when does a conservatory become part of the house?

[bullwhip]

Hi, i've been asked to carry out work at a friends house. He wants the current lean-to type outbuilding which has a glass roof to be converted to have a solid roof. I would like to advise him on regs regarding U value etc but unfortunatly i'm unsure about what the situation falls under.

The client doesnt want the hassle with building control etc. In his eyes he want the new doors put on the back and a new flat roof put on. Should the work really be notified to the LA or as its updating/improving what's already there it doesn't. I think at the minute its classed as a conservatory, and still will be as long as the patio doors from the main house are not removed (correct?)

Also just to make things more complicated, he wants his kitchen in the new 'conservatory', is this ok?

What makes an extension a conservatory or visa versa?

Any advice welcome!

Regards!

 

[noseall]

What makes an extension a conservatory or visa versa?

This does....

Also just to make things more complicated, he wants his kitchen in the new 'conservatory',

 

[^woody^]

You are not improving/updating, rather you are converting, and this will no longer be a conservatory but will be habitable space and require b/regs approval

The work involved in moving the kitchen is also normally notifiable to building control

Apart from separation the conservatory must have a certain % of glass walls and roof, and other criteria.

If you are carrying out this work, then there is an onus on you to know the relevant regulations, as this can come back to bite you as well as the homeowner

 

[bullwhip]

thanks for your responses...

so what is the process of doing this properly..

He needs to contact building control and they will come and inspect. Does he need drawings? s. engineer calcs? to do a building notice? an application? what are the costs involved in doing it properly?

Kind regards

 

[noseall]

He could either get a designer in to do some drawings and a specification - or he could do it on a building notice and hope the builder he employs is up to speed with all the latest building reg's.

There are pro's and con's to both methods the latter being the onus is partly on the builder and partly the homeowner.

Building control will require an application via the drawing submission or a building notice.

 

[ajrobb]

I suspect that the full weight of Building Regs will fall on the conversion. For instance, Part L, the overall heat loss should probably be no more than a new extension - insulated floor, walls and roof with external doors and windows limited to 25% of the floor area plus area of existing openings into extension (based on an average U-value of 1.8 for doors and windows).

He might be able to put up solar panels to offset extra heat loss from glazing.

 

[Richard C]

Your client is wasting his time, the chances of getting a conservatory to comply with the various Building Regulations it needs to meet are virtually zero. You would need to virtually rebuild it, including the base & it would quicker & cheaper to knock it down & start again with a proper extension.

If he goes ahead anyway & puts his kitchen in there, it will be picked up on any future sale survey & the property will be classed as having no compliant or useable kitchen which could make it virtually un-saleable in the normal sense. At best will it mean a discount equivalent to the cost of knocking it down & rebuilding with a proper kitchen extension & at worse, potential buyers walking away. We’ve had this very scenario on this forum at least twice to my knowledge, I believe one from each perspective.

 

[bullwhip]

thanks for the responses

so what if he decides not to put the kitchen in there.

can the roof be replaced to a solid roof and new bi-folding doors put in without a building notice or regs?

will the beam above the new doors need to be spec'ed by an engineer? and signed off?

just to make things even more complicated the existing 'conservatory' has a radiator in it, will this need to be removed to keep it as a conservatory under new regs?

 

[Richard C]

so what if he decides not to put the kitchen in there.

If he goes ahead anyway & puts his kitchen in there, it will be picked up on any future sale survey & the property will be classed as having no compliant or useable kitchen which could make it virtually un-saleable in the normal sense. At best will it mean a discount equivalent to the cost of knocking it down & rebuilding with a proper kitchen extension & at worse, potential buyers walking away. We’ve had this very scenario on this forum at least twice to my knowledge; I believe one from each perspective.

All the rest of your questions are answered within the quote & previous post. If you are in this for “gain” as a contractor, my advice would be to walk away. If you’re doing this for friends/family (& are a contractor), give them the facts & try to convince them but if they still want to go ahead, walk away; I’ve done it with my own daughter . If they won’t listen to reason & are still intent on (attempting) to drive a truck though legislation that the majority probably feel obliged to abide by, I won’t be a part of it. I won’t be doing them any favors apart for doing the work but it could backfife on them later &, from my perspective, why should I risk the local reputation I rely on for future work; I’ve never been into horse riding & just not cut out to be a cowboy!

 

[big-all]

thanks for the responses

so what if he decides not to put the kitchen in there.

can the roof be replaced to a solid roof and new bi-folding doors put in without a building notice or regs?

will the beam above the new doors need to be spec'ed by an engineer? and signed off?

just to make things even more complicated the existing 'conservatory' has a radiator in it, will this need to be removed to keep it as a conservatory under new regs?

fully agree with richyc

it requires somthing like 80% transparent roof to be a conservatory so forget it

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/house

 

[jeds]

If the patio doors to the main house are still in place it would be classed as a porch and does not need building regulations. However, installing a kitchen would require building regs and might mean you'd have to upgrade the whole structure.