House listed as 4 bed is actually 3 bed

RanchRat · 2025-04-12T12:18:52+00:00

Have had our offer accepted on a 4 bed house. The survey came back yesterday with the info that there are no building regs for the 4th (attic) bedroom and it is not proertly insulated. AIBU to balk at paying the 4 bed premum for a 3 bed property. The house next door (other half of the semi) and is a 3 bed is on the market for £50,000 less. I like the house but don't want to be out of pocket. WWYD.

Vegboxwonder · 12/04/2025 13:19

Either pull out of the purchase or make a revised offer

justneed · 12/04/2025 13:21

Don’t they have to get planning permission/building regs in retrospect if this is the case in order to sell?

soupyspoon · 12/04/2025 13:24

It may not have needed it at the time it was converted or created

If its just being used as a room you can probably still use it, might need different insulation. Our loft (not a room) cant be insulated any more than it already is without substantial work on the joists which Im not prepared to do.

TheAutumnCrow · 12/04/2025 13:24

justneed · 12/04/2025 13:21

Don’t they have to get planning permission/building regs in retrospect if this is the case in order to sell?

I thought so. Either that or list it as '3 bedrooms plus a room in attic that can potentially be re-purposed' or some flannel like that.

Original poster

RanchRat · 12/04/2025 13:24

I think building regs retrospectively would require a lot of work as it is not propertly insulated. Also often the floor and purlings need strengthening.
How much would you retuce your offer by?

OP posts:

Doris86 · 12/04/2025 13:24

Three options:

Pull out
Offer them £50k less as it’s legally only a 3 bed
Ask them to get retrospective building regs sign off, including all work necessary to achieve that, and then your offer still stands.

4forksache · 12/04/2025 13:26

Renegotiate the price. It can’t be sold as a four bed but it can be offered as a three bed with additional room. So not 50k cheaper but definitely some money off.

PullTheBricksDown · 12/04/2025 13:27

Doris86 · 12/04/2025 13:24

Three options:

Pull out
Offer them £50k less as it’s legally only a 3 bed
Ask them to get retrospective building regs sign off, including all work necessary to achieve that, and then your offer still stands.

This. And offer on the one next door if no joy!

justneed · 12/04/2025 13:32

50k less going by next door if you need to do hefty work to get it up to building regs

Hoppinggreen · 12/04/2025 13:33

Its been mis represented and so you should revise your offer.
Whether the attic is useable or not the house IS a 3 bedroom house legally and your mortgage provider may not lend on it now or not lend as much

Doris86 · 12/04/2025 13:35

PullTheBricksDown · 12/04/2025 13:27

This. And offer on the one next door if no joy!

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Good idea. Then convert the attic of that house instead. Total cost probably similar, and you could get it done properly.

AquaPeer · 12/04/2025 13:39

I think you need to find out a bit more. Building regs needed for what? If building regs were not required at the time it doesn’t matter. For example, old electrics don’t confirm to current building regs but that doesn’t mean the house is basically without electrics 😂
if you mean it needs signing off, then that can be done retrospectively at the current owners expense- if they want to. They might just say no thanks and wait for/ take another offer.

If it’s a basic attic conversion it’s probably not terrible value to buy the 3 bed and do it yourself but it is, obviously, hassle and you will need the cash

Annony331 · 12/04/2025 13:40

Depending on the date of the build, there may have been no need for any building regs or insulation.

Sold a Victorian house built in 1870s with a bedroom in the attic that was fine. There was an additional extension built pre building regs that again was fine and had no paperwork.

Do some research about the timeline of the house and if it was purchased before with the same specs.

justneed · 12/04/2025 13:46

AquaPeer · 12/04/2025 13:39

I think you need to find out a bit more. Building regs needed for what? If building regs were not required at the time it doesn’t matter. For example, old electrics don’t confirm to current building regs but that doesn’t mean the house is basically without electrics 😂
if you mean it needs signing off, then that can be done retrospectively at the current owners expense- if they want to. They might just say no thanks and wait for/ take another offer.

If it’s a basic attic conversion it’s probably not terrible value to buy the 3 bed and do it yourself but it is, obviously, hassle and you will need the cash

For it to be sold as a 4 bedroom, there are requirements for something to be a bedroom, like insulation for a start

JaneWithTheUntidyHouse · 12/04/2025 13:52

Is the ceiling height definitely high enough to meet building regs if all other things get done to convert it properly? You'll need to look it up but as far as I can remember from when we looked into this, a certain amount of the floor space needs to reach a specified ceiling height to be classed as a proper loft conversion. If not, you'll never be able to get it signed off as an official bedroom. Personally I'd drop the offer to that of a 3 bed or pull out completely depending on this.

AquaPeer · 12/04/2025 14:03

justneed · 12/04/2025 13:46

For it to be sold as a 4 bedroom, there are requirements for something to be a bedroom, like insulation for a start

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The survey just says the insulation isn’t sufficient for building regs.
It’s up to the OP to find out whether it’s a 4th bedroom then decide whether she cares if it isn’t. She’s still free to purchase it if she wants.

FlatWhiteExtraHot · 12/04/2025 14:10

Are you actually going to use the room as a bedroom, in spite of it not being insulated? Do you need a four bedroom? If not, just buy the one next door. If you do, bear in mind that an uninsulated bedroom will be freezing, and if as you say it can’t be insulated any further, it will be really unpleasant.

Ellie56 · 12/04/2025 14:10

Don't touch this with a barge pole unless they sort out the 4th bedroom and get retrospective building regulations signed off, including as PP above said, all the work necessary to achieve that.

If you don't do this , if you want to resell further down the line, you will hit problems.

This happened with us and my parents' house. The previous owner had made a bedroom in the loft but there was no paperwork signing it off. When we came to sell after my mum's death, this proved to be a stumbling block, and three sales fell through, one after the other.

We had to get the council to come out and tell us what was required to bring the loft conversion up to the required standard, get somebody in to do the work, get it approved and signed off. Not only did it cost several thousand pounds, it took for ever and was a complete pain in the arse.

Kateb12 · 12/04/2025 14:25

Isn't that just common knowledge that converting the attic into a room doesn't really make a 3 bedroom house a 4 bed? It's always going to be a 3 bedroom house with a nice attic? Lol

similar to when people convert there garage into a bedroom... it's a bit of a grey area really.

either way you were happy with it until some paper work told you otherwise. Either walk away or get on with it and stop moaning.

I assume it's met the valuation on the survey?

ButterCrackers · 12/04/2025 14:26

Step away from this house purchase.

Original poster

RanchRat · 12/04/2025 14:35

Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply. I am going to offer as for a three bed property.

OP posts:

mnahmnah · 12/04/2025 14:40

Are they current owners using it as a bedroom?

ScaredOfDinosaurs · 12/04/2025 14:47

Ellie56 · 12/04/2025 14:10

Don't touch this with a barge pole unless they sort out the 4th bedroom and get retrospective building regulations signed off, including as PP above said, all the work necessary to achieve that.

If you don't do this , if you want to resell further down the line, you will hit problems.

This happened with us and my parents' house. The previous owner had made a bedroom in the loft but there was no paperwork signing it off. When we came to sell after my mum's death, this proved to be a stumbling block, and three sales fell through, one after the other.

We had to get the council to come out and tell us what was required to bring the loft conversion up to the required standard, get somebody in to do the work, get it approved and signed off. Not only did it cost several thousand pounds, it took for ever and was a complete pain in the arse.

I came on here to say this. Someone I know was in a similar position, and was a naive first time buyer and just accepted it.

Putting it right is essential, plus all the aggravation of organising the work plus inspection etc. It cost him almost £50k that wiped out all the equity gains since he'd bought it. There was builders traipsing in and out for months, total nightmare.

Plus, due to lack of insulation etc, the room actually was uninhabitable.

Walk away from this right now, no drama house is worth this amount of drama and hassle.

Lassango · 12/04/2025 14:48

The problem is that the room still exists so the sellers are never going to accept the revised offer at the 3bed price. The buyer for that house will be somebody that does not need a bit of paper to tell them they can use that room to sleep in. It does not sound like that person is you.

Start looking at other properties.

Doris86 · 12/04/2025 14:51

Lassango · 12/04/2025 14:48

The problem is that the room still exists so the sellers are never going to accept the revised offer at the 3bed price. The buyer for that house will be somebody that does not need a bit of paper to tell them they can use that room to sleep in. It does not sound like that person is you.

Start looking at other properties.

That buyer also needs to be someone who doesn’t require a mortgage. A mortgage company either won’t lend at all, or will only lend based on it’s value as a 3 bed house.