En Suite has no Building Regulation

[nugget34]

Hi all I have recently been researching putting our house on the market. Unfortunately my husband installed an en suite bathroom in our bedroom 7 years ago and didn't get permission from the council as he believed we didn't need it. Well now I see that we do if we intend to sell the house. I've seen similar threads on here advising to keep quiet and just put it on the market which is what we were going to do. However now I don't know how we get around the property questionnaire sellers are required to fill out that specifically asks of any alterations to the property and if we have the necessary paperwork? It even lists the installing of an en suite as an example. Surely we can't lie about it on an official form? I don't understand how people can get away with it when listing their house if the property questionnaire specifically asks the question. Thanks in advance for any help!

Would you be able to get an indemnity policy to cover it?

Can you not get retrospective planning permission?

I've looked into it but my understanding of it is that its if there is confusion over whether permission was granted or not for things altered some time ago or if no completion certificate was issued but initial permission was granted. As our bathroom was installed relatively recently the council will know for sure we didn't get permission from them. I could have it totally wrong though!

As for retrospective planning permission I think this is the road we will have to go down. We will face fines and potentially have to have it all ripped out if not up to spec (it should be though as professionally done) I was hoping to avoid this though as others seem to think theres a way around approaching the council but I don't see how.

It’s not planning permission, it’s building regs- you’re checking that the work around any structural change, drains etc is up to a standard, it isn’t about asking for permission.

Apply for retrospective building regulation sign off from your local council. They need to check electrics are safe so an electrician may need to sign off. They will check drainage, width of pipes and where they drain to. It can be quite simple process as long as nothing structural was done.