loft conversion - stairs been moved

[fi35]

Just discovered our loft conversion has been fiddled with by previous owner to fit in an extra bedroom that would have been the landing and entrance to the loft room.
The loft room Now doesn't meet building regs - no fire doors and head height not 2 metres - any ideas what to do? We bought the house as a 4 bed but worried may be considered 3 bed with use of loft room...

ideas?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Fire doors can usually be added at the top or the bottom of the stairs, impossible to comment without a look at the plans. When you mention 2m headroom what do you mean specifically, are you talking about above the pitch-line of the stairs? What does it achieve?

 

[fi35]

we can't put the door at the bottom of the stairs as the landing is too narrow to allow the door to open out.
At the top of the stairs it is an apex so not only short but impossible to put a door. We don't have the plans but i think the stairs entered the loft room at a different place and went down to what is now a bedroom.

 

[big-all]

how long ago did you buy the house how was it described ??
if it was recently then you are entitled to compensation probably amounting to a similar amount to what you overpaid plus aditional costs like like higher fees higher stamp duty
in other words the price a 3 bed would fetch and what you paid thats providing it was sold to you as a four bedroom house complying with building regs

 

[fi35]

Thanks Big-All
Who would we sue though?
We have been here Just under 3 years. I have spoken with a solicitor who says it may be possible to sue our conveyancers but they will say we had a look at the plans and said everything was ok. (i was pregnant at the time so maybe could convince someone i had babybrain!)

 

[big-all]

Thanks Big-All
Who would we sue though?
We have been here Just under 3 years. I have spoken with a solicitor who says it may be possible to sue our conveyancers but they will say we had a look at the plans and said everything was ok. (i was pregnant at the time so maybe could convince someone i had babybrain!)

all depends on how it was described to you and who by
also depends on the the answers to your questions

how was it described in the estate agents blurb

where your questions to the home owner or estate agent answered acuratley

all depends iff you where truthfully answered or delliberatley misled

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Litigation is highly likely to outweigh the cost of any remedial works, of course a solicitor will say that, ask him to do it on a no win no fee basis and watch him squirm.

 

[geraint]

jesus... 3 years ago. we did not notice... now we have and someone must pay.... if only people were paid for their brains....