Grade II listed mid terraced cottage spread over three floors- am I asking for trouble (paperwork)

[poppyboo]

Going to view a 2/3 bedroom cottage tomorrow, two bedrooms have sloping ceilings - they are in the loft. The EA said 'Of course there won't be paperwork but solicitors won't have a problem because property is so old.'

Am I just asking for trouble with this (there's been a lot on here recently about lack of paperwork despite age and problems it causes when it comes to re-selling a property) so immediately I see a house/cottage over three floors I think 'uh-oh'. But it's a super cute property with a load of character features which I love!

Should I walk away now and cancel viewing or view and hope I don't fall in love with it?!

[nocake]

It will depend when the top floor was converted... or if it was converted (the roof in our cottage has always been used as a bedroom). Find out when the conversion was done and talk to your solicitor about what they would expect for building work of that age.

[poppyboo]

EA was vague on the phone...he said about 50 or 100 years ago (big gap there) so really not sure about it...we need to ask more. There is no dormer, just very old fashioned slanted window from look of photos.

[nocake]

Don't believe a word the EA says. If they don't know something they'll just make it up.

I had another thought... if you have a friendly builder you could get his or her opinion on the loft room to find out if it needs any work. TBH if it's 50 or more years old there won't be any paperwork but if the work was iffy it would have collapsed by now.

[poppyboo]

...he also said it may have always been like that...(basically it sounded like he didn't know!)

[poppyboo]

That is what I was thinking (about it collapsing)
I guess the sticking point is re-sale. I hate it when things like this aren't back and white!

[Sausagedog27]

Could you speak to the conservation officer? Lots of old cottages have bedrooms in the attic and roof space as part of the original design so I wouldn't worry too much.

[poppyboo]

Just found out when it was listed! The attic room and window is original! Yay!