Building Regulations

[Purplepearle]

How essential are they? I assume some one would still buy the house if selling without the building regulations?
I just resent having to pay for a person from the council to sign off the work I'm having done Plus informing them would increase the Council Tax if house was sold as it increases the number of bedrooms.
The work is removing a bathroom to make into a bedroom and then installing a bathroom in a new room. Created by taking part of another large bedroom.
Stud walls are being built with insulation and a powerful extraction fan is being installed as new bathroom will be windowless.
Using a trusted joiner, plumber and tiler to do the work.

I wouldn't buy without seeing it had been signed off. You could be using any old cowboy as far as I knew.

It's not that expensive to get sign off, is it? You'll end up paying for an indemnity when you sell, might as well get it all approved imo.

I wouldn't buy a house without the docs. I work in a trade...it's there for a reason

I also wouldn't buy your house without a copy of the regulations approval, I'd make you pay for indemnity insurance if I really did want to buy it. I wouldn't care if you used a trusted tiler, of any other tradesman, there'd be no proof until it goes wrong.

Dont do it we made that mistake when we refurbished an existing attic room that was in when we moved in but done without permissions We then wanted to adopt but had to pay £6000 for remedial work and retrospective planning.
The planning officer said that we would have struggled to sell it in the future and we could have even been prosecuted !
Lesson well and truly learned !!

Talk to your council. It's free and you can do it on a no names basis., And yes, there are numerous threads on her about price reductions and fallen through sales as someone coudnt be bothered to get paperwork in order. It's not difficult nor that expensive compared to massive price reduction you will have to take if and when you come to sell.

The only notifiable part of this work is the drainage involved and the extraction.

It will cost you about £200 max, for building control. You're in breach if you don't and risk prosecution (tiny risk, admittedly) and having that certificate will save you a whole load of hassle when you come to sell.

The council tax is highly unlikely to increase - the system just isn't that efficient! Look at all the people that convert their lofts and garages, they don't end up paying more council tax.

False economy. If you tried to sell without it is very likely you'd be asked to get them retrospectively or pay for an indemnity policy, and lose a sale because of time delays.

Our full building regs cost was roughly £500. They approved firstly the plans, then visited to see the footings, then the damp course then the laying of the steel on the pad stones and then a final check and I had to get an electrical pass certificate first too before the final completion cert was signed off

The BC cost is based on the scope of the works. In the OP's case, it would be minimal as it would probably involve only 2 inspections and would be done under a building notice with no plans to be checked.