Building Regs issue - Selling House

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Argh! What to do,

We put a WC and hand basin into a cupboard of our home last year. We checked that we didn't need planning permission and went ahead with the work using a very reputable plumbing company. We didn't have an upstairs loo and its a godsend, we didn't do it to add value to the house more for practical reasons.

Now we are selling the house and have been repeatedly asked for Building regs and completion certificate. I explained to our solicitor that we didn't need planning permission however it again has been asked for.

On Friday I called the LA, spoke to planning who again confirmed no planning consent was required and almost as an after thought on the call said I needed to speak to "Building Control", so I called them, I didn't give our address, I said we were thinking of converting a cupboard and gave a description identical to our bathroom, he said it wouldn't be an issue, that we needed to down load a form, pay £266 to get plans looked at and then they would look at the work when completed, they would mainly want to check drainage.

Now I am panicking, can I get this retrospectively done? Should I offer to pay for Idemnity insurance? I am really panicking as we are due to exchange next week, we can't exchange before sorting this out.

Planning permission relates to whether or not the work is allowed from a planning perspective.

Building controls relates to whether the work has been carried out to current standards and most things involving plumbing and electrics will require it.

The plumbing company would be my first port of call. Phone them, tell them you need to get building control approval for the work and can they liaise with the council... They'll be used to it.

Sparechange even though the work was completed Summer 2014?

They worked out of area as a favour to my DH, so this plumbing company won't want to come out to meet them and don't know the Building Control people in our LA.

Can I make the call to building control instead? I asked a local builder friend at the weekend and he said call Building Control and ask them to come out to approve the work, can I do that?

Yes and they will be used to dealing with similar requests.

Ring and get it sorted. It won't be difficult!

OurBlanche I am worried about timescales, I have been worrying about this all weekend. What do you think that they will say?

Is it easier to get a "non compliant insurance"?

Our solicitor (who was very good last time) seems to have a Junior Paralegal opening his email and so far they just ask us for information and documents that we have already provided. We won't be using him again!

Yes, we can come out on Wednesday.

Yes, but not until January

I don't know. And you won't know which is quicker and cheaper until you ring. It isn't illegal, if that is adding to your pfaffing

You are right, I am pfaffing

At least you recognise it... maybe there is hope yet

As others have said, you can get this retrospectively, it just depends how quick your council is. It may be quicker to go the indemnity route if you're about to exchange as I personally would be surprised if you manage to get a visit from the council and receipt of the necessary paperwork within say a fortnight. But I could be wrong!

I had a similar thing but the other way round when I sold earlier this year. I had buildings regs sign off for a loft conversion, but buyer's solicitor was insisting I needed planning permission. I didn't, and was lucky enough that my council replied to an email confirming that to be the case. The solicitor almost lost us the sale based on his assumption!

Call your council. Be honest about the misunderstanding re planning/building regs (this is v v common) and ask them how long it might take for a visit/certificate. Then decide if you want to go down that route or indemnity insurance.

Be aware that you normally can't get Indemnity insurance if the Council have been made aware General off the record no address given chat ok

You need to be certain what the purchasers and their lenders want

Personally I would want you to get retrospective consent