Building regs.

Not exactly in their interest to draw potential buyers attention to a poor EPC rating!

There is no real overlap between Planning and Building Regs. Inspections for Building Regs are also somewhat variable. Our extension was given the final sign off without an inspection. Paper work just turned up.

What is being described in the thread seems to be more of a planning issue. We couldn't get planning permission for our extension without an energy assessment and the plans had to have high insulation values.

If the plans submitted for planning permission haven't been followed then that it a planning issue, and should be referred to the planning department. Building Control don't police adherence to the plans. Not their department. They only inspect the works to confirm that they conform to the current regulations.

Cheers

Dave R

But if planning allows change to a HMO, then building regs should enforce e.g. fire doors and auto door closers etc ...

OK all.

I think I have grasped the variables:-)

It seems likely the design met the regs. and if fully implemented would have achieved the EPC level mentioned by the sales agent. Using fully electric heating may have impacted the rating given on inspection together with some doubt about the quality of the exterior glazing and an inability to confirm the actual level of installed insulation.

My daughter is house hunting and having family next door rather than strangers is attractive, but not at £600k for a 1.5 bed dwelling!

Work has stopped on the detached double garage belonging to a detached house opposite me but before it did I saw that a connection was made to the sewe, studwork was put in down one side which created a very narrow space to one side of it and work had started on underfloor heating - i haven't seen the screed being laid but doesn't mean that it hasn't been. I wondered if they were waiting for a fancy glazing/door panel to come from somewhere exotic or they had run out of money. Last year a lot of money was spent on the house, which is occupied. Still interested to know if the garage works, when completed, are intended to create a home office or habitation.

I think what's happened here is the building has met the SAP assessment that's used for new builds - that does a full heat loss calculation, considered sources of heating, insulation etc. It'll have met the building regs in terms of passive measures - sufficient insulation, airtightness, kWh/m2 etc.

But the EPC uses a 'reduced data SAP' (RdSAP) which is designed to be done quickly and has a lot of 'sticking a finger in the air'. It seems the electric heat has pulled it down - it doesn't consider the solar or fancy offpeak tariff (and suggests a wind turbine FFS). This is likely to be a problem should the purchaser wish to rent it out.

It seems like EPCs use the cost per kWh of heat output (electricity = 4x gas) rather than the cost per kWh of electricity input (ASHP kWh = 1/4 gas kWh) so ASHPs get you a worse EPC score:

Just goes to show how useless EPCs are...

Indeed, I thought that was nuts! Perhaps you could convert one of your outbuildings instead?

Theo

Or a very swanky garage. I hear UFH in a garage is much appreciated when tinkering with cars and freezing your bits off in the winter. Similarly a toilet and kettle.

Although one of those would likely have a 2/4 post lift in it, and you'd probably have noticed that.

Theo

Snip

Ha! Done that. Before selling the farmhouse, we got Part Q consent to put 4 dwellings in my grain barn. The developer wanted to keep the ground area small so they have parking but vestigial gardens. Gas fired underfloor heating. Probably fetch £750-£800k in this lane.

Part Q blocks further housing for 10 years. We could fit a *delivered on a lorry* dwelling on existing concrete with accessible water/electric/sewer but I don't know how planning would react. (Metropolitan Green Belt site)

Tim

Odd. Traditionally planning restricts itself to size and appearance. Mine certainly did. It was merely outline drawings showing just that The building inspector was in charge of getting me to produce a third party review of the insulation design to confirm it met specs

Yes, but that normally only applies to things not built to the submitted plans or with extra bits added that were not given permission for. I have never ever seen 'builder spec' plans in a planning application

Well exactly. And insulation is part of those.

I think this is indeed an accurate summery.

The EP assessment when I went to get a lifetime mortgage was perfunctory at best. He said 'solar panels would improve it' On a thatched roof? F*ck OFF! He missed the single glazing and the barely meets 2000 reg insulation

BLISS!