. . . to consider pulling out?

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DH and I are buying a house. The survey came back advising that the structural alterations to the loft (a bathroom and dressing/storage area) aren't completed to building regs standard and sure enough, the vendors can't provide certificates.

Our solicitor seems to think that if the vendors buy indemnity insurance, then all our problems are solved. I have two concerns though:

1. If the roof leaked, won't our buildings insurance be void, given that we can't prove the alterations were done to a satisfactory standard without the certificates?

2. If we go to sell the house in future years, potential buyers might be put off by this, in the same way we are.

What should we do? I'm worried sick.

You'd pull out for the sake of £200, @MarilynSlumroe? That terrifies me. We don't want to lose this house 😣

Oh sorry - to answer your question, we're in (very expensive) short-term accommodation as our house is sold.

OP is it the case that they don't meet current standards, but they did meet the standards when the work was done?

Hi @Grace212 - both, I believe, as the alteration was only made about 3 years ago (I actually thought it was a lot longer ago but further discussions today brought to light that it's fairly recent).

Wouldn't touch it with barge pole. It's an illegal conversion

If it's 5k to fix - Its more than ventilation and insulation. What ofnthe floors not reinforced to take weight of a bathroom suite?

Is it being seen as a full conversion, as someone said above, we've converted our loft not to building regs as we just needed the extra room for our family, if we sell up it will just be classed as a boarded loft space and not another bedroom. I would be more worried as it's an actual bathroom rather than just a nice loft.

OP if it's that recent, I would be concerned and probably look to pull out or be prepared to do the work to get it up to scratch.

I just thought I'd ask because sometimes the language can be a pain and they mean it doesn't meet current standards when it was done 20 years ago, but clearly not the case here. Sorry.

Well if they're not prepared to do the work to bring it up to standard nor drop the price and you're not prepared to pull out then I don't know why you're asking us.

Is the offer they've accepted at least £5k lower than the market rate? If so then the work is already factored in. If they are asking full market rate but the house needs at least £5k of work doing then you should pull out.

The surveyor reckons it will cost around £5k to bring it up to standard, but the sellers are not prepared to do the work or drop the price.

Back away rapidly. They are not prepared to be flexible over a couple of hundred quid, to sell the house so I can't imagine they've been engaging proper tradesmen to work on the property. Who knows what you'd uncover after you moved in. Dodgy electrics, crap plumbing, damaged joists...

The lack of certs may well cause problems when looking to re-sell or make a claim on buildings insurance in the future. I was a mortgage underwriter and wouldn't bank on your lender being okay with further borrowing/release of equity on a property this iffy.

Id pull out

Yep, I think I'm backing away from this whole escapade, unless the vendors see sense. Thanks for the advice, everyone.

We're paying (were paying, now, if DH agrees) market value for the property.

Just to add, it's not actually an illegal conversion (in the sense of planning permission) - there was already a bathroom in the roof space, the alterations involved moving that bathroom to an area that was previously roof void. But it definitely needed building regs certs. This might seem like a drip-feed so, apologies, but it has been for me too - got some detail during more involved discussions with the surveyor today.

Either (i) they pay to have it upgraded as necessary and get the Council certs, or (ii) they come down £5K. But it's one or the other or I'd walk away.

Unless it were a "bedroom" I would not be too concerned. We have loftroom for which the stairs have br but the room itself not, although it was constructed with the house and has a small window which can fully open. It is used for storage.