Selling a House with Building Regulation Issues: A Complete Guide for UK Homeowners

Banks won’t approve mortgages without building certificates for big work.

Your buyer’s application gets turned down even if everything else is fine. Banks see missing certificates as warning signs about safety. Only cash buyers will consider properties with these issues.

This cuts your buyer pool by about 85% to 90%. Your property becomes un-mortgageable to most people.

The buyer’s solicitor will ask formal questions about missing certificates straight away.

They’ll demand explanations and solutions before going ahead. Your solicitor must answer each question, which adds weeks to the process. These legal questions frustrate everyone, and many buyers give up and pull out.

Missing certificates typically reduce your home’s value by 5% to 15%.

A house worth £300,000 could drop to £255,000 to £285,000 because of certificate issues. Buyers work out their costs to fix the problem when making offers. Want to know how much your house is worth with certificate problems? Expect big price cuts.

Many buyers walk away once they find out about missing certificates.

Those who stay use it to demand big price cuts. You’re in a weak spot because you can’t easily find other buyers. Some insist you fix the issue before they buy, which costs you thousands.

Buyers struggle to get buildings insurance without proper certificates.

Some insurance companies refuse to cover completely for properties with uncertified work. Others charge much higher prices. This worry makes buyers nervous about buying. Smart buyers walk away rather than risk insurance problems.

Missing certificates add two to six months to your sale timeline.

You’ll need time to apply for certificates or arrange insurance. Surveys and council checks take weeks to organise. Meanwhile, your buyer might find another property and leave. Long delays increase the chances of your sale falling through.

Legally, your estate agent must tell potential buyers about missing certificates.

This information goes in the property details or comes up early on. Being honest means fewer viewings from buyers who won’t consider properties with these issues. Hiding the problem can lead to legal action against you later.

Local councils can force you to fix work that wasn’t done properly or remove it.

They send official notices telling you to take action within set times. Ignoring these notices leads to court and fines. Buyers worry about taking on these problems, so they avoid your property. Even the threat of council action kills most sales.

Any loft conversion that creates a proper room needs building approval.

Extensions need planning permission and building control certificates. Even small extensions need building approval. Selling a house with an illegal extension causes huge problems with buyers.

Check for completion certificates before you list your property.

Full kitchen and bathroom installations need different certificates.

Gas work needs a Gas Safe engineer’s certificate. New electrical circuits need Part P certification. Moving kitchens or bathrooms to new rooms almost always needs building approval.

Buyers will ask to see proof that the work was done right.

Complete rewiring needs a certificate from a registered electrician.

New fuse boxes must be fitted by qualified electricians who give you certificates. Adding new circuits for showers or cookers needs Part P certificates. If you’re selling a house with faulty wiring, missing certificates make things worse.

New boiler installations need a Gas Safe certificate.

Moving boilers to different spots needs building approval. Service records help, but don’t replace installation certificates. Buyers won’t go ahead without proof that your heating is safe and legal.

Knocking down walls always needs building control approval.

You’ll need checks from an engineer and inspections while work happens. Creating open-plan spaces by removing walls requires certificates. Installing steel beams needs proper papers, too.

These changes affect your home’s safety, so buyers are extra careful.

Replacement windows and doors fitted after 2002 need FENSA certificates.

Other schemes like Certass work too. Check government guidance on building work to understand the rules. Missing window certificates cause problems with about 40% of house sales.

Conservatories over 30 square metres need building approval.

Smaller ones often don’t, but still need proper foundations. Garden rooms and summer houses have size limits before they need approval. Anything with plumbing or electricity definitely needs certificates.

Buyers think these buildings are legal unless you prove it.

Damp-proof work needs guarantees that pass to new owners.

Big foundation work needs building control approval and an engineer’s certificate. These guarantees usually last 10 to 30 years, and buyers want proof they’re still valid. Without proper papers, buyers worry about hidden problems.

Look through papers from when you bought the property for any certificates.

Ask previous owners about the work they did if you can contact them. Check planning records online for your address. Your local council can tell you if the work was registered with them.

