No building regs

rizzo_2

My son is buying a house, they’re a month from exchange. They half a full structural survey and the surveyor said that the wall had been removed between the kitchen and dining room and there was no paperwork from building control. He said it’s unlikely it’s load bearing in the report. The seller has agreed to pay an indemnity, but apparently this won’t cover the cost of any subsequent repairs (so we does it cover?).  The seller has forwarded some photos to prove it wasn’t load bearing but they’re not very clear.  The surveyor originally said that the photos appeared to underline the fact it wasn’t load bearing, but then back tracked when a third photo was shown.
The seller is loathe to remove the new(ish) laminate to expose the joists from upstairs.
Is it unreasonable to expect this, as whoever buys the house is going to have the same issues.  Can he retrospectively get it signed off by building control before exchange of contracts?
TIA for any replies.

user1977

rizzo_2 said:

The seller has agreed to pay an indemnity, but apparently this won’t cover the cost of any subsequent repairs (so what does it cover?). 

It covers the costs if there is enforcement action by building control due to the lack of consent (and ultimately any reduction in value of the property). If it just needs fixing and building control aren't involved, that's not covered by the policy.

Any idea how long ago the works were done?

aoleks

have you got a floor plan?

if the wall was load bearing, removing it would cause the upper floor to collapse. floor joists, in most cases, rest on the load bearing wall.

FreeBear

aoleks said:

have you got a floor plan?

if the wall was load bearing, removing it would cause the upper floor to collapse. floor joists, in most cases, rest on the load bearing wall.

A "load bearing" wall can also provide lateral support for exterior walls. Removing the internal wall completely could result in the adjoining external wall to bow out (or in). Just because a wall is not supporting something from above does not mean it isn't structural (and that includes stud walls).

A structural engineer should be consulted for a professional opinion.

rizzo_2

Thanks you all.
Works were done within the last three to five years.

Section62

rizzo_2 said:

The seller has forwarded some photos to prove it wasn’t load bearing but they’re not very clear.  The surveyor originally said that the photos appeared to underline the fact it wasn’t load bearing, but then back tracked when a third photo was shown.

Photos alone can't prove whether or not a wall is/was loadbearing. Likewise the 'upper floor collapse' method suggested by aoleks doesn't work for the reasons given by Freebear.

If there is doubt about the structural safety of the property then consult a structural engineer.

born_again

What is the wall between bedroom 2 & 3 built of?

FreeBear

Looks like a fairly typical post war semi. The wall between bedroom 2 & 3 is likely to be a timber stud construction. The wall between kitchen & rear reception was probably brick - This would have served two purposes. 1) fire protection in the event of a catastrophic event in the kitchen. 2) buttressing the the rear wall and providing lateral support.

If the double patio doors at the rear have had windows fitted either side, you need to ask if an appropriate lintel has been installed and if the work has been signed off by building control. A structural engineer should have been involved, so ask for the calculations he/she did.