Newbie here.

Some work was done on my house without planning permission in 2003 before I bought it. For whatever reason I wasn't made aware of the lack of consent when I bought the house but that's another story....

Work that was done: Kitchen knocked into dining room, RSJ installed. Kitchen also knocked into rear "coal shed", second RSJ installed.

I'm going through the regularisation process but wondered if anyone can tell me if this work would have passed building regs in 2003. Particularly concerned about single skin wall and change to habitable use of that coal shed.

Thanks!

Well firstly, the seller should have declared the alterations and shown the necessary consents on the search process so really you should not bare the costs of putting this right and it might be worth having a word with your conveyancing solicitor. However, they are usually as much use as a chocolate teapot so good luck there.

Normally building control will give retrospective building regs approval for a fee and this varies from council to council. They might require the steels to be exposed to show if they are appropriately sized to take the load etc. so this will depend on how the inspector feels when he views it.

Chances are it is all okay, but you need to know it is okay and get it right for when you sell on.

DWD

Many thanks for replying DWD.

I'm paying the fee for retrospective permission and expecting to expose the work. I guess I just want to have a feel in advance for if it will pass the test. No respectable builder would do work that wouldn't pass the current regs.... would they.......?

Well, I think that it very unlikely that someone has put in insufficient beams, if anything they are usually more than what is actually necassary. Try not to be too concerend as chances are it is all okay. If by some slim chance they are not then they can still be be put right.

DWD

....and presumably nobody would install a fully fitted kitchen in a single skin annex unless they were confident it met building regs on insulation (it was back in 2003)?

Thanks for reassurance, first time I've felt positive about this all week!

I wouldn't assume that if it was DIY and not builders work

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When I lived in Buckingham, previous owners had put a single skin kitchen extension on around 1995, no probs with Building Control, had the sign off papers.

S

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