2 flats back to one house - Building Regs

[RU5TYSHER1FF]

Hi all, after some advice - as per the title we are looking to buy an 100 yr old house that is currently 2x two bed flats of similar value, it was converted in the 70's from one house and we'd like both buy both flats (for sale from the same owner) and convert back to one house. We absolutely love the house.

I have been advised by my local building control that this is deemed a Material Change of Use, as it is changing the number of dwelling (2 to 1) and as such building regs will kick in requiring multiple upgrades close to new build standards, including Insulation, fire safety and ventilation I told that things like upstairs windows will need replacing to provide means of escape, fireproof plasterboard may need to be put on the ceilings and insulation added to walls, floors and loft.

Really I was hoping someone might be able to give an indication of what this practically means and will the cost of all this just make the project so expensive that it's just not worth doing financially?

Particularly insulating the house internally sound like a huge pain and insulating it externally would look awful on a character Victorian property - perhaps a combination of the two would be possible?

Has anyone worked on something like this or has experience?

Also - any other big/expensive things I am missing?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[stevie888]

This actually sounds more like stuff you'd need to do to split one place into 2. Are you sure BC are on the same page?

 

[RU5TYSHER1FF]

This actually sounds more like stuff you'd need to do to split one place into 2. Are you sure BC are on the same page?

I know, seems a bit much but doesn't matter if you are creating more or less dwellings same seems to apply see below

Meaning of material change of use​

5. For [F1the purposes of paragraph 8(1)(e) of Schedule 1 to the Act and for] the purposes of these Regulations, there is a material change of use where there is a change in the purposes for which or the circumstances in which a building is used, so that after that change—

(g)the building, which contains at least one dwelling, contains a greater or lesser number of dwellings than it did previously;

 

[danfre]

We done the same approx 5 yrs ago,
Paid stamp duty at normal rate on the total purchase price.
We then paid around £500 for planning permission to convert back to one house. Be aware some council's will not grant permission so I would advise you to ask the local authorities on their policies

 

[RU5TYSHER1FF]

We done the same approx 5 yrs ago,
Paid stamp duty at normal rate on the total purchase price.
We then paid around £500 for planning permission to convert back to one house. Be aware some council's will not grant permission so I would advise you to ask the local authorities on their policies

Great, yeah thanks planning is the first thing on the list. Did you have issues with building regs, I think they class it as a new dwelling now and want quite a bit doing before they pass it?

 

[danfre]

No problems with respect to building regs , just the normal approval for removing load bearing walls and staircase headroom

 

[Murdochcat]

duplicate thread

 

[RU5TYSHER1FF]

We have talked to building control and they are saying it may need fire proofing, insulation, ventilation etc. It's an old house so maybe that's why? Also I think regs might have just changed too. Thanks for the heads up, did you have to combine services into one too, people saying that is crazy expensive too?

 

[Murdochcat]

how old are the properties?

 

[RU5TYSHER1FF]

duplicate thread

One was about stamp duty and one about building regs, someone advised to split the questions up

 

[endecotp]

Be aware some council's will not grant [planning] permission so I would advise you to ask the local authorities on their policies

This is important. The council may want to increase the number of available homes in the area, rather than reduce it. If that's the policy they could refuse planning permission. Do check it out.

 

[wessex101]

If the house is 100 years old and was converted to flats in the 1970's then surely it is a dwelling house? It strikes me that the council are being overly pedantic and the upgrade works to comply with current regulations would be a nightmare.
I can understand the logic if you were converting to flats as there are fire and sound transmission aspects to deal with but not the other way around.

(g)the building, which contains at least one dwelling, contains a greater or lesser number of dwellings than it did previously;

This wording is interesting. They differentiate between "a building which contains a dwelling" and "(a)the building is used as a dwelling". That suggests to me that (g) refers to a larger building such as a purpose built block of flats or a commercial building with residential parts.

I worked on a project to reinstate a large detached house which had been converted to flats in the 60's or 70's and building control were only interested in the structural alterations and loft conversion. To be honest it never even occurred to me to apply for a material change of use so maybe I was just lucky. I would accept that some of the conversion work may be a "Material Alteration" but then you only need to comply with a limited aspects of the building regulations for that part of the work and do not need to upgrade the entire building.

 

[danfre]

Agree with Wessex 101
As far as I am aware building control will have no interest other than any structural alterations, roofing or technically removing more than 25 percent plasterer from external walls.
Regarding planning permission, even if you do not own the property you can still apply.
You could say to the seller condition of purchase is subject to planning approval

 

[RU5TYSHER1FF]

how old are the properties?

The house is about 100 years old but converted to 2 flats about 50 years ago.

 

[danfre]

Mine was built around 1930s and converted in the 50s