movement in property

[mandimoo]

we have reason to suspect that the people who lived in the house previous to us has carried out some dodgy alterations. a couple of large cracks appeared in the kitchen, and the ceiling line sags and we have just realised that downstairs windows have been put in with no support above them, and the back door has no support over it either. this now begs the question about other alterations that have been carried out. for some reason they moved all the internal doors and blocked up the old holes, but now i dont know if any doorways have adequate support above. there is also a loft conversion that i dont even want to think about. we have lived here for about 6 years in ignorance. what should i do now? get a structural survey? get a builder in? run away?

[bednobs]

what did the survey when you moved in say?

[mandimoo]

only had a valuation survey done as we were first time buyers, the property only worth £62,000 at the time and we just couldnt afford a structural survey. the valuation survey states "the property has been altered by conversion of roof space to additional accommodation and checks should be made to confirm wether all necessary permissions were obtained". we know the loft conversion wasnt done with correct permission but when the guy from the council came out he said that because it was done so long ago they would not force us to do anything as long as we never describe it as a bedroom, so we use it as easy access storage space. however, nothing in the valuation survey refers to lack of proper support above doors / windows.

[scotman]

It is very likely that the valuation surveyor would not have been able to tell about the lack of support lintels above doors and windows. I would recommend that you get a structural survey done as soon as possible.

[mandimoo]

would something like this be covered by my buildings insurance?

[buildersmate]

No I don't believe so, because it is so clearly a problem created by the previous owner. However since the cracks have shifted recently, there is no harm in trying a claim. I think you will find the insurer will process it, sending out a surveyor to assess it, then conclude that you as the houseowner should have taken greater steps to assess the structure of the property yourself.
The only possible other recourse you might have to claim is against the solicitor who assisted in your purchase. In the last few years it has now become a standard practice for the buyer's solicitor to ask questions about both Planning Consent for additions and Building Control approval for modifications that form part of the Building Control Regulations. It is this latter one that you are interested in because the modifications that you mention definitely required Building Control approval, your seller didn't get it (and wouldn't have got it anyway - structurally this does not met the Regulations - however that doesn't mean it is necessarily unsafe).
When solicitors starting asking about this as a standard question, I don't know - but it came about because buyers were making claims against solicitors because the lack of such approva;ls and because of the problems being found afterwards.
Write to that solicitor, asking for copies of the completed 'Standard Enquiries before Contract', - if you didn't retain them when you moved in or weren't supplied with them. Don't say why you want them - then work out whether this question about Building Control approval was asked or not.

[mandimoo]

thankyou buildersmate, very much indeed. (and thanks for posting under my other Q too, i did wonder whether or not you would look back to this Q).