DO I REQUIRE PLANNING PERMISSION

[MOLITTLE]

The previous owner of my property removed a section of the wall (80" x 60") between the second and third bedroom making one large second bedroom. The existing third bedroom door etc is intact. I eventually intend to sell the property and hopefully a three bedroom would gain a higher price than a two bedroom semi. My questions are:

1. Would I need planning permission to reinstate the removed section of wall to make it back into a third bedroom.

2. Legally if it is done who do I have to inform that I have changed it back to its original size. Would that be on deeds or any official documents.

3. In your opinions - I know with the current market it is hard to judge but how much more roughly would you gain on a three bedroom semi detached in Upper Norwood compared to a two bedroom. I am just trying to work out if I should have it done.

4. Finally any ideas how much it would cost to get a builder to put back the 80" X 60" stud wall.

I would appreciate any advise

[theonlyone]

I don't think you need permission for interior work ,
unless it's a grade listed property , ring the planning
dept.at the council, they will put you right ....

[jackthehat]

1. No Planning Consent required.
2. No-one.
3. Not based in London so can't comment.
4. Will you require any electrical sockets, switches, radiators on the wall ? If not it will be simple straight-forward timber studding, insulation and plasterboard with a plaster-skim. Will matching the skirting be an issue ?

I don't know how much a builder would charge in London...........but get 3 quotes first !

[jackthehat]

^ Watching 'Wolverine' so took rather a long while to type out my post........sorry for the duplication/

[MOLITTLE]

Thank you all so much for your advise it has been very helpful.

[coccinelle]

Couldn't you sell it as a 2/3 bedroomed house and let the buyers decide if they prefer the larger room or would prefer a 3rd bedroom? You might just be paying out for the next owner to come along and take the wall down again!

[Teleph0ne]

No planning for internal works but still needs to comply with building regs

[jackthehat]

^ No it doesn't...............

[buildersmate]

It doesn't chaps. It's another false alarm.

[Teleph0ne]

I didn't mention applying for building regs or getting inspections but any work will need to comply!

[jackthehat]

No regs to comply with.................

[craft1948]

The bungalow a few doors down from me was sold as a 2/3 bedroom with the seller wiiling to re-instate a wall if the buyer requested it......sold straight away as a 2 bedroomed.....................

[Teleph0ne]

Building regs require any bedroom to have a window on an outside wall, this room may not have one, also any wiring would need to comply with part p regs! We have to assume that molittle doesn't have any experience of building works and it is possible in an old house that a room would not have an outside window or the window could have been bricked up when converted. There may be wiring to alter or add to the room.

[buildersmate]

I'm not normally into squashing people when they are down, but since you keep trying to justify your mistake, I'm going to do so.
Since the house was previously a three-bedroomed one, any previous requirement for ventilation was satisfied so replacing a previously-removed partition cannot make the situation any worse than when the house was built. So no Building Regs requirement. Bricking up of windows hasn't regularly happened since 'Window Tax' was abolished in 1851.
In spite of the fact the question-asker merely asked about replacing a partition, you seem to want to invent additional requirements such as electricity sockets. I suppose you could argue the house might also benefit from