Missing Building Regs for Damp Course, Chimney Tanking and Airbrick installation
Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:17 pm
I am currently buying a house (2 bed end terraced) that the seller has done up their selves. I have found out within the course of enquiries that there is no building regulation certificate for the "damp course applied to all ground floor external walls to full height and internal walls to a height of 1 m. On the first floor, the client had the chimney tanked from floor to ceiling and repaired/reconstructed to deal with water ingress issues. In terms of the cellar, all timber was treated and air bricks were installed".
My solicitors have provided me with an indemnity policy for the lack of building regulations but I am hesitant to accept this because the work was completed within the past 2 years and I understand that the indemnity policy doesn't cover section 35 of the Building Act. I also will not feel confident that the damp proof work that was done was done to the correct standard.
Ideally, I would like the seller to obtain a regularisation certificate but I know this can take a while and potentially cause costly remedial work so they are unlikely to agree to it.
I am wondering if anyone has any opinion of what the best way to go about this is and if for example, the work wasn't up to current building regs, what are the potential costs of correcting the work? That might be impossible to answer.
(first house I have bought so don't know much about this sort of thing and solicitors make everything sound like the end of the world)
My solicitors have provided me with an indemnity policy for the lack of building regulations but I am hesitant to accept this because the work was completed within the past 2 years and I understand that the indemnity policy doesn't cover section 35 of the Building Act. I also will not feel confident that the damp proof work that was done was done to the correct standard.
Ideally, I would like the seller to obtain a regularisation certificate but I know this can take a while and potentially cause costly remedial work so they are unlikely to agree to it.
I am wondering if anyone has any opinion of what the best way to go about this is and if for example, the work wasn't up to current building regs, what are the potential costs of correcting the work? That might be impossible to answer.
(first house I have bought so don't know much about this sort of thing and solicitors make everything sound like the end of the world)