Retrospective building regs

[HeleneW123]

Help!
My husband and I completed some work on our property and very stupidly did not know that we needed building regs!!
We are now coming to sell and the estate agent has said we should get it retrospectively.
We removed two non-load bearing walls, and three chimney breasts with the stack from the roof.
Has anyone applied for retrospective regs? How long did the process take? And did they open up the walls to check?
Very stressed!!!

Unfortunately unless you have detailed technical drawings that they are willing to accept they will need proof that everything has been done safely. They won't open up the walls but may require you do so to allow inspection. They will require all technical drawings and calculations especially where chimneys etc have been removed.

Hi,

We've recently sold our house (complete early next week) and because of Covid couldn't get final building regs approval as no one was available to do it. The building control people had visited during the build phases and we did have all the structural drawings and calculations, though the work was more extensive than what you have done.

As we couldn't get the sign off in time to make our chain work we've paid for an indemnity policy (insurance policy basically) which covers any remedial work that building regulations would require you to complete. It is up to your buyers if they'll accept that but it's worth a conversation with your solicitor BEFORE you talk to building control (this can affect the cost/availability of the policy).

Good luck!

Did you originally submit details to building regs, prople and did they make interim visits?
If it is just the final approval then you may be OK.
I would have thought that a responsible builder would not have started work without them, especially if chimney breasts were being removed.
Hope it goes well for you.

Building Control not 'building regs, prople'

We have technical drawings, my main concern at present is how long it will take them to come out - not ideal!!

I think it would be unlikely a purchaser would accept an Indemnity policy in these circumstances