Look for clues like different flooring, newer things, or obvious additions that don’t match the original house.

You can apply for building approval after the work is finished.

Your local council building control checks that the work meets standards. This process costs £500 to £2,000, depending on how big the work is. The council might ask you to open up walls or floors so they can look properly.

If everything looks good, they’ll give you the certificate you need for your sale.

Regularisation certificates are for work done without proper approval.

Applications cost £1,000 to £3,000 plus any fixing work needed. The council checks everything and tells you what needs fixing to meet the rules. You must finish all required changes before they give you the certificate.

This process takes three to six months, typically.

Independent engineers check whether the work is safe and meets rules.

Reports cost £400 to £1,200, depending on how complicated the work is. Engineers check foundations, walls, roof structures, and other important bits. If you’re selling a house with structural issues, a good engineer’s report can help buyers feel better.

But it doesn’t replace official building control approval.

Insurance covers you if the council takes action later.

Policies cost £100 to £500 for single issues. But insurance has big limits – it doesn’t confirm work is safe or meets rules. Many banks won’t accept it for major structural work.

Learn more about indemnity insurance options and when it works. This solution only makes sense for minor issues or old work.

Sometimes, ripping out work that doesn’t meet rules is your cheapest option.

Removing a dodgy extension costs £3,000 to £10,000, depending on size. Taking out bad electrics or plumbing runs £1,000 to £5,000. This guarantees no compliance issues, but wastes the original money spent.

Buyers prefer buying a smaller legal home over a larger one with problems.

Regularisation applications take three to six months from start to finish.

Getting approval after work is done is slightly faster, at two to four months. Getting insurance takes just one to two weeks. Removing work depends on its size but typically needs four to eight weeks.

Think about these timelines when planning your house sale.

Regularisation with fixing work costs £3,000 to £15,000 for most projects.

Simple approval after work is done runs from £500 to £2,000. Engineer reports add £400 to £1,200. Insurance is cheapest at £100 to £500, but solves less. Full removal costs vary wildly from £1,000 to £20,000.

The seller usually pays, but you might split costs with buyers.

Regularisation succeeds about 60% to 70% of the time for extensions and conversions.

Getting approval after work is done works in 75% to 85% of cases where the work is basically sound. Insurance is accepted by some lenders but not others for major work. Removal guarantees compliance, but you lose your money.

Older work has better chances because the rules were different then.

Some work simply can’t meet current building rules, no matter what.

Extensions without proper foundations can’t be approved later. Loft conversions without enough headroom or fire safety won’t pass. Structural changes that weaken the building are impossible to regularise.

In these cases, removal or selling to a cash buyer might be your only options.

Most house sales take months, but we can buy your property in as little as 7 days.

This quick process is perfect if you need to move soon or want to avoid being stuck in a long chain of buyers and sellers. We have the cash on hand so don’t need to wait for mortgages or a chain to collapse. 

Did you know 1 in 3 sales fall through on the open market?

We know how frustrating it is to get 6 months into a process and have a buyer pull out.

When we give you the final price for your house, that’s the amount you’ll get. Guaranteed!

You won’t face any costs with us.

We handle all the expenses involved in buying your property, including legal fees and surveys. You get cash in your bank when the sale is complete, and there are no surprise estate agent commissions to worry about.

Our team supports you through the whole selling process.

We keep you updated about what’s happening and answer any questions quickly. You’ll always understand what’s going on with your sale and what happens next.

Our property experts will value your house at no cost to you.

They look carefully at your property and check local market prices to give you an accurate figure. This professional service comes with no obligations.

Forget about cleaning and tidying for viewings.

We don’t need multiple visits or open houses to make our offer. This means no strangers walking through your home, and no disruption to your daily life.

Whether your house needs work or is in perfect condition, we’ll buy it.

We have experience with all types of properties and conditions. This means you can sell your house to us no matter what state it’s in.

Our expert team manages all the legal requirements for you.

We work with experienced property lawyers who make sure everything runs smoothly, and put your property at the top of their list. This gives you peace of mind that your sale is being handled properly from start to finish.