Sale of house - worries re building regs

[Worrygirl]

Hi!

Can anyone help.....don't know what to do?
Had some work done to my house 5 years ago. Changed the rear entrance from bay window and single entrance door to patio doors and small side windows. Also, had a window replaced in the same room with a slightly smaller window.
Well known large contractor did the work. Naively did not question anything about certificates.
Should I have had building reg certificates and fensa certificates ? (just found out recently about all this)
Am in the early stages of selling my house.Any ideas what to do in order not to loose the sale! Not contacted any official departments yet....the contractor has gone bankrupt therefore not really contactable!

 

[jeds]

You've got three options: There's always a chance the works won't get mentioned. So you just sit back and see what happens. You could put your hands up to the fact that you don't have certificates and instead arrange an indemnity insurance to cover the buyer against any action by the local authority. Or you could get the works regularised.

Option one is obviously a but risky. Option two is the easiest (and cheapest) solution but unauthorised works do sometimes worry people and it might put off one or two potential buyers. Option three is the safest solution but is the most expensive and will take time.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Was there any structural work done?

 

[Worrygirl]

Thanks Jeds.

Don't know how I can ignore it as one of the solicitors forms specifically asks " have any of the following changes been made?".......building works. yes or no? (followed by the date).

Do you know roughly how much indemnity insurance costs?

Do you know how long the council could possibly take?

 

[Worrygirl]

.....forgot to say there was some structural work done.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

If structural work was carried out, unless a structural engineer was involved who did some calculations/drawings you will likely have to expose the beam or whatever it was they inserted to prove what it was and that the bearing's ok. This usually involves removing some plaster at each end of the beam and exposing the beam. If it looks undersized at all or your Inspector is wet behind the ears you will have to get a structural engineer to prove it is up to the job. In theory it could be quite quick but you'll have to
1 Invite building control out. They may insist on something from the window supplier via yourself to prove the windows meet the regs or he might just take a look and say they're ok.
2 Maybe expose the ends of the beam if needs be and have the inspector out again.
3 If required employ an engineer to come out and then do some calculations.
4 Assuming the beam was up to it you then submit the engineers calculations to Building control, submit your proof that the windows meet the regs to Building control too.
5 Building control issue certificate.
6 Replaster exposed ends of beams.

That could take a few weeks if all went to plan ............

That also all assumes it was done right and no anomalies get thrown up ie the beam/lintels undersized.

Indemnity's cost about £100 and you pay for them, your solicitor will arrange them for you however as Jeds mentioned this is not always acceptable to some buyers.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Yep you'll need calcs on any structural work that has been done.
Do you have receipts of the builders work and hopefully something with any RSJ or lintels on it, that could indicate the size of it/them?
I guess the inspector comeths!