Buying a house with outstanding building regs….advice 🤗 welcome

paste_offside84

Thank you for the reply. That is what I am thinking, the indemnity insurance is invalid and pointless anyway. I think a structural engineer is a good shout to ensure the lofts space is adequate to support the weight.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82002515#Comment_82002515

Be aware that even if structurally OK, the engineer will probably be wary of defining any weight it might support.

When a proper loft conversion is done in a house, the floor is strengthened ( amongst many other things), so it can support heavy furniture, people etc. If a loft has just been boarded out on top of the normal joists, then usually it is only recommended for use as light storage. Plus with only a hatch as a fire escape route, it should not be used for any human activity, apart from brief visits to store/remove items.

WIAWSNB

Hi PO84.

This work was done in 2008-on by the current vendors? By 'done by', was it actually DIYed, or did they get builders in? For the latter, who did they use - are they still around? And what is on the LA's Planning Portal - any building reg documents showing what the proposal was? If so, this should have specs for insulation and physical alternations - how to change the garage door to whatever is there, for example.

If there is nothing on the PPortal, and no sign of a builder, then (also) ask if the vendors have any photos of the work; most folk would, especially if DIYed.

What can you say about the conversion? Carried out to a high standard?

I would suggest that the main bedroom part will have no structural issues - it'll almost certainly be as 'strong' as the garage, and that took a 2-ton car. The 'loft' part is a completely separate issue, but I wouldn't be concerned about it as long as it's only used as a loft, or perhaps an office/day room and there is nothing obvious amiss - ie, the floor isn't springy. If you wish to properly convert it later on, then that would be a start-from-scratch job in any case, from its floor (the bedroom ceiling) upwards, and possibly they'd need to check the founds - tho' I doubt it.

It has stood like this since ~2010 - it isn't going to fall on your head now. Personally, I wouldn't waste money getting an SE in at this pre-offer stage, as you'll presumably be having a survey done in any case should you advance; just make sure it's of a high enough order, or add the requirement to check the garage roof and floor structure when you do. Knock £500 off your offer for the house if you wish, explaining that you'll need to have this higher-level survey that you wouldn't normally bother with.

As pointed out by others, the Indemnity Policy is almost certain ineffectual since the LA knows about it.

The only issues of actual concern re the conversion, I think, with be insulation levels, and electrics. Insulation is hard to check without being destructive, and electrics will be tested to some degree. But, again, I would expect the vendor to know what took place - who did what, and how - so ask, and make sure you have their reply recorded in an evidenceable way.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82002800#Comment_82002800

It has stood like this since ~2010 - it isn't going to fall on your head now.

As has been said on the forum a fair few times before now, the "it hasn't fallen down yet, so it won't" line is a myth. A bit like kicking the tyres of a second hand car as a means of assessing condition.

Buildings don't always fail immediately in response to structural changes. It can take years for slow movement or deterioration to take effect, or a building can stand for years until the right trigger event happens.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of themore obvious examples. It had stood for 600+ years without falling on anyone's head. That didn't mean it wasn't about to.

stuart45

Alterations to a roof are one of the best examples of these long term issues.

Roofs can take decades for problems to show up. Often it's quite gradual so it's not noticed. Wind or snow loading can also be a lot worse in some later years which might cause issues not previously seen.

martindow

Regarding a structural engineer, they may be able to provide some comfort and reassurance, but they will be limited by what they can see. Hacking back plaster to see what is behind it or lifting floorboards to get a full picture may well not be acceptable to the current owner. They won't be keen on being left with a house needing replastering and redecoration, that you may decide not to buy.

WIAWSNB

As MartinDow says, I don't see the vendor being happy with cuts being made to the upstairs linings to investigate rafters, or the flooring being lifted to check joists, but the OP may well wish to have this done if they have genuine concerns if they proceed.

The garage roof construction will typically use pre-made trusses depending on building age, or - if cut trusses - they will likely follow a similar construction to those of similar neighbouring properties built at the same time.

PO84, when was the house and garage originally built? And are there any similar neighbouring properties? If so, a local surveyor should have a pretty good inkling of whether the garage roof construction has been modified, and how much concern this could be, before they even begin 'exposing'. And it may be that they have a look and consider nothing of concern.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82004029#Comment_82004029

It would need to be a very special surveyor for them to do anything more than advise getting an opinion from a structural engineer.

If the OP has some pictures of the garage/loft area we might be able to give some better pointers here, but if the loft area is a decent size and unobstructed then a SE would be able to give a reasonable indication whether there is enough cause for concern to start intrusive investigations without having to do much in the way of initial investigation. If the roof is trussed (prefab or cut) then there won't be much unobstructed space unless the original build used attic trusses because the intention to make a useable loft was there from the start (this in itself could be a possible reason for lack of BC signoff).

A good SE won't need sight of much structure to know whether the roof is trussed or purlin, and the extent to which further investigations are needed.