Buying a property in conservation area, England

JonMitchell

Slinky said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

Have you looked at the Fensa website to see when the windows were installed? You can just put in the postcode and house number and it will give you the dates.

Thanks, just did a search and the address for the property did not come up.... the windows must have been installed after April 2002 as on google street view, I could see the windows are single glaze sash windows

Sounds as though they were done by a non-Fensa registered installer.

I agree. 

Now both converted loft and the uPVC windows are of concerns to us. If the seller is not able to exhibit building regulation approval/certificate for the loft conversion, it possibly means no insurance company will likely to take us up for it.

Never easy buying a property!!!!  

user1977

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

Have you looked at the Fensa website to see when the windows were installed? You can just put in the postcode and house number and it will give you the dates.

Thanks, just did a search and the address for the property did not come up.... the windows must have been installed after April 2002 as on google street view, I could see the windows are single glaze sash windows

Sounds as though they were done by a non-Fensa registered installer.

If the seller is not able to exhibit building regulation approval/certificate for the loft conversion, it possibly means no insurance company will likely to take us up for it.

No, this is nonsense. Buildings insurers don't ask about building regulation approval for such things.

GDB2222

Does indemnity insurance pay the cost of returning the windows to the original state?. 

user1977

GDB2222 said:

Does indemnity insurance pay the cost of returning the windows to the original state?. 

If that's the cheapest solution to any enforcement action, yes.

JonMitchell

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

Have you looked at the Fensa website to see when the windows were installed? You can just put in the postcode and house number and it will give you the dates.

Thanks, just did a search and the address for the property did not come up.... the windows must have been installed after April 2002 as on google street view, I could see the windows are single glaze sash windows

Sounds as though they were done by a non-Fensa registered installer.

If the seller is not able to exhibit building regulation approval/certificate for the loft conversion, it possibly means no insurance company will likely to take us up for it.

No, this is nonsense. Buildings insurers don't ask about building regulation approval for such things.

I do hope it is nonsense too. I called an insurance co and enquired if building insurance can be purchased. Explained the situation to them as per my OP and they reverted, sorry can't cover. Also mortgage lender reverted that they will not accept indemnity insurance either.

user1977

JonMitchell said:

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

Have you looked at the Fensa website to see when the windows were installed? You can just put in the postcode and house number and it will give you the dates.

Thanks, just did a search and the address for the property did not come up.... the windows must have been installed after April 2002 as on google street view, I could see the windows are single glaze sash windows

Sounds as though they were done by a non-Fensa registered installer.

If the seller is not able to exhibit building regulation approval/certificate for the loft conversion, it possibly means no insurance company will likely to take us up for it.

No, this is nonsense. Buildings insurers don't ask about building regulation approval for such things.

I do hope it is nonsense too. I called an insurance co and enquired if building insurance can be purchased. Explained the situation to them as per my OP and they reverted, sorry can't cover. Also mortgage lender reverted that they will not accept indemnity insurance either.

I suspect you're confusing matters by trying to explain things to call centre staff which they haven't asked you about and are off their scripts. You only need to answer questions which the buildings insurers ask you about on the proposal form, and it's not at all normal for them to ask about things like building regulation compliance.

If it's a conservation area then I'm guessing the original portion of the house has never complied with any building regulations, but obviously it's still going to be insurable and mortgageable. The lender will pay heed to any specific warnings by their surveyor if there appears to be actual problems with the structure etc, but otherwise they're not going to be concerned by building regulations enforcement if there's an indemnity policy in place.

JonMitchell

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

Have you looked at the Fensa website to see when the windows were installed? You can just put in the postcode and house number and it will give you the dates.

Thanks, just did a search and the address for the property did not come up.... the windows must have been installed after April 2002 as on google street view, I could see the windows are single glaze sash windows

Sounds as though they were done by a non-Fensa registered installer.

If the seller is not able to exhibit building regulation approval/certificate for the loft conversion, it possibly means no insurance company will likely to take us up for it.

No, this is nonsense. Buildings insurers don't ask about building regulation approval for such things.

I do hope it is nonsense too. I called an insurance co and enquired if building insurance can be purchased. Explained the situation to them as per my OP and they reverted, sorry can't cover. Also mortgage lender reverted that they will not accept indemnity insurance either.

I suspect you're confusing matters by trying to explain things to call centre staff which they haven't asked you about and are off their scripts. You only need to answer questions which the buildings insurers ask you about on the proposal form, and it's not at all normal for them to ask about things like building regulation compliance.

