Bungalow has extension or conservatory? How to find out?

[ant80]

Hello guys, I am about to buy a bungalow. It is old, dated, looks like a ripped of back pocket. It's in a good location though, and as I'm in a kitchen-bathroom fitter I can visualise it as my dream home once when it's done. My concern is , that it has a conservatory with the policarbonate roof which indicates as it is a conservatory, but the sides are fully bricked walls, and it has two radiators connected to the central heating system which is the extensions sign. The owner is an old fella, in his seventies, he is in care home now, that's why he is selling his house, but I have a funny feeling that he won't be able to give me an accurate info relating to this part of the building. The roof needs to be changed and I would like to make it more energy efficient, so tiled roof would be ace. Any ideas about how can i find out if it's legal or dodgy, or what can be used or done to make it a cosy and waterproof place, or what is the official title conservatory or extension? Thanks for the advices in advance, Tony

 

[fine tune]

tony if you put the name of the district council planning in google, go to view or comment in the planning applications website ,it take you to the simple search section put the address in it will show any applications as far back as it goes .

 

[John D v2.0]

if it's got a poly carbonate roof it won't comply with building regs as part of the house. There are lots of conservatories with no door to the house and with radiators, but they wouldn't comply with anything. The mortgage company might be a sticking point. Personally I'd try to get the price reduced to reflect the extension is not an extension, and save the funds to rebuild it properly.

 

[Leofric]

Personally I'd try to get the price reduced to reflect the extension is not an extension, and save the funds to rebuild it properly.

Maybe the asking price takes into account the building as it is

 

[^woody^]

Any ideas about how can i find out if it's legal or dodgy

It does not matter. You buy it as it is, and then you do with it what you want.

 

[Notch7]

Any ideas about how can i find out if it's legal or dodgy, or what can be used or done to make it a cosy and waterproof place, or what is the official title conservatory or extension?

Its straightforward really.

If its open to the house it should be compliant to building regs.

A conservatory used to be min 50% glass on walls, 75% glass on roof. It had to be thermally separate from house.

That definition was dropped in last buidling regs, they just refer to a conservatory as 'substantially glazed'.

If you want to refurb / rebuild it now and its open to the house, you will need b/regs. What you can do is get a SAPS calculation for the whole house including the conservatory / extension. Energy efficient improvements you make to the house can be offset against having an extension with lots of glass and maybe other not well insulated eoements. So if you change the house lighting from halogen spots to led, thatll count, as will new windows, boiler, loft insulation, CWI etc.