No building warrant no house sale

[baldelectrician]

Just thought I would add some more info,

Was speaking to another spark this week who told me a customer of his did a loft conversion 15 years ago without a warrant. Now he is selling the house he needs one (he has to apply for a warrant to do a loft conversion or put the house back the way it was)

Trouble is if he did a building warrant then he would only have to meet the regulations at the time. As he is applying now he has to meet the regs now (not just electrical but building)

The wall and other insulation will need upgrading, the glass will have to meet current heat efficiency targets.

He will have to use an approoved certifier to do the electrics and structural stuff.

A warrant is effectively permission from the council in writing to do said works. No warrant no house sale.

This building regs thing has been around for years up here (last building Scotland act was 1959) so there is no excuse not to know what needs to be done.

If you cut corners it may cost more in the end.

The warrant thing only applies to certain houses (flats maisonettes, conversions etc), not all work in houses.

It also applies to non domestic things, which I will not go into here.

In times gone by (before 1st May 2005) you could get away with a "letter of comfort" from the council- a letter of comfort says they are happy it complied to the regs at the time it was done.

This back door route is NOT available now.


Have put info on my website- makes it easier to forward enquirues.

http://www.baldelectrician.com/buildingstds/warrant.pdf

http://www.baldelectrician.com/fees.pdf

 

[Moz]

baldelectrician
thanks for the heads up ...
but I think this has always been the case with building regs about extentions , ?!!

I know estate agents are turning themselves into lil hitlers with selling packs ,
for example if you say you have never had a fallout/cross words with your neighbours ,
you are open to a lawsuit by the buyers , if your old neighbour says you were always arguing ..lol
you are liable to claims .. ?!?!?

I understand the building regs but these sellers packs are a legal doc an if you write any old thing it will come back an haunt you (Halloween lol ..sort yourself ...ok Ill get my coat , lol)

The fact is with the way its going you wont be able to sell soon unless you provide all bills/receipts for your old property , a real joke ...

 

[baldelectrician]

MOZ

Yep - extensions & conservatiroes we all knew about, but putting a spur for a boiler in a flat also requires one, this is now being enforced. It will all come out in the wash when someone sells.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you thought Part P was a cynical exercise in closed-shop protectionism for electricians, take a look at Scotland. If the info on baldelectricianmillionairelaughingallthewaytothebank's website is correct, you need a warrant to simply add a socket, or a spur, or a light fitting anywhere in a flat, maisonette or house with one or more storeys over 4.5m.

 

[baldelectrician]

bas

it MUST be true (the do i need...) is from the NICEIC


Seriously, it may be a joke but it's been like that for years.

ps you even need a warrant to put in a mains powered doorbell...

they aren't forcing you to join the nic or select, you (as a competent person) can apply to be assessed to the building standards (£350 +vat) and do the one day SBSA course run by select or nic for £95 + vat.

 

[Moz]

baldelectrician
an ban all sheds

we are living in hateful /greedy society ... an this is supposed to calm things , the sellers pack , with all the extras could cost I read 5k on "The Money Prog ", site

the thing is Buyers will have to stump this up ....

we did have a slow down but the glut of programmes on "Property ladder "type TV over the last 3 yrs have thrown up the desire to sell at higher ammounts an the greed factor is Voracious at the moment by sellers ,

 

[baldelectrician]

on reading the Scottish Parliament website the reason they are going for homebuyer packs is that people spend an average of £2500 to bring a house upto standards when they move in.

Most people aren't aware that (in Scotland anyway) the new homeowner has 5 working days to notify the previous owner of anything faulty or not right and the previous owner has to put most things right at his expense.

the homebuyer pack will stop most of this as the seller pays initally, and it gets added onto the price of the house= ultimately the final buyer pays and everyone is happy.

 

[AdamW]

On the one hand I can appreciate that. For instance, my mate bought a house a couple of months ago and I think the electrics were fiddled with by a monkey (a spur wired in dangling flex, emerging from behind broken plaster around a now-loose socket... under the sink?!).

However, I would not want to be liable for any works to rectify any problems I have not noticed at my place.

It is hard to prove whether or not the previous owner knew of any problems, but if they have nothing to hide they shouldn't mind a quick once over by an electrician, plumber and a surveyor. I will certainly try to get full inspections next time I buy (unless I am seduced by those new builds )

 

[baldelectrician]

Adam

good idea, why don't you do what I do.

Any previous customers I offer a free VISUAL wiring check- this always points out any possible things requiring further investigation, and from a business point of view it makes sense- you usually get more work if you get in before any decoration is done.

 

[Gary0]

Gets added to the price of the house ? Maybe I'm just being cynical but I find it difficult to believe that it'll make much (any) difference to the price offered/accepted. Of course you can't sell the same place both with and without, at the same time, for comparison, so difficult to prove anyway.

IMO houses should be bought 'as seen'. Any faults discovered afterwards, you should take up with the experts you paid to check it out for you.

 

[Adam_151]

Just carry on with DIY electrics as before, do it properly (and if you can't do it properly, you have no place doing it in the first place), and when you come to move, just have a PIR done, its not a big expense in terms of the other expenses with moving house, and is proof to the new owner that everything is safe.

I'm all for making sure people don't end up being something that has been screwed around with by DIY dave, with 9kw showers on the ring final, but part p is just a money making scheme.

 

[Nige F]

baldelectrician
an ban all sheds

we are living in hateful /greedy society ... an this is supposed to calm things , the sellers pack , with all the extras could cost I read 5k on "The Money Prog ", site

the thing is Buyers will have to stump this up ....

we did have a slow down but the glut of programmes on "Property ladder "type TV over the last 3 yrs have thrown up the desire to sell at higher ammounts an the greed factor is Voracious at the moment by sellers ,

Am with you 100%, moz. nowt to add

 

[kendor]

there were so many regulations and rules about loft conversions that i gave up the idea in my old house such as the need for a landing, all doors downstairs being converted to solid fire doors (we'd just had expensive glass panelled doors installed!) skylights etc etc etc.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1) Remove expensive glass panelled doors, and store safely.

2) Fit cheapest compliant solid doors ready for inspection.

3) After inspection, replace expensive glass panelled doors.

 

[kendor]

1) Remove expensive glass panelled doors, and store safely.

2) Fit cheapest compliant solid doors ready for inspection.

3) After inspection, replace expensive glass panelled doors.

Ok until house burns down and you put a claim into the insurance company.