If it's a conservation area then I'm guessing the original portion of the house has never complied with any building regulations, but obviously it's still going to be insurable and mortgageable. The lender will pay heed to any specific warnings by their surveyor if there appears to be actual problems with the structure etc, but otherwise they're not going to be concerned by building regulations enforcement if there's an indemnity policy in place.

It's just a high street insurer, I was just testing the water.

Mortgage lender replied they will not accept application for a loft conversion with just indemnity insurance available, although they are fine with indemnity insurance for the windows.

I have read news that insurer turned down insurance claims with loft conversion with no building regulations certificate, so it would be prudent for me to spell it out to them then be sorry later?

user1977

JonMitchell said:

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

Have you looked at the Fensa website to see when the windows were installed? You can just put in the postcode and house number and it will give you the dates.

Thanks, just did a search and the address for the property did not come up.... the windows must have been installed after April 2002 as on google street view, I could see the windows are single glaze sash windows

Sounds as though they were done by a non-Fensa registered installer.

If the seller is not able to exhibit building regulation approval/certificate for the loft conversion, it possibly means no insurance company will likely to take us up for it.

No, this is nonsense. Buildings insurers don't ask about building regulation approval for such things.

I do hope it is nonsense too. I called an insurance co and enquired if building insurance can be purchased. Explained the situation to them as per my OP and they reverted, sorry can't cover. Also mortgage lender reverted that they will not accept indemnity insurance either.

I suspect you're confusing matters by trying to explain things to call centre staff which they haven't asked you about and are off their scripts. You only need to answer questions which the buildings insurers ask you about on the proposal form, and it's not at all normal for them to ask about things like building regulation compliance.

If it's a conservation area then I'm guessing the original portion of the house has never complied with any building regulations, but obviously it's still going to be insurable and mortgageable. The lender will pay heed to any specific warnings by their surveyor if there appears to be actual problems with the structure etc, but otherwise they're not going to be concerned by building regulations enforcement if there's an indemnity policy in place.

I have read news that insurer turned down insurance claims with loft conversion with no building regulations certificate, so it would be prudent for me to spell it out to them then be sorry later?

Where have you read this, and what were the circumstances of the claim? Insurers can't just reject claims for arbitrary reasons. Though bear in mind that "house falling down because of poor workmanship" etc isn't going to be an insured risk anyway, whether or not it was ever signed off for building regulations purposes.

Slithery

JonMitchell said:
I have read news that insurer turned down insurance claims with loft conversion with no building regulations certificate, so it would be prudent for me to spell it out to them then be sorry later?

What about the vast majority of housing in the country that doesn't have building regs? Is that uninsurable too?
No. It isnt.

JonMitchell

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

user1977 said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

JonMitchell said:

Slinky said:

Have you looked at the Fensa website to see when the windows were installed? You can just put in the postcode and house number and it will give you the dates.

Thanks, just did a search and the address for the property did not come up.... the windows must have been installed after April 2002 as on google street view, I could see the windows are single glaze sash windows

Sounds as though they were done by a non-Fensa registered installer.

If the seller is not able to exhibit building regulation approval/certificate for the loft conversion, it possibly means no insurance company will likely to take us up for it.

No, this is nonsense. Buildings insurers don't ask about building regulation approval for such things.

I do hope it is nonsense too. I called an insurance co and enquired if building insurance can be purchased. Explained the situation to them as per my OP and they reverted, sorry can't cover. Also mortgage lender reverted that they will not accept indemnity insurance either.

I suspect you're confusing matters by trying to explain things to call centre staff which they haven't asked you about and are off their scripts. You only need to answer questions which the buildings insurers ask you about on the proposal form, and it's not at all normal for them to ask about things like building regulation compliance.

If it's a conservation area then I'm guessing the original portion of the house has never complied with any building regulations, but obviously it's still going to be insurable and mortgageable. The lender will pay heed to any specific warnings by their surveyor if there appears to be actual problems with the structure etc, but otherwise they're not going to be concerned by building regulations enforcement if there's an indemnity policy in place.

I have read news that insurer turned down insurance claims with loft conversion with no building regulations certificate, so it would be prudent for me to spell it out to them then be sorry later?

Where have you read this, and what were the circumstances of the claim? Insurers can't just reject claims for arbitrary reasons. Though bear in mind that "house falling down because of poor workmanship" etc isn't going to be an insured risk anyway, whether or not it was ever signed off for building regulations purposes.

https://dbcp.co.uk/dbcp-warns-home-owners-that-loft-conversions-could-invalidate-home-insurance/