Confused about paperwork required for loft as habitable room

NervyBuyer

Thanks for taking the time to explain. Google returns so many (unofficial-looking) results, but I have found my way round the gov.uk site. I think I understand the situation now, and I do need to check that my solicitor is aware of what needs to be signed off in one way or another..

I definitely don't want insurance, I want certification/assurance that all is sound.

NervyBuyer

ButterCheese said: The buyers' mortgage provider wanted evidence of the building regs/certificate.

I perhaps should have said this is a cash purchase so it's on me to make sure things are in order as there's no lender to satisfy (and with a level 3 survey happening due to the age of the house and the works that have been done, I was not intending to get a valuation on top either).

Yorkie1

Bear in mind that your surveyor will not be able to take any steps during their visit to check whether the conversion is up to scratch - they won't be able to look at insulation, joist strength or otherwise.

If the seller hasn't had building control out to inspect during the conversion, it may be unlikely that they will be able to provide the paperwork that you reasonably want (and also the ability to count the loft conversion as a proper room).

NervyBuyer

Thanks - I wasn't expecting the surveyor to be able to do any of that, there just didn't seem any point in a surveyor visiting before known works were being done.

The seller didn't do the conversion so there is no way they could have had building control inspect it during the process - they bought it with the changes in place, but not marketed as a habitable room at that time. They are using at as a bedroom and were in the process of changing it to an official bedroom (with the door/window change) when they decided to move as a more suitable property unexpectedly became available.

Albermarle

NervyBuyer said:

Thanks - I wasn't expecting the surveyor to be able to do any of that, there just didn't seem any point in a surveyor visiting before known works were being done.

The seller didn't do the conversion so there is no way they could have had building control inspect it during the process - they bought it with the changes in place, but not marketed as a habitable room at that time. They are using at as a bedroom and were in the process of changing it to an official bedroom (with the door/window change) when they decided to move as a more suitable property unexpectedly became available.

As you now know from some of the previous comments, that just adding a door/window is not sufficient to have the room classed as habitable/a bedroom. 

NervyBuyer

Albermarle said:

NervyBuyer said:

Thanks - I wasn't expecting the surveyor to be able to do any of that, there just didn't seem any point in a surveyor visiting before known works were being done.

The seller didn't do the conversion so there is no way they could have had building control inspect it during the process - they bought it with the changes in place, but not marketed as a habitable room at that time. They are using at as a bedroom and were in the process of changing it to an official bedroom (with the door/window change) when they decided to move as a more suitable property unexpectedly became available.

As you now know from some of the previous comments, that just adding a door/window is not sufficient to have the room classed as habitable/a bedroom. 

I know - it wasn't my intention to imply that. As I mentioned at the start, the agent's listing expressly stated that work was being done to satisfy building regulations, implying (to me at least) that the building regulations approval would be forthcoming (for the whole conversion) subsequently. The point being that without the door/window this would not be possible to approve at all.

Bookworm105

NervyBuyer said:

Albermarle said:

NervyBuyer said:

Thanks - I wasn't expecting the surveyor to be able to do any of that, there just didn't seem any point in a surveyor visiting before known works were being done.

The seller didn't do the conversion so there is no way they could have had building control inspect it during the process - they bought it with the changes in place, but not marketed as a habitable room at that time. They are using at as a bedroom and were in the process of changing it to an official bedroom (with the door/window change) when they decided to move as a more suitable property unexpectedly became available.

As you now know from some of the previous comments, that just adding a door/window is not sufficient to have the room classed as habitable/a bedroom. 

I know - it wasn't my intention to imply that. As I mentioned at the start, the agent's listing expressly stated that work was being done to satisfy building regulations, implying (to me at least) that the building regulations approval would be forthcoming (for the whole conversion) subsequently. The point being that without the door/window this would not be possible to approve at all.

So bottom line is you need to be on top of who is going to give overall sign off on compliance? 
As aspects of the conversion certainly fall within the realms of building control (BC) then sign off must come from either a council BC inspector or a commercial BC company. To do that it appears there are already finished works which will probably need to be opened up to allow physical confirmation as nothing was done at the time of original construction.

As such inspection should involve disturbance to the building, only the vendor can authorise that, so as purchaser you  must simply wait for the correct sign off to be produced by your vendor.
Thus we are back at your start point, your solicitor needs to be made aware of the need for such paperwork. You need to be satisfied that any such paperwork is legitimate.

you might find this useful background reading?

Why Can't a Loft Room Be Called a Bedroom? by LMB Group

NervyBuyer

Thanks for the info. Solicitor is aware. It's a question of waiting for the process to conclude in some way now the planned works are done. I'll just have to wait and see what sign off does or doesn't emerge and reassess at that point.