Selling a house with a loft conversion but without regulation docs

Gedara

Our loft was converted by a company in 2009 but as it didnt have a fixed stair case, it was not necessary to obtain planning permission etc, thus have not "certificate". 
We accepted a sale on the property two weeks back and the buyer mortgage lender sent in a valuer for inspection of the property. The valuer has said there're no documents and thus the bank cant lend to the buyer.. So is there a way of giving some comfort/confidence to the buyer to go to another lender and also that the loft is secure..
The loft to be frank is solid and I have the paperwork on what was done by way of an estimate from the company who did it..

Any ideas or suggestions will be most welcome as we have had an offer on another property to move..

RHemmings

Just a question. When you advertised the property, did you include any space in the loft among the number of bedrooms? I'm guessing no, but ask. How did you describe the space? Storage space? 

user1977

Gedara said:

The valuer has said there're no documents and thus the bank cant lend to the buyer.

What have the solicitors said about it? It's not usually a decision based on the initial assessment of the surveyor (as they don't generally look at the consents, that's a legal job).

silvercar

What are you advertising it is? A boarded loft? A room? A bedroom?

in my mind, it’s nothing more than a boarded loft of the only access is with a ladder. 

Hoenir

Was the property marketed and priced on the basis that the space was a usable room? 

BarelySentientAI

Gedara said:

Our loft was converted by a company in 2009 but as it didnt have a fixed stair case, it was not necessary to obtain planning permission etc, thus have not "certificate". 
We accepted a sale on the property two weeks back and the buyer mortgage lender sent in a valuer for inspection of the property. The valuer has said there're no documents and thus the bank cant lend to the buyer.. So is there a way of giving some comfort/confidence to the buyer to go to another lender and also that the loft is secure..
The loft to be frank is solid and I have the paperwork on what was done by way of an estimate from the company who did it..

Any ideas or suggestions will be most welcome as we have had an offer on another property to move..

Not needing planning permission doesn't mean you were exempt from building regulations.  They are very different things.

Without building regulations compliance, you don't have a converted loft you have only a posh storage space.

You don't have any relevant paperwork, and unless you are a structural engineer or building surveyor you have no idea if it is 'solid' in the relevant sense at all, nor any method of demonstrating this to a buyer.

Two options would solve all your problems - get it inspected sufficiently to get building regulations (which will be expensive and probably need cutting holes in walls, floors etc) including fixing anything that the inspector identifies, or find a buyer that doesn't need a mortgage and is willing to ignore that you can't prove anything about the work.

Gedara

Thanks guys. This was advertised as converted loft space. Not as a bed room but usable as a study.   

Gedara

what will make a bank/building soc lend against a loft of this nature.

Gedara

user1977 said:

Gedara said:

The valuer has said there're no documents and thus the bank cant lend to the buyer.

What have the solicitors said about it? It's not usually a decision based on the initial assessment of the surveyor (as they don't generally look at the consents, that's a legal job).

Its just the surveyor's comment on which the Bank has refused the mortgage it appears.. 

user1977

Gedara said:

user1977 said:

Gedara said:

The valuer has said there're no documents and thus the bank cant lend to the buyer.

What have the solicitors said about it? It's not usually a decision based on the initial assessment of the surveyor (as they don't generally look at the consents, that's a legal job).

Its just the surveyor's comment on which the Bank has refused the mortgage it appears.. 

How has the surveyor determined whether or not there are any consents? I'd normally expect discussion between the solicitors - hasn't there been any?

Gedara

user1977 said:

Gedara said:

user1977 said:

Gedara said:

The valuer has said there're no documents and thus the bank cant lend to the buyer.

What have the solicitors said about it? It's not usually a decision based on the initial assessment of the surveyor (as they don't generally look at the consents, that's a legal job).

Its just the surveyor's comment on which the Bank has refused the mortgage it appears.. 

How has the surveyor determined whether or not there are any consents? I'd normally expect discussion between the solicitors - hasn't there been any?

None. Apparently, the Bank has said based n the surveyor report they are unable to lend as the rafters have been modified.. Sadly the surveyor didnt ask any questions on this matter in which case I may have been able to provide the docs from the company that built it.