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Hi all,
Does anyone know what conditions on building completion certificates from councils mean? Is there a hard requirement to do the work? I can’t find anything on the Woking council site as to what it really means, and concerned that if I ring them to ask about a house I’m buying it might trigger a lot of pain.
Longer story:
Buying a house in woking.
They did an extension in 2007 and unfortunately didn’t get the completion signed off then. The window sills are higher than standards now.
They have got the completion certificate done now and it states:
"It is considered that so far as the Council have been able to ascertain, after taking all reasonable steps in that behalf, the substantive requirements of the Building Regulations are satisfied SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS ATTACHED HERETO.”
And then on the conditions page:
"The cill height to first floor bedrooms exceeds 1100mm from floor height. A fixed step is required in order to provide adequate means of escape.”
No mention of whether it has to be resolved or can just stay like that and will always be noted on a piece of paper as being non standard. If we had to change it, it would be potentially a lot of work to have something that is not a mess (step of sufficient size would stick out into room, might be easier to raise whole floor)
Does anyone have any experience on this before I ring the council for clarification and potentially trigger something?
Thanks!
Conditions mean you have to do the work then you should get a final approval. They must have considered the non compliance trivial enough for them to issue a conditional approval at the time but you would be expected to actually do the work required.
I've never found a council willing to accpet a step up to an escape window though!
Interesting, as they had to change a few other things before the council issued this.
As in inspector came round, listed a few things that needed changing, they changed them and then council were happy to issue this conditional approval. None of the other things that had to be changed are listed.
Vendor says the council inspector wasn't too bothered about this, more of a technicality but for obvious reasons I want to check for ourselves!
Buying a house in woking.
I should think a building control issue is the least of your worries*.
*grew up there.
I should think a building control issue is the least of your worries*.*grew up there.
Ok, technically in Horsell, near Woking. But that council!
If the other things that were changed on the day were actually done then they wouldn't appear on the conditional approval as they had been done if that makes sense!
Its a way of the Council covering themselves in the event of someone not being able to get out of the window. They made it clear that the work needed doing.
It wouldn't bother me to have that condition on a house I was planning on buying. It may bother your lender or a future buyer when you come to sell.
If the other things that were changed on the day were actually done then they wouldn't appear on the conditional approval as they had been done if that makes sense!
Yep, makes sense. The officer was aware of what was and wasn't going to be done - ie the expectation was that XYZ would be rectified and then they would issue a certificate with the condition on sill height.
It wouldn't bother me to have that condition on a house I was planning on buying. It may bother your lender or a future buyer when you come to sell.
Thanks, that's reassuring. You don't think we would be forced to change anything? Or could it be triggered if we extended elsewhere (not the rooms with these windows)?
Well a simple wooden step screwed to the floor would keep them happy. You could remove it after they have been to look at it (I didn't tell you to do that though!).
They wouldn't check the rest of the house for compliance if you did an extension but they "might" notice it had a prior conditional approval and ask to see if it had been dealt with. In which case just get your step out from under the bed and screw it down again.