[Help] What certificates should I request from the vendor?

[cadencer]

The house I am buying has gone through significant alternations, loft extension, rear extension, conservatory, kitchen extension, etc. Some work took place before the current vendor took procession in 1985, some were after. The vendor has no paper work whatsoever for any of the work done within the property and it seems that the local council has no idea at all on what has been done to the property. I have instructed a surveyor to do a full building survey on the property and didn't find any significant issues. However, the surveyor was only able to check things by visual inspection.

The vendor promised to get the retrospective regulation certificates from the local council. He said the only thing he will not get the certificate is the conservatory (first built in 2000 and modified over the years, including some work very recently). According to the vendor, the conservatory is a simple add on to the back of the house, so there is no need to get a certificate (Is this true?).

Considering the vendor has no paper work at all (no planning permission, no regularization certificates ...) for any of the work done in house previously, will retrospective regulation certificates be good enough and suffice in this case? Should any other documents be required? Should I insist on getting certificates for the work both before and after they took possession of the property.

Any advice will be appreciated. Many thanks.

Your conveyancing solicitor will know what's needed and will chase all the required paperwork. That's what you pay them for. Just take their advice.

Conservatories don't need building regs - the construction is different from and cheaper than a regular extension.

Conservatories don't need building regs, however loft conversions and other extensions most certainly do.

I'd be very concerned actually op. To do that amount of work without any permission is reckless.

Getting retrospective permission is also very difficult as its against current standards, and not the standards when it was built.

Well, it's either a problem or it isn't. Your solicitor will let you know. The vendor is either going to have to come up with some convincing documentation, some indemnity insurance, or be unable to sell to anyone. If they go down the indemnity route you'd need to get a structural engineer in to check it isn't actually dangerous. No point panicking yet though I wouldn't have thought.