I have a house which already has a loft conversion, we use the space as a fourth bedroom. The conversion was completed around 10 years ago, can anyone tell me if I can class my house as a four bedroomed or do I need special permission?
Loft conversion
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You can call any room whatever you like
There is no-one at the council who deals with classifying rooms, but there is someone who may up the community charge for bigger houses
Whether any potential buyer classes it as a room is another matter, and that may be the crucial thing
There is no-one at the council who deals with classifying rooms, but there is someone who may up the community charge for bigger houses
Whether any potential buyer classes it as a room is another matter, and that may be the crucial thing
I assume you mean can you class it as a bedroom if you sell your house.
As Woody says, you can call the room whatever you want, but it can only be classed as a habitable room, ie a 4th bedroom, if its been done correctly and meets the various buildings regs, permanent means of access, head height issues, fire escape, etc - I don't know the detail but someone on here will.
If it doesn't meet these, then it wont be a habitable room but just a loft which has been floored, etc and therefore cannot be sold as a 4th bedroom or anything other than loft space (which has been floored, etc)
As Woody says, you can call the room whatever you want, but it can only be classed as a habitable room, ie a 4th bedroom, if its been done correctly and meets the various buildings regs, permanent means of access, head height issues, fire escape, etc - I don't know the detail but someone on here will.
If it doesn't meet these, then it wont be a habitable room but just a loft which has been floored, etc and therefore cannot be sold as a 4th bedroom or anything other than loft space (which has been floored, etc)
This one always gets asked and is a real grey area. At which point when developing ones posh loft does the bco have the right to say, "oi stop that" or "you may continue, but only if you meet this and that regs"
So had this 10 year old conversion been discovered by the 'man' during construction, can they actually force you meets requirements even though you know that you will be only using it for the train set.
So had this 10 year old conversion been discovered by the 'man' during construction, can they actually force you meets requirements even though you know that you will be only using it for the train set.
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If it's got a fixed staircase, it is deemed to be a useable space requiring full compliance with BRegs.
If a regularisation certificate is required, say on sale (hohoho), then that costs £££s; far more than an application would have cost at the appropriate juncture.
The alternative is to remove the stairs, in which full compliance/regularisation with BRegs is not required. However, it will still need certification by an SE (or a plucky surveyor) that it's structurally sound under Part A of BRegs. Expect £££s for a survey and certification.
Basically, go dicking about with structural bits and you risk a problem in the future, regardless of use. And rightly so.
If a regularisation certificate is required, say on sale (hohoho), then that costs £££s; far more than an application would have cost at the appropriate juncture.
The alternative is to remove the stairs, in which full compliance/regularisation with BRegs is not required. However, it will still need certification by an SE (or a plucky surveyor) that it's structurally sound under Part A of BRegs. Expect £££s for a survey and certification.
Basically, go dicking about with structural bits and you risk a problem in the future, regardless of use. And rightly so.
From the OP, it says that the conversion has been done, he just wants to know if he can class it as a bedroom.
It's a bit of an odd question, as surely if the conversion has been done, then it must have been converted in to something, which is most likely a bedroom
It's a bit of an odd question, as surely if the conversion has been done, then it must have been converted in to something, which is most likely a bedroom
Did you do the conversion yourself without BC approval or was it already done before you moved in.
If it was done before you moved in then give BC a ring and they will be able to tell you whether it was approved or not.
If when you come to sell there is a problem then just ask your solicitor about an indemnity policy against enforcement, whatever you do don't approach BC about regularisation otherwise you will be forced to go down this route as no insurer will be willing to cover you.
If it was done before you moved in then give BC a ring and they will be able to tell you whether it was approved or not.
If when you come to sell there is a problem then just ask your solicitor about an indemnity policy against enforcement, whatever you do don't approach BC about regularisation otherwise you will be forced to go down this route as no insurer will be willing to cover you.
I agree with the general consensus on here - we asked an estate agent the same question last year. Basically, if it was built to the relevant building regulations at the time and has approval then you can call the room whatever you like. If it was done on the quiet without notifying Building Control then you're either gonna have to get it approved retrospectively or call it a loft/storage space so you'll be selling a 3-bed house.
People tend to think that Building Regs are a pain the a**e and its easier to not bother getting consent - after all, who will know. In reality, the building regulations are there, in the main, to protect the safety of the people using the building, so if it doesn't have building regulation approval it'd probably be worth making sure it complies even if you're not planning to sell the house.
People tend to think that Building Regs are a pain the a**e and its easier to not bother getting consent - after all, who will know. In reality, the building regulations are there, in the main, to protect the safety of the people using the building, so if it doesn't have building regulation approval it'd probably be worth making sure it complies even if you're not planning to sell the house.
The point is as well, that, if it's an obvious alteration to the original structure, as a matter of course an enquiry is made to the LA by the surveyor and, if there's no record and/or approval, that's when the problems will start.
As Shy and others have said once we get hold we dont let go ££££££££s
££££££££sDIYnot Local
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