FENSA problem :-(

[Theo61]

A while ago I had a new window fitted in my extension. I had not heard of FENSA registration. At what point will this catch up with me?

I am unlikely to be selling for five or more years. Is there an option to hope that it will not catch up with me?

T

 

[windowman]

Fansa and certass were set up by the goverment to get rid of the cowboy stigma the window industry seems to have with particpating companies been able to self certify that the work undertaken has been carried out to buiklding regs.
As you are a homeowner who has had a window replacement without a fensa or certass certificate dont panic if your lawyer asks in the future who carried out the window replacement and you are unable to provide a Fensa or Certass certificate for your windows or doors you can simply phone your local council pay them a fee of approx £100 and they will check the work carried out is o sandard.
The moral of the story being make sure they are registered as it can prove expensive!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Fansa and certass were set up by the goverment to get rid of the cowboy stigma

Yea, shame about that theory isn't it!

 

[Theo61]

Thanks for the comments.

Just to fill in some background: the window that I am talking about is in a stone built extension which we converted from a garage some 29 years ago. I bought the window from Magnet Southerns and did some modification on it to make it fit in a little better with the windows in the rest of the house (date stoned 1815). Being a softwood window of not high quality this had begun to rot. We are in the process of decorating throughout and thought that the time had come to do something about this window to make it fit in better with the others.

We have had a window made by a local craftsman to the correct proportions, rather narrower than the removed window and have self built sloping reveals. The result is absolutely what we intended and makes a startling improvement to the appearance of the property.

Now comes the tricky admission. Some fifteen years ago the house was Grade II listed. We did not get listed building consent for the window and feel quite justified in not getting it. After all, the window that we are replacing has no historical significance and the change does a great deal to enhance the character of the property.

What I prefer to do is to just keep quiet. Admitting to changing a listed building without consent is not what I want to do. So the question becomes: "If I sell the house, which we do not want to for a few years yet, what questions will I be asked about alterations and new windows etc?"

I have to confess to some anxiety.



T

 

[1john]

"If I sell the house, which we do not want to for a few years yet, what questions will I be asked about alterations and new windows etc?"

I have to confess to some anxiety.



T

What new window, didn't something happen about 29 years ago??

 

[Always Learning]

We recently sold a house and were told to take out policies covering certain things.

The downstairs bathroom extension had no regs when it was built back in 1984 (9 years before I purchased the property) although there was a build over agreement with Northumbrian Water and all along both terraces had extensions the buyers solicitor had issues.

Same as the roof - both terraces had new roofs all along when grants were handed out like smarties (again the work was done before I got the property) and again the solicitor had issues as no certificate for the work was available.

So in the end we paid for some policies which the solicitor took out to cover the buyer in case anything went wrong - it was approx £50 for the roof and £500 for the drain. (luckily the buyer went halves)

It might be an option for you - say nothing and when you sell if it is picked up ask the solicitor if an insurance policy would cover it - check the cost between that and getting someone out to issue a certificate and go with the cheapest option.

 

[Mickymoody]

A local craftsman, custom design, are all bonuses for me. Does red tape really need to get in the way, just plead the 5th. Dunno Governor, was always like that.

But now you advertised the fact to the entire world. I'm gonna dub ya in, you grade 2 ruining, putting rubbish winders in ya! I knows where ya live! grrr! (JOKE)

Don't worry about it, you have no plans on moving, rules change all the time.

The village where I live, the council have decided to revamp all the terraced houses, so they take the facing wall of the house down, and rebuild, install uPVC windows and doors, and my issue with this; remove the origional walled ironwork, and replace it with a new wall, and new ironwork. I'd prefer to keep the origional design, from the 1890's. Most people already have those ugly uPVC doors and windows anyways, but to take the Victorian ironwork away, and replace it with their own design? Fortunately you can opt out. What a price to pay to keep history.

 

[Passepartout]

The village where I live, the council have decided to revamp all the terraced houses, so they take the facing wall of the house down, and rebuild, install uPVC windows and doors, and my issue with this; remove the origional walled ironwork, and replace it with a new wall, and new ironwork. I'd prefer to keep the origional design, from the 1890's. Most people already have those ugly uPVC doors and windows anyways, but to take the Victorian ironwork away, and replace it with their own design? Fortunately you can opt out. What a price to pay to keep history.

Another fanciful and fictional story, or is the village you refer to "Strangeways"?

 

[Mickymoody]

The village where I live, the council have decided to revamp all the terraced houses, so they take the facing wall of the house down, and rebuild, install uPVC windows and doors, and my issue with this; remove the origional walled ironwork, and replace it with a new wall, and new ironwork. I'd prefer to keep the origional design, from the 1890's. Most people already have those ugly uPVC doors and windows anyways, but to take the Victorian ironwork away, and replace it with their own design? Fortunately you can opt out. What a price to pay to keep history.

Another fanciful and fictional story, or is the village you refer to "Strangeways"?

Are you really mentally deranged? What are you talking about?