Conservatory planning when selling
Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:51 pm
Hi all,
I bought my house about 4 years ago and had a conservatory built soon after. At the time, I phoned the local planning office and was told I did not need planning nor building regs approval as long as it met certain criteria.
I followed those criteria but wanted to utilise the maximum space available, which will become relevant lower down.
I've now put the property up for sale and the buyers surveyor is coming around on Friday and Im worried (perhaps without reason). Whilst the area of the conservatory is fine and it meets all the building regs criteria (checked the councils website), i think the volume may be more than is allowed. This is because of the height of the roof (which I kept below the 3m guidelines told to me by the planning officer!), but combined with the area results in me being 8m^3 over the allowed amount. This is based on my own non-professional calculations.
The conservatory will be 4 years old in a few months time, but obviously I want to sell now. What would be the best way to proceed ? Ive been reading about indemnity insurance - but Im not sure if it applies to me, or even if it's worth getting yet. Or should I wait to see if the surveyor or buyers solicitors say anything before worrying ?
In hindsight I should have paid more attention to the volume of the build, but it wasnt something that occurred to me at the time. What I don't want is to end up in a position where Im being asked to take the conservatory down - how would the council determine how old the conservatory is ? Does a few months even matter ?
Thanks for any and all advice.
Sam.
I bought my house about 4 years ago and had a conservatory built soon after. At the time, I phoned the local planning office and was told I did not need planning nor building regs approval as long as it met certain criteria.
I followed those criteria but wanted to utilise the maximum space available, which will become relevant lower down.
I've now put the property up for sale and the buyers surveyor is coming around on Friday and Im worried (perhaps without reason). Whilst the area of the conservatory is fine and it meets all the building regs criteria (checked the councils website), i think the volume may be more than is allowed. This is because of the height of the roof (which I kept below the 3m guidelines told to me by the planning officer!), but combined with the area results in me being 8m^3 over the allowed amount. This is based on my own non-professional calculations.
The conservatory will be 4 years old in a few months time, but obviously I want to sell now. What would be the best way to proceed ? Ive been reading about indemnity insurance - but Im not sure if it applies to me, or even if it's worth getting yet. Or should I wait to see if the surveyor or buyers solicitors say anything before worrying ?
In hindsight I should have paid more attention to the volume of the build, but it wasnt something that occurred to me at the time. What I don't want is to end up in a position where Im being asked to take the conservatory down - how would the council determine how old the conservatory is ? Does a few months even matter ?
Thanks for any and all advice.
Sam.