Bear with me, this is a bit long. I'll try to be brief. I've NC as I don't want it linked to previous threads.
Bought a house in the summer. It has a main house and an annexe to the side. The annexe was originally some kind of outhouse but has been decorated and used as a living room for years - it's had a bathroom attached, and a conservatory, plus it's been joined to the side to a large garage which has been converted to a huge bedroom.
All of this work was done more than 20 years ago. The outhouse was built with the house originally, around 1960.
We've got planning permission to extend the annexe and got a structural engineer to calculate the RSJ etc.
Another engineer came round yesterday (not the structural engineer - this one is from the building firm). He said it's fine to do the extension but if we open it up, the whole of the annexe will be subject to buildings regs. He's taken one look and said it won't pass.
The issue is that it's single brick construction so won't meet thermal/insulation standards required by building regs. There are plans to remedy this already but it's a building project being done in several stages as money is released. However, he also said that he can't be sure the foundations would meet building regs as it was originally a store or a tool shed, and those foundations are different to those used in a habitable space.
He couldn't suggest any way of making it meet building regs other than knocking it down and starting again.
It's a solid, brick-built building. No sign of any movement. Had a full structural survey and apart from the insulation which needs to be improved, no problems identified.
My DM has moved into the annexe. We are selling our house and moving into the main house. Not enough room in the main house for us all. What the actual fuck do I do?!
The engineer is still happy to put the extension on. He said if it were him, he would get the extension added and leave the external doors on the annexe. Building regs will therefore only have to check the extension, not the existing build. Then, after it's passed, he said he'd be inclined to take the doors off. This is what he'd do if it were his house.
There was no suggestion that there's any structural problem. Or that the annexe isn't stable. And the annexe has been standing for literally decades, plus been extended for years and years, and there's no sign of any issues.
The big bedroom conversion to the side DOES meet building regs by the looks of things so it's just the small central area which is about 9ft x 10ft for the living room and a small bathroom in front. We will beef up the insulation to meet requirements but that still leaves the issue of the foundations.
Mum is happy to live there. Very happy. It feels strong and secure. And surprisingly warm. We don't plan on ever selling this property - but we could just reinstall the doors if we did.
What would you do? It's been up for so long, surely it's very unlikely to have any problems? It was originally a council property so it's big, and strong, and well-built. The previous owner has used the bathroom and the annexe as living quarters for more than two decades.
Biscuits and cake for anyone who gets through to the end of this!!