Vendor threatening to pull out due to delay

Hotzenplotz

Hi, I'm a first time poster but have been watching the forum for a while. I'm looking for some advice.

We're first time buyers and are in the process of buying our rental home directly from the landlord. We went sale agreed in September but there have been delays on both sides with solicitors. Our solicitor is pushing the vendor regarding compliance to building regulations for attic conversion and kitchen extension. Both were completed about 20 years ago, attic conversion only for storage purposes and we have planning permission for the kitchen.

The vendor is now accusing us of time wasting and we feel he is about to pull out. If this was not already our home it may be easier but we have 3 small children and are very settled. We absolutely do not want to lose this house.

Is it still possible to buy without compliance certs for building regulations? We consider this our forever home and plan to rebuild the kitchen extension in future, which would then be completed according to building regs.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

ABajaninCork

I don't think it's possible to buy without the relevant building certs. It would be a condition of the mortgage. I reckon none were ever done, that's why the vendor's switched on you. It's a blackmailing tactic IMO.

Is the planning permission for the kitchen retrospective? That wouldn't be a showstopper necessarily, but you do need confirmation the building work has been done to building regs. The attic might be more of a problem as it needs a building cert and a fire safety cert.

This is a business transaction, and you need to treat it as such. Try to take the emotion out of it, and don't let the vendor bully you. At the end of the day - if the vendor pulls out? It's a shame, but that's how house buying goes sometimes. You can always find another house.

Hotzenplotz

Thanks for the reply.

No the pp for the kitchen was given at the time of the works.

Just a couple of questions on the building regulations. If the attic conversion is only for storage, do we still need a cert? And which regulations are in force for the certificate, the current regs or those in place at time of build?

I understand your point on emotions, it's just hard as we have been here 3 years.

ABajaninCork

The attic sounds messy...

When it was converted, was it converted for living space? Sounds to me as though it was, and a building cert/fire safety cert was never given. That's why it's only storage. The regs it needs to conform to would be the regs in force at the time. Your solicitor needs to clarify.

The PP for the kitchen? That's sounds OK, but again your solicitor needs to clarify and get the relevant paperwork. Sounds as though your solicitor is on the ball. Let them do their work!

Hotzenplotz

No, the attic was only ever supposed to be a storage room, although it does have a permanent staircase.

Thanks again.

Hotzenplotz

No, the attic was only ever supposed to be a storage room, although it does have a permanent staircase.

Thanks again.

o1s1n

I thought attic conversions were exempt from certification as long as they were considered storage only?

Does a staircase automatically imply living space?

Would be good to know as I'm considering converting an attic and adding a stairs myself. (but have a feeling the ceiling will be too low to comply with habitable space building regulations)