BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RENOVATION Part 5: Building Regulations

When properties are surveyed, any alterations for which Building Regulations consent should have been obtained will normally get flagged up in the surveyor’s report. Should it later transpire that the works were carried out illegally, the property owner can be held liable and may even be prosecuted. And when purchasers hear about unauthorised works they may respond by demanding a price reduction to compensate for the perceived risk. Even in cases where you’re simply remortgaging, the bank may only be willing to release funding on the condition that you apply for a ‘certificate of regularisation’. This may involve building control retrospectively inspecting the property once the work in question has been ‘opened up’ by your builders so that it’s clearly visible. There are three possible outcomes: approval, where the work complies; rectification, where it doesn’t comply; or re-instatement, where