What paperwork do you need for a loft conversion?

Annie Button has written an article that looks at what needs to be considered when it comes to the paperwork required for a loft conversion.

Converting the loft to gain additional living space is a popular way to improve a home. Not only will it increase the value of the property, but, should you wish to sell it in the future, it will make your home a lot more attractive to potential buyers.

But before you get carried away with the design of the new space and get the builders in, don’t forget that there’s important paperwork to be dealt with too. In fact, keeping orderly records of all necessary documentation pertaining to your loft conversion is highly advisable, as it can save countless headaches when you come to sell the property.

Planning permission is an obvious starting point. Check with your local planning authority whether you need to apply for planning consent and ensure you have the necessary consent in place before you start the build. But even if planning permission is not required, this doesn’t mean there’s no paperwork involved. Any construction work for a loft conversion will need to be signed off by local building control, with full documentation as evidence that your project has been carried out in compliance, even for permitted development.

If your home is a listed building or located in a Conservation Area, additional planning restrictions will apply, and it is imperative that you comply with all the regulations. Remember that making unauthorised alterations to a listed building without having obtained Listed Building Consent is a criminal offence.

What’s more, permitted development rights do not apply to leasehold property. Should you be in a position to develop the loft above your top floor flat, not only will you need the written consent of the freeholder, planning consent will be required in any event.

For clarification on planning permission and permitted development regarding loft conversions, check the Planning Portal for useful guidance.

Finally, don’t forget that loft extension projects fall under the remit of the Party Wall Act 1996. If you have any adjoining neighbours, for example in a terraced or semi-detached house, you must follow the statutory process and obtain a party wall agreement before you can start the build.

Here are some examples of paperwork you should have for your loft extension project:

Planning approval document from your local council, where required
Licence to Alter (LTA) for leasehold property – proceeding with alterations without one can put you in breach of the Lease
Certificates of compliance and completion of works – this is evidence of building regulations that have been approved by the local authority
Insurance and warranty documents from your loft conversion builders and other professionals involved
Invoices and warranties for materials used, such as insulation, waterproof and fireproof materials, floor coverings and building elements including Velux windows

How can missing paperwork cause problems?

While some people are more diligent than others when it comes to record-keeping, it should be noted that when it comes to selling the house, the absence of important documents relating to your loft conversion can throw a spanner in the conveyancing process.

The main issues are:

Without the right permissions and approvals in place, you may not be able to call your loft room a bedroom and therefore be unable realise the full property value. Instead of marketing your home as a 3-bedroom house, it will have to say ‘potential third bedroom’ in boarded and insulated loft space, subject to regulations.
No proper documentation can make the property more difficult to sell, putting buyers off. There’s also a chance that your buyer will come back to negotiate a price reduction or insist on a costly indemnity policy to protect against the legal risk of problems arising as a result of missing planning permission or building regulations.
Many mortgage companies are unhappy to lend on a property with missing documentation for development works, which may mean your buyer cannot proceed and your sale (and associated property chain) is likely to fall through, causing stress and delay all round.
Even if your negotiations are successful and your sale stays on track, investigating missing permissions and documentation will take up additional time and money during the conveyancing process. If you are part of a chain and/or the transaction is time-dependent, the chances of something going wrong are much higher.
Complications can occur if the local searches identify missing permissions and the council gains information that alerts them to your unauthorised development. If that is the case, indemnity insurance cannot be taken out, leaving the building owner at risk of enforcement.

What can you do to guard against difficulties?

Diligence and vigilance about all aspects of your loft conversion paperwork are key in protecting your interests when you come to sell your home. It should go without saying that you should always take professional advice when deciding on a loft conversion – this is unlikely to be a DIY project.

Your ‘research’ should include double-checking with your local planning authority whether permission is needed and, if not, to obtain written confirmation to that effect. Don’t take any information you find online as gospel – make sure you obtain specific advice from a professional source.

Use a reputable loft conversion company who will help you manage the planning and building regulations side of things. If you are using a general builder, don’t assume that they will automatically do this for you. It’s your responsibility to ensure that the work is carried out in compliance, and book visits from the building control officer.

Once the project is finished, have a final check to see that you have all the relevant paperwork, and keep the documents in a safe place. As mentioned above, you will need it when you put your house on the market, and getting organised when the build is still fresh in your mind is much easier than trying to remember what happened years later.

If your home has an existing loft extension that doesn’t have any paperwork, perhaps because the conversion was carried out before the mid-1960s when certification was not required, or before mortgage lenders began asking for relevant documentation, you can ask your planning authority for a retrospective certificate of compliance. Bear in mind, though, that if there are compliance problems with the build, these may have to be rectified before a certificate can be issued.

Kindly shared by Annie Button

Main article photo courtesy of Pixabay