Buying a house - falls over at the last minute (Building Reg Approval)

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Just hand your notice in and be done with the whole affair

[SueEllen]

hmmm

You both have valid points here. Not quite sure it is worth the hassle here, but to be honest the estate agents were quite rude to me when I insisted on building regulations stating (there is none! we already told your solicitor) well then why the hell advertise them as bedrooms?!?!

I am quite angry about the whole thing and would consider taking them to court just for the fun of it.

Do you have a witness to what they said?

If not it's your word against theirs and they will make up some sh*t to the judge.

While judges are use to seeing people lie, they have to give them a reasonable benefit of the doubt if you don't have a witness. Though if you are really lucky the estate agent will incriminate themselves in front of the judge.

While you are thinking about it report them to trading standards. I don't know where exactly you are in the country but some trading standards officers like taking on Estate Agents due to their habits.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Do you have a witness to what they said?

If not it's your word against theirs and they will make up some sh*t to the judge.

While judges are use to seeing people lie, they have to give them a reasonable benefit of the doubt if you don't have a witness. Though if you are really lucky the estate agent will incriminate themselves in front of the judge.

While you are thinking about it report them to trading standards. I don't know where exactly you are in the country but some trading standards officers like taking on Estate Agents due to their habits.

The house is still up on Rightmove as being an X bedroom house and they have long established it had no building regs for the loft. So I have taken some screenshots and forwarded onto solicitor to see what they make of it.

I will definitely be getting in touch with trading standards - the only issue I have is that the estate agent has a monopoly on the area and type of houses we are looking to buy...... But then again on principle I want to get them in trouble for their lying and cheating.

[Old Hack]

The house is still up on Rightmove as being an X bedroom house and they have long established it had no building regs for the loft. So I have taken some screenshots and forwarded onto solicitor to see what they make of it.

I will definitely be getting in touch with trading standards - the only issue I have is that the estate agent has a monopoly on the area and type of houses we are looking to buy...... But then again on principle I want to get them in trouble for their lying and cheating.

If you have evidence, that they know it isn't X, due to building regs, and yet they are still selling as X, then I'd be onto the ombudsman and their professional body immediately.

Also call as a new buyer, and ask how many bedrooms it has, and if one is in the loft, then ask if it has building regs. If they say no, it doesn't, then they knew/know, and are guilty of misrepresenting a property.

[eek]

If you have evidence, that they know it isn't X, due to building regs, and yet they are still selling as X, then I'd be onto the ombudsman and their professional body immediately.

Also call as a new buyer, and ask how many bedrooms it has, and if one is in the loft, then ask if it has building regs. If they say no, it doesn't, then they knew/know, and are guilty of misrepresenting a property.

Don't do that yourself. let trading standards do it and piggy back your claim once they've successfully prosecuted them.

[Old Hack]

Don't do that yourself. let trading standards do it and piggy back your claim once they've successfully prosecuted them.

Good suggestion.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Don't do that yourself. let trading standards do it and piggy back your claim once they've successfully prosecuted them.

Who do I get in touch with?

[BrilloPad]

Anything I can do here to get my money back

Have you any idea how much it will cost you to get it through building regs?

Personally though I blame the vendors - I reckon they knew and might even have lost a sale before because of this.

I would find out the cost of regs and reduce offer by that much - then not budge. If they pull out then put superglue in their door locks. Is their car parked on the driveway or road?

[Old Hack]

Have you any idea how much it will cost you to get it through building regs?

Personally though I blame the vendors - I reckon they knew and might even have lost a sale before because of this.

I would find out the cost of regs and reduce offer by that much - then not budge. If they pull out then put superglue in their door locks. Is their car parked on the driveway or road?

That's a tricky one. First, you'd have to pay for Building regs to visit (and get the owners to agree to access), then acsses that report (which would take a while to deliver), and then get estimates to fix works needed in order for it to pass, as it would have to pass todays building regs, not the ones in 93 or whenever it was built. These also now include P3 or the electrical ones too, which I would venture they dont. You also have to have emergency egress now, which you never used to have to.

This is a walk away deal. Unless, the agency drop it and price it as a 2 bed. That's the issue.

Ombudsman and professional bodies need involving here as its obvious the vendor doesn't want it priced as a 2 bed...

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

That's a tricky one. First, you'd have to pay for Building regs to visit (and get the owners to agree to access), then acsses that report (which would take a while to deliver), and then get estimates to fix works needed in order for it to pass, as it would have to pass todays building regs, not the ones in 93 or whenever it was built. These also now include P3 or the electrical ones too, which I would venture they dont. You also have to have emergency egress now, which you never used to have to.

This is a walk away deal. Unless, the agency drop it and price it as a 2 bed. That's the issue.

Ombudsman and professional bodies need involving here as its obvious the vendor doesn't want it priced as a 2 bed...

Absolutely - you took the words out of my mouth. Thanks BP for your response but my previous request was for me to get the building surveyed to see if it complied with building regulations and if not how much it would cost to get it to comply - this would have to be at the vendor's expense though. So far they have refused this.