Uninhabitable properties

[emmagleb]

I'm currently working on a replacement house design for an existing place that has fallen to below a state of repair where it is financially possible to renovate it. There are no foundations, significant subsidence on one side, skewed door frames, cracks in the walls, rising damp.... does anyone know if a 'check list' of symptoms what a house must fulfil before a erpacement dwelling is considered? I've looked under environmental health and found loads for housing authorities, but nothing for 'normal' situations.
Thanks!

[jake-the-peg]

You say there are no foundations which raises my interest.

What age is this house? Is it a listed building?

How long have you owned the property?

[buildersmate]

If you go for a replacement dwelling, it will require to meet current Building Regs and therefore needs modern std of foundations. If its a renovation project, the renovation elelemts will need to meet BRs, for those elements only.
In these situations it is usually cheaper to knockdown and rebuild, not muck about with renovating.

[emmagleb]

Hi, sorry for the delay.

JAKE - its roughly 150 yrs old. A surveyor dug down to instpect the foundations and found that they only extended to 3 courses below ground. The house isn't listed. I don't actually own the house - I'm a trainee architect and have done the replacement designs (which have been approved through planning). It just caught my interest, in a 'how do you know' sense.

BUILDERSMATE - thanks for that! The new design meets planning and it currently under consideration for B'Regs. The new house will be built in front of the old one, allowing the family to live there throughout the build.