Garage conversion without building regs

[MrsJacksonAvery]

I've had an email from my solicitor this afternoon to say he's received the contract for the property I'm buying and apparently the vendors never got building regulation approval when half the garage was turned into a WC and small utility room. The other half is a small garage/storage. Having looked at zoopla, it looks like it's been converted in the last five years or so by the current vendors. The solicitor is requesting more info. from the vendors' solicitors and I've been learning about retrospective approval and indemnity insurance in the meantime.

Anyone been through similar? This is my dream house!

This is the vendors problem, not yours.

It will be relatively easy for them to regularise it with building control.

Thanks Annie. Have been googling and reading up on regularising Vs indemnity. Anyone been through this?

I'm just having some work I had done regularised. It's not hugely expensive and very much the vendor's responsibility.

I'm providing photographs of the steel I had fitted pre plastering and my structural engineers calculations. I've been in contact with my local BC team and they are very helpful. The only reason I didn't get the regs first was because we weren't sure a steel would be necessary.

Assuming it meets building regs then you will be fine, it they don't want to get the regs, I'd ask myself why...

We had a (separate) garage converted to a study for DH. Foundations of the garage were not deep enough to get Building Regs so we would have had to knock the whole thing down again and start from scratch it would have cost another £10k. We didn't bother. We have a study DH can use. No intention of selling for years and years.

It is possible there was a similar decision made. You may need them to pay for an indemnity policy instead.