Owning your own home

Funnily, a mate of mine has just moved to Plymouth from Brighton.

If you need a good carpenter and the need to reminisce about the Evening Star pub I can match you up.

Help/advice appreciated.
My partner and I are on the cusp of buying a house in the 'burbs.
It's a 2 bed with a loft room (converted but without building regs sign off)
The lounge/diner has been knocked through (in the very early 80s, no building regs)
There is a small kitchen extension (also early 80s, again without building regs)

We have had a very thorough survey completed, which throws up no issues with the quality of the work but the solicitors can find no evidence of buildings regs in any case.

We really want to buy this house but are concerned about the implications of not having the regulations in place.

We find it strange that the current vendor (an ex-estate agent) has not addressed this issue or did not press the issue when she was buying the house three years ago.

We don't really want to go through the palaver of getting the council out because a) it will take ages and the vendors may decide to try to find another buyer and b) we don't want to jeopardise our mortgage offer.

Questions:
Would it invalidate buildings/home insurance?
Is indemnity insurance worth the paper/email it's written on?
Is this a deal breaker? i.e. should we pull out

Any suggestions? Thanks!!!

If all the work was done in the early 80s then I really wouldn’t be worrying about it personally, if it was going to fall down it would have done by now!

I wouldn’t bother with indemnity policy as I’m sure you are outside of window of enforcement.

Local building control wouldn’t be much use either as they would need to see beneath everything so you would be digging trial pits to see footings etc. Not fun.

If you are really worried you could get a structural engineer to have a look over it, but again without taking plaster off the walls any report will be limited. Is there any cracking in plaster or anything like that?

Thanks for the quick reply!
The ceiling in the kitchen is cracked but that's unrelated. The areas where work has been done are all fine - we followed up with the surveyor on the phone too and he said he wasn't worried about the quality of the work.

My concern is around whether this issue might invalidate building insurance in the event of another (unrelated) issue. e.g. plumbing issues. What do you think? Should I ask the insurance company or is that opening a can of worms?

I’m no insurance expert... but I would be surprised if it does. Rather than speaking to an insurance company direct why not find a good insurance broker and see what they think? I can’t remember ever being asked about building control sign off when I have applied for home insurance before.

My thoughts exactly - i have gone through the small print of the insurance quote from admiral and doesn't mention anything...
Thank you!

Our place had a garage conversion done in the early 80s with no evidence of building control signoff. Solicitor said it was a non-issue due to the length of time since the work was completed, as Sam_w mentioned I believe there is an enforcement window for these things.

The solicitor also seemed pretty chilled about the lack of FENSA documentation for the windows. We've since had those redone by a reputable company , sorted the electrics which turned out to be a mess and had building control out to signoff knocking through a load bearing wall, so we've gone from no paperwork to tonnes of it!

OK so from what you have both said , it's less of an issue that perhaps we feared. We are first time buyers so it's all new and slightly daunting!

I know the feeling - this was our first too and although it all went smoothly I basically spent 4 months in a state of perpetual terror that some snag would crop up and we'd be back to square 1! Fingers crossed everything runs smoothly for you.

fall through protection

I hadn't heard of this before - did your solicitor recommend it? Is it fairly common? Easy to claim?

I think this is one for @invent

Yes it came with the conveyancing package. I am about to claim so I will let you know how it goes.

Why. Does. This. Take. SO LONG.

Trying to exchange and complete on both my sale and purchase in the next two weeks. The sale is draaaaagging.

We have a date to exchange next tuesday, with complete 2 weeks later. 21st.

On the terms we wanted, with the price we wanted. Just a month later than was ideal.

It all seems too good to be true?

Has your mortgage offer expired? Maybe they’ll drop the amount they are willing to lend.

nope, doesnt expire till 10 days after completion date

Congrats, looks like you got across the line.

Went to view a property last weekend, was shown some dead looking Japanese knotweed ny the EA and told that it was being treated so shouldn't be a problem to get mortgage, insurance etc.

Later found some more - does the the fact it's holey and misshapen look like the treatment is working, or is it coming back with a vengeance?

2 Attachments

It all seems too good to be true?

Just believe. It will be fine!

ABR. You sure that's knotweed?

Possibly send email to tom@knotweed.co.uk to id from a photo.

Having gone through the process recently, the knotweed is classified in terms of risk. Mortgage will be taking account of that risk level (depends on how far away it is). The council is treating the knotweed behind my house and it looks like dried up bamboo shoots. To my eye, those leaves look like they've been eaten by caterpillars or slugs.

If its being treated the seller should be able to give a certificate to say so, this is what will be asked for by the mortgage company.

Good luck

Also. Trying to exchange at the mo, due today.

Turns out our buyer has fucked off to Sweden for 5 weeks on holiday and cant do it till shes home.

yeah that's knotweed. dig it up, pour glysophate on the roots and spray whatever pops up the moment it sprouts leaves. may take a year or so but you'll kill the fucker eventually.

Why. Does. This. Take. SO LONG.

I feel your pain. Still waiting on my flat sale having agreed to sell in last week of April.

Just had to shell out a few hundred quid on some kind of 'sellers mgt co pack' which my solicitor told me she was trying to avoid on my behalf. But this seems to be what the buyer needs for several of their inquiries/searches.

So i've got the feeling that MY solicitor was actually causing a delay for the past two-three weeks whilst i've been chasing the buyer. Argh.

Hopefully almost there now.

Guys it takes long. Its a house ffs.

But once its done the sweet sweet disappointment of 'did I just pay £xxx,xxx for this piece of shit?' kicks in. And then years of DIY/pissing money.

.