Extensions

Dodgy lean-to and non-reg downstairs WC

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.37 PM

My husband and I are buying a property. We’ve had the survey done and there’s a couple of things that have been highlighted as concerns. Around 10ish years ago (well before current owners), a lean-to has been added to the side of the property. It’s pretty nice inside, they’ve used it as a utility, but it’s built on a retaining wall (on a boundary the property is responsible for) and doesn't have proper foundations. The current owners have put a downstairs wc in in the last couple of years - it’s nicely done but clearly hasn’t got building reg sign off as the pipework looks really suspect. Assume they did it on the cheap and I’d question whether it would ever get sign-off as it’s technically external in the lean-to - does anyone know if building regs would ever sign off a downstairs toilet in a lean to? We can pay to have the pipework sorted, the room insulated and ventilated etc and we're going to attempt to renegotiate the price of the purchase but essentially it's in what would likely be classed as a temporary structure. She should provide us with indemnity insurance although I've heard this isn't worth the paper it's written on. Our other option is to still negotiate the price down but remove the offending loo completely and look to install a proper one within the main house at a later stage - we certainly don't want to come up against similar problems when we come to sell the property on. Can anyone advise on the building regs side of this? Also, in a couple of years, we want to take down an internal structural wall to create a kitchen-diner and know we will need building regs. Whether we remove the WC or not, are they likely to see the lean-to on the side and question it, and we then risk having to take it down? Or will they only look at what they’re there to look at i.e. wouldn’t really question any other part of the house? I know a lean-to doesn't technically need any permissions/consent but the fact it's on a retaining wall could cause concern (although it's shown no signs of collapsing yet!). It's worth saying here that the main house is in great condition and we absolutely love it, so not wanting to pull out. Sorry for the essay!