Hi Folks,
Advice needed, I'm sale agreed on a house, and was led to believe by the vendor and estate agent that the house was built as a 5 bed dormer under the original planning permission in the mid-eighties.
It turns out that the original plans specified a 3 bed bungalow.
The vendors are not the original owners, so now I am unsure if the house was built as a 5 bed in breach of planning permission or was converted at some later stage. I had a surveyor look at the property some months ago and he said it appeared structurally sound (though I had informed him that it was not a conversion so who knows how hard he looked)
The vendor's solicitor is suggesting that they would request retention planning permission for the upstairs additional rooms.
I'm concerned on a number of issues:
1. Even if permission is obtained, if I sell the house at some future date, do I have to advertise it as a 3 bed with upstairs storage?
2. Do I need to request the vendor provide a Certificate of Compliance with Building Regulations for what is presumably an attic conversion? (is it even legal to sell a house without one?)
3. I have mortgage approval on the basis of a valuation on a 5 bed dormer, do I need to inform the bank that it has come to light that the house is in fact a 3 bed with an uncertified conversion (almost certainly resulting in withdrawal of mortgage approval)
Should I
a) wait until the vendor produces the correct paperwork
b) significantly reduce the offer on the property on the basis that I am taking on the risk that remedial works may need to be carried out to achieve certification at some future point.
c) walk away
Advice needed, I'm sale agreed on a house, and was led to believe by the vendor and estate agent that the house was built as a 5 bed dormer under the original planning permission in the mid-eighties.
It turns out that the original plans specified a 3 bed bungalow.
The vendors are not the original owners, so now I am unsure if the house was built as a 5 bed in breach of planning permission or was converted at some later stage. I had a surveyor look at the property some months ago and he said it appeared structurally sound (though I had informed him that it was not a conversion so who knows how hard he looked)
The vendor's solicitor is suggesting that they would request retention planning permission for the upstairs additional rooms.
I'm concerned on a number of issues:
1. Even if permission is obtained, if I sell the house at some future date, do I have to advertise it as a 3 bed with upstairs storage?
2. Do I need to request the vendor provide a Certificate of Compliance with Building Regulations for what is presumably an attic conversion? (is it even legal to sell a house without one?)
3. I have mortgage approval on the basis of a valuation on a 5 bed dormer, do I need to inform the bank that it has come to light that the house is in fact a 3 bed with an uncertified conversion (almost certainly resulting in withdrawal of mortgage approval)
Should I
a) wait until the vendor produces the correct paperwork
b) significantly reduce the offer on the property on the basis that I am taking on the risk that remedial works may need to be carried out to achieve certification at some future point.
c) walk away