Owning your own home

I'd just cut to the chase and say 'where is the building control cert for the wall removal'

If there isn't one, I'd be like 'bye!' There's enough weirdness in that kitchen / conservatory that would make me wonder what else is hiding.

[Howard beat me to it]

Don't let it stop you making your offer though - it's a shit game but you might as well play it. Could all be fine, if it isn't kosher there is nothing stopping you telling them to stuff it.

For me there are too many really very weird things going on that I can see on the crappy little screen I'm using.
It's not good.
Wtf is waiting for you when you / your builder lifts a few boards or hacks off a
bit of plaster?

If it's a "conservatory" it needs to be on a separate heating "loop" or whatever - and have doors to isolate it from the main house - this is to circumvent the heat/energy loss requirements of the building regs - but it needs to meet the building regs for glazing Uvalues and electrics.

If it's an "extension" with a glass roof and doors you need sap calcs to confirm the heat loss is within the regs and you need to meet all other building regs.

The size and scale of it probably is within permitted development rights tho

(albeit after tidying up the weird bit around the 'table'.)

After much pondering I realised the table is meant to house a washing machine, which would hide a lot of the ugliness and explain the random outdoor socket.

No clue why they thought plumbing through that door was a good idea mind.

Because the door isn't a door anymore? It's pretty weird that they did that.

My partner's sis just bought a place round the corner on greenbank ave west and it's seems quite normal/went through pretty quickly.

@Sheppz ah okay makes sense. So the would be doors (original double doors out to the garden) aren't currently installed but could be easily put back in. So you'd need planning and to comply with building regs to do it properly and fully open the space?

You can be certain that everything else in the house has been done to the same poor standards. Is there an RSJ above the internal wall they removed? I’m guessing not.

Luckily the kitchen is horrible so you can rip it out, repair and reinstate the doors.

But I would walk away.

How was the external temp when you visited? That space looks difficult/impossible to heat with it open to the back unless they have done a lot of insulation, underfloor requires pretty low levels of heat loss to work, is my understanding, so maybe the glass is very good, but there is a lot of it. I'd be looking to reinstate the doors personally.

@damitamit guess they wanted a view out from the sink, but were too cheap to pony up for a new partition/window.

Yep, not necessarily "full planning" permission if size and shape falls within permitted development rights. These are just rights that an owner has and you don't actually need a piece of paper although a certificate of lawful development confirms what had been built (or is proposed) meets the criteria - many don't bother.

@Silly_Savage erm didn't really notice anything temperature wise to be honest. But now I think about it, that is a good point. Doors back would be one option or a full opening up like the neighbouring House. The dodgy door with the pipe would probably stay if the former, and the window which is there repairing.

Estate agent hasn't send through the surveys so my offer isn't as high as it would have been. On the internal kitchen wall that needs a building control cert - the agent said 'it will have an RSJ otherwise it would have fallen down'. Without that paperwork, my offer will be retracted in short order

The agent said ....🙄

Could be anything in there, if it's an old place the doorway may have had a wooden lintel

Looks like they blew their budget on UFH and massive glass panes, because that looks like a professionally done job. A lot of the superficial stuff looks like it has been done poorly.
To me, it screams 'elderly person living alone'.
I'd presume the remnants of the wall are supporting a RSJ, if they are aligned. Also, you'd expect to a larger ceiling area damaged from the over run bath if no joist.

*Actually having zoomed in on the UFH manifold. That looks rough as fuck.

Looks like they blew their budget on UFH and massive glass panes, because that looks like a professionally done job.

I thought it looked a bit lightweight TBF - there doesn't seem to be much holding the roof up.

Ours has massive wooden beams....we could / can convert it to an insulated slate roof.

For me, I would

• ignore the conservatory bit
  
• do a cost per square foot on the rest of the house
  
• compare cost square foot against other similar properties, see if I'm paying a premium for the glass
  
• plan to remove the glass, rear wall and do a proper extension with BC and PP and all that stuff like next door
  
• expect to find other horrors and try to price that in
  
• offer based on the costs / hassle of the above
  
• plan for short term: re-instate the doors for security / efficiency
  

Our full survey came to about 20k - 5k of which we would need to actioned straight away, potentially before moving in and another 10k in the next 5 years (nothing structural, general disrepair) and the place looked fairly normal. Just for some perspective on what a survey could reveal on that. If the price is still ok with that factored in then obviously its fine.

Judging from the photo of outside, they look like self supporting glazing beams which are available up to 6m in length.

Yeah I should add

• get a structural engineer type in and a builder to 'survey' it
  
• brace self for results
  

Judging from the photo of outside, they look like self supporting glazing beams which are available up to 6m in length.

Yeah...but they will be pushing the wall out I would have thought, and most of that is doorway and glazing? Maybe that's strong enough, IDK, freaks me out a bit but then I'm used to something that looks more substantial.

Talking of our survey, can anyone advise on the below?

My understanding is that an engineered wood flooring has been laid over the top of a concrete floor with a sheet of plastic between. In the cupboard under the stairs old vinyl flooring remains and this is where the plastic sheet can be seen by lifting it up.

The survey is recommending a full resin damp proof membrane to the ground floor. Is this a general improvement recommendation or essential? There doesn't appear to be any sign of damp on walls only in note attached below (Taken under stairs). A quick search suggests concrete, plastic, engineered floor is ok?

Consider providing a permanent damp proof course to the ground floor following the removal of the vinyl flooring and timber beneath. This may involve a modified resin damp proof membrane with a screed laid over the top. No allowance for new floor coverings. - £3.5k

2 Attachments

The beams should be tied to the brickwork with a wallplate, and support on the lateral walls.

So he breached the DPM to see if it was damp under the DPM?

I don't know how the readers work, does the reader breach through the DPM or is the reading from above?

how the readers work

Not very well, is how they work.

What sort of construction is the building - Particularly the walls around the concrete floor room?

What is the survey for?