Does Homebuyer survey tell you which wall is load-bearing?

okigen

Hello, I have had an offer accepted for a flat in a building built about 35 years ago, so now I'm looking to book a Homebuyer survey.

My question is, will it tell me which wall in the flat is load-bearing? The reason is because I'm thinking of changing the room layout a little bit upon moving in.

(FYI I'm FTB, in case it isn't obvious by the question )

Many thanks!

hazyjo

Probably not unless it appears a wall has already been removed.

You will also need the freeholder's permission to make structural changes. There may be a charge for changes.

AnotherJoe

hazyjo said:

Probably not unless it appears a wall has already been removed.

You will also need the freeholder's permission to make structural changes. There may be a charge for changes.

.... if they are allowed.  I know that's implicit in asking freeholders permission but sometimes people seem to think the fact you need to ask for permission means you'll get it. 

If these changes are important  to you you will either need to try and ascertain if permission is likely to be granted or decide if you'd still be happy with your purchase  if it's denied. And note even if the walls are not load bearing you may still not get permission. 

hazyjo

AnotherJoe said:

hazyjo said:

Probably not unless it appears a wall has already been removed.

You will also need the freeholder's permission to make structural changes. There may be a charge for changes.

.... if they are allowed.  I know that's implicit in asking freeholders permission but sometimes people seem to think the fact you need to ask for permission means you'll get it. 

If these changes are important  to you you will either need to try and ascertain if permission is likely to be granted or decide if you'd still be happy with your purchase  if it's denied. And note even if the walls are not load bearing you may still not get permission. 

Good point that needed spelling out. Should've said that asking for permission also means it could be denied!

LAD917

I'd recommend flagging this to your solicitor, who should be able to give an idea based on the lease and management pack whether this is allowed, what permissions are required, and how much it's likely to cost.  Spoiler alert: it's likely to be more than you think.

The freeholder may also not accept your or your surveyor's assessment that a wall is not load-bearing.  E.g., my building has taken the position that certain stud walls have become partially load-bearing due to settlement of the building over time.   Any adjustment to these walls is treated as structural and requires the wall to be rebuilt as load-bearing. 

I looked into moving one small portion of a wall, and it was going to cost me 8k in fees (albeit in a listed building, though with nothing interesting/original inside).  I decided to live with it and invest the money into better finishes instead.

okigen

Many thanks everyone. I'll ask the solicitor about the terms then.

It's a share of freehold... Meaning you'll speak with the freehold company of which you are a shareholder?

AnotherJoe

okigen said:

Many thanks everyone. I'll ask the solicitor about the terms then.

It's a share of freehold... Meaning you'll speak with the freehold company of which you are a shareholder?

Which in practice means, the other occupants (unless some are let out).

They may be less than enthused by the disruption that you might bring though? Especially a "newcomer" , indeed not even that yet ? Just my thought, that people living there might be less inclined to give permission than a faceless management company who dont have any personal investment in the building and wont have any mess or disruption, skips, builders etc??

OTOH at least it should be easier to get in contact with them.

quotememiserable

Regarding the original question - outside walls will be load bearing - the roof sits on them. Inside walls are load bearing if there's a wall upstairs directly above. If the wall is on one floor only, normally not load bearing.

LAD917

okigen said:

Many thanks everyone. I'll ask the solicitor about the terms then.

It's a share of freehold... Meaning you'll speak with the freehold company of which you are a shareholder?

Probably with the managing agent?  With a share of freehold, you're somewhat less likely to get completely fleeced, but your neighbours and/or the management company may want their own surveyor, structural assessments, etc.  The building I mentioned is share of freehold, and the directors tend to defer to the managing agent.

Section62

quotememiserable said:

Regarding the original question - outside walls will be load bearing - the roof sits on them. Inside walls are load bearing if there's a wall upstairs directly above. If the wall is on one floor only, normally not load bearing.

This (as a generalisation) is untrue and misleading. And there is not enough information about the flat the OP is looking at to be specific.

Lots of flats have external walls that are non-loadbearing.  Some flats have the external walls supported by the roof.

Inside walls will be loadbearing if the designer intended them to bear a load - and loads aren't just about what is 'directly above'.  Internal walls might be provided for lateral support, or could be supporting a perpendicular wall. Conversely, having an internal wall upstairs directly above doesn't automatically make the wall below loadbearing.

It is impossible to guess at whether a wall might be loadbearing without having a lot more information about the building.

eddddy

okigen said:

Many thanks everyone. I'll ask the solicitor about the terms then.

It's a share of freehold... Meaning you'll speak with the freehold company of which you are a shareholder?

If the property is 'Share of Freehold' - this might turn into a nightmare.

You will probably be dealing with a group of joint freeholders who don't understand building construction, structural engineering, and leasehold legislation. And maybe don't understand what constitutes 'unreasonably withholding consent', etc.

And if it turns 'nasty' with both sides having to take legal advice etc, you could end up with very frosty relations with your neighbours.

But I guess it's also possible that they will be a laid-back bunch who don't care too much what you do. Or others have removed walls already, so they won't worry to much about you doing it as well. (But it might also be worrying, if they let leaseholders make structural changes without carrying out their own due diligence first.)

Maybe a good idea is to float the idea of removing a wall with the joint freeholders - and see what vibes you get back. If people seem generally hostile to the idea, maybe just give up on it.