Looking to buy a house but it does not have a back door.

[RebelRebel73]

Hi Everyone. We’re looking at a house that we would like to buy. Everything is perfect with the house. It’s a B2 rating, all mod cons, built in 2018. The only issue is that it has no back door. There are windows that look out on to the back garden, which, if you were agile, could climb out. There is access to the back garden, outside via the side of the house. There is only one door to the outside, and that is the front door. Can anyone tell me if this is legal? Is it against safety regulations?

 

[DannyBoyD]

There is access to the back garden, outside via the side of the house. There is only one door to the outside, and that is the front door

So theres two doors? One at the front and one at the side?

 

[RebelRebel73]

So theres two doors? One at the front and one at the side?

No, there is no side door. Just the front door. You would have to go out the front door and walk around via the side of the house (semi-d), to get into the back garden

 

[Bronte]

So make a back window a door.

 

[RebelRebel73]

So make a back window a door.

Of course, that is what I would do, but is it legal / against safety regulations to not have a back door?

 

[thedaddyman]

It's certainly very un-Irish, especially in rural Ireland, very rare I've ever gone through some ones front door down the country

Never heard of it being an actual requirement to have one however.

 

[Duddaa]

It's not a legal requirement to have a back door. If you think about it most apartments or duplexes only have one door. In a fire or emergency you can climb out a window and the window must be of a certain size, and comply with certain requirements which aren't that onerous. Obviously it's a legal requirement for a house to have at least one door but that's it.

It would be very easy and fairly cheap for you to convert a window to a door. Provided the house isn't near a protected building (known as within a protected curtilage) or has other issues then you shouldn't need planning. It would be worth checking though as while very unusual, they might have a legal reason why they didn't fit a back door.

 

[Leo]

Given it was built in 2018, all the planning files should be available online.

 

[RebelRebel73]

It's not a legal requirement to have a back door. If you think about it most apartments or duplexes only have one door. In a fire or emergency you can climb out a window and the window must be of a certain size, and comply with certain requirements which aren't that onerous. Obviously it's a legal requirement for a house to have at least one door but that's it.

It would be very easy and fairly cheap for you to convert a window to a door. Provided the house isn't near a protected building (known as within a protected curtilage) or has other issues then you shouldn't need planning. It would be worth checking though as while very unusual, they might have a legal reason why they didn't fit a back door.

Thank you for the good advice. I’ll check the planning. Can you tell me how I do that?

 

[RebelRebel73]

Given it was built in 2018, all the planning files should be available online.

Thank you, can you tell me where I’ll find the planning files?

 

[elcato]

Is there any obvious work done where one of the current windows are or around the side to suggest it may have had a side/back door ?

 

[Marsupial]

Thank you, can you tell me where I’ll find the planning files?

Probably on your local council's website.

 

[Sue Ellen]

Thank you, can you tell me where I’ll find the planning files?

Some of them have interactive maps for you to search out the property, they are very handy. I find with a lot of them that their search function is not great so the maps are useful.

BTW is it a possibility that one of the windows was originally a door and purchaser changed it.

 

[RebelRebel73]

Is there any obvious work done where one of the current windows are or around the side to suggest it may have had a side/back door ?

No, and the other semi d attached to it is identical. They were built that way.

 

[RebelRebel73]

Some of them have interactive maps for you to search out the property, they are very handy. I find with a lot of them that their search function is not great so the maps are useful.

BTW is it a possibility that one of the windows was originally a door and purchaser changed it.

Thanks, I have searched the npad maps just now and I found the planning application number. There was “conditional” planning granted for the building in in 2023, but the properties were built in 2018, which makes me wonder. I would like to read the detailed planning permission documents but I can’t seem to find them anywhere online.

 

[Sue Ellen]

I would like to read the detailed planning permission documents but I can’t seem to find them anywhere online.

Not familiar with 'npad maps' but places like SDCC have archived records online. Not sure if its still possible now but the County Councils used to allow viewing of documents in their offices.

 

[RebelRebel73]

Not familiar with 'npad maps' but places like SDCC have archived records online. Not sure if its still possible now but the County Councils used to allow viewing of documents in their offices.

Than you. National Planning Application Database, it’s the interactive map you mentioned to me earlier. Further exploration of it, and I can see three separate planning applications were made dating back to the original back in 2013. Full planning was granted for the construction with no restrictions. So, the house was designed and originally built with no back door.

 

[Laramie]

From memory, back in the day, I think we had issues giving loans on properties that did not have a back door. This would be pointed out in the survey. No harm to check with your lender.

 

[Leo]

Full planning was granted for the construction with no restrictions. So, the house was designed and originally built with no back door.

An engineer will have signed-off on those being compliant with the regs as they stood at the time. Current fire regs can be found here. As others have pointed out, changing a rear window to a door is usually straightforward (particularly if the door will be narrower than the window and could rely on the existing lintel).

 

[RebelRebel73]

An engineer will have signed-off on those being compliant with the regs as they stood at the time. Current fire regs can be found here. As others have pointed out, changing a rear window to a door is usually straightforward (particularly if the door will be narrower than the window and could rely on the existing lintel).

Thank you Leo. I will have a look at those fire regs. We do plan to put a small extension on the back, which will incorporate a back door. I wanted to know if it was ok to buy without one and if it would give us some ammunition when haggling with regard to putting an offer forward on the house.