improvements that could be introduced in the upcoming Building Safety Bill?
Would welcome any thoughts, thanks!

Hi,

I'm in exactly the same predicament - I'm a FTB. I was a few weeks away from exchanging and then was sent the facade report saying it was a B2 rating due to timber decking on balconies (it's a 4 storey building with 3 floors or balconies) and also there's a section of HPL panels on the building (only a couple of small sections as the majority is brick and render). Letters were sent to the owners of the flat and then forwarded to me from the solicitors to say all remedial works needed to happen/waking watches etc.

They then got a different company to do a survey and it's now come back as a B1 with no works being done. I'm dubious that I'm going to enter into it on this basis only for it to change again.

Anybody have any experience of this happening or is it very unlikely to happen?! Just don't know if I'm being too cautious or not?! Argh!

RoisinDove

niceguyed said:

The EWS1 is valid for five years so you need to consider that when you come to sell. Given how far the goal posts have moved in the last 12 months and the govs reticence to really offer any meaningful plan or enough money to resolve it, any flat is high risk regardless of its EWS1 status.

Does that include period conversions flats are only flats in tower blocks?