kafkaian
Established Member
It's all very bemusing really. Do a job, don't get caught doing it for twelve months after completion and councils leave you alone to suffer the consequences of trying to sell your home without relevant approvals instead relying on the solicitors to inform buyers that caveat emptor might apply in certain instances for anything that's been done since 1985 without a certificate.
In my street DIYers have been putting in windows, replacing roofs and dividing rooms with sinks and extra wastes for years, all which now come under building regs requirements.
So if you have a rotten 1970's homemade window which is about to fall out, you can do repairs but can't do replacements unless you pay £70 for an inspector to come around and adjudicate in order to get the necessary certificate required since 2002. Similarly, Part P requires lengthy discussions and added costs that do more to deter improvements on old dodgy wiring than ensure regulations are met. (Oh but it's okay for a qualified incompetent to go around to my folks' home and put in the wrong rated bathroom lighting or wire new switches incorrectly during a Council funded initiative to save pensioners money on home improvements - don't make me laugh)
I'm about to consider reclaiming an outbuilding for use as a shower room but am wondering if it's all worth it. More money for the sparkies and inspectors who will probably tell me that the old earth bonding is inadequate and that will lead to another problem which will require approval and so on and so forth.
Is this a never ending gravy train for legislators and their friends or am I being a little cynical and should cough up and shut up?
In my street DIYers have been putting in windows, replacing roofs and dividing rooms with sinks and extra wastes for years, all which now come under building regs requirements.
So if you have a rotten 1970's homemade window which is about to fall out, you can do repairs but can't do replacements unless you pay £70 for an inspector to come around and adjudicate in order to get the necessary certificate required since 2002. Similarly, Part P requires lengthy discussions and added costs that do more to deter improvements on old dodgy wiring than ensure regulations are met. (Oh but it's okay for a qualified incompetent to go around to my folks' home and put in the wrong rated bathroom lighting or wire new switches incorrectly during a Council funded initiative to save pensioners money on home improvements - don't make me laugh)
I'm about to consider reclaiming an outbuilding for use as a shower room but am wondering if it's all worth it. More money for the sparkies and inspectors who will probably tell me that the old earth bonding is inadequate and that will lead to another problem which will require approval and so on and so forth.
Is this a never ending gravy train for legislators and their friends or am I being a little cynical and should cough up and shut up?