No doors to conservatory

[TulipsfromAmsterdam]

Has anyone removed the doors to the conservatory from the house? We bought our house like this but it is an issue now we are selling.
We replaced the glazing and roof with a solid one and it has a radiator which was there previously. The solicitors are suggesting a regularisation certificate but not sure if this is acceptable.
When we bought house we agreed to have doors installed but prefer it without so didn't do so.

A regularisation certificate would be certifying that it complied with building regs, which would not be possible until the radiator was removed and the doors reinstated.
Fundamentally it doesn't comply with the requirements so basically either the buyer sucks it up or you try to sell it to someone else (or you do the work which would devalue your house but make it more saleable)
With energy prices going up people are likely to be more twitchy about this kind of thing.

Why cant you just put the doors in

Funnily enough I did two things with one house I had when I had no idea about building control. I made a wide opening in a supporting wall - the builder did put steel beam up but said it was up to me to get building control in, and I also opened up the livingroom to a new conservatory that I used as my dining room, again without using building control.
When I sold I had to get an indemnity for the opening in the supporting wall but no one mentioned that there were no doors to the conservatory.

We bought a house like this - bifold wooden doors into the conservatory and a radiator. Nothing was mentioned by the surveyors or solicitors!
If you didn't do the work originally are you definitely responsible for it meeting building regs?
I think in your shoes I would probably just put a door on. It won't cost a huge amount in the grand scheme of house moving.

until the radiator was removed I didn't realise you couldn't have a radiator, many do - is this a new rule?

I think its about it being an 'extension' if you have heating in it which is connected to the main heating in the house and if you dont have separate doors it operates as an extension so you need the requisite building controls for it

To be honest the OP doesnt need to do this work but any buyer will be put off, or the mortgage company/survey will put them off buying. Im not quite sure its a big deal, who cares if it meets the building regs now, presumably theres no risk involved of safety or danger?

"I didn't realise you couldn't have a radiator, many do - is this a new rule?"

Conservatories are supposed to have a separate heating system to the main house. I have a radiator in the conservatory but it has isolation valves installed. Apparently it is accepted by some building control officers but not others

Thanks for replies. I believe the buyers are happy with the open plan layout as were we when we bought so they may not want doors on. Will check with them.
We could replace doors if required.
Hoping indemnity is a possibility as trying not to delay things further.
I have no idea at all about building regs so not sure what we can do about radiator.
Will contact solicitors on Monday. Hate it when solicitor sends an email at 4.55 on a Friday with issues this being one of them!

Basically the conservatory is classed as an outside space relative to the insulated part of the house, so having a rad there would be like having one in the shed as far as building regs are concerned

I had radiators in mine. More recently I added an extension to another house. It was classed as an orangery - glass roof but solid walls, even though I had two windows and two sets of glass french doors. The builder was adamant I had to put external lock and key on the door, but building control said it wasn't necessary and as it was an orangery didn't even need building control (I don't understand that, it was a living room with radiators and an en suite off it). I had a building inspector in when it was being built who made me build deeper foundations, but he retired before the final sign off. I guess that just shows even they don't know what the requirements are.

Ed built a conservatory 30 years ago. It had radiators in it. It had a door though. No issues with anyone.

Fast forward 20 years we pulled it down and built an orangery kitchen. Underfloor wet heating as elsewhere. No doors. Semi open plan. 2 sides are glass with big glass roof. It’s oak framed. 2m foundations. No issues with anything. I don’t get the issue with a radiator. I’m amazed anyone is concerned about a radiator and doors. As long as it is built with foundations and properly constructed, what’s the issue?

@walksen

"I didn't realise you couldn't have a radiator, many do - is this a new rule?"

Conservatories are supposed to have a separate heating system to the main house. I have a radiator in the conservatory but it has isolation valves installed. Apparently it is accepted by some building control officers but not others

They are classed as a temporary structure which is why the external doors have to remain and radiators that connect to the house heating system cannot be used (a bit picky I think) but in essence they are temporary.

Not having the doors is usually an issue because they are either boiling hot or freezing cold

Our kitchen diner was open plan into the conservatory when we bought our house 5 years ago. We have installed doors (proper locking doors) to keep the heat in.

@MarieG10
Ours is far from temporary. It cost £70,000 12 years ago and that’s not counting the kitchen units etc. I do think a lot of people now build a “conservatory” as a normal build but with a glass roof and walls. If it needs foundations it is not classed as temporary. The radiator and doors issue are therefore not applicable to most conservatories with foundations. Any more then they would apply to a Huf Haus or similar glass construction.

Cheap plastic lean-to might be different. I would strongly suggest no one buys these!

You should be able to state that the extension predates your buying of the house. Did you change the roof with plans under building regs? If not you should be able to retro file for the paperwork and/or pay for indemnity insurance to allow the sake to progress. I had to do this because I didn't have the correct fensa certificates

@TizerorFizz

Most conservatories are built with shallow foundations, frequently a raft which is why when roofs are replaced it isn't just about the plastic windows but making sure the foundations don't sink.

Whats the difference between a conservatory and extension?



A Conservatory is deemed to be uninhabitable. An Extension, however, is a habitable space and the floor area would be taken into account. So if you correctly convert a Conservatory into an Extension

For spending £ 70 k on a conservatory, is it really a conservatory....?

@MarieG10
Well mine came from an oak frame conservatory/orangery company. I said it has 2m foundations. It’s none the less an orangery by definition. It’s not going to sit on a raft. DH is a structural engineer so I think he knows how to design foundations. Thanks for your thoughts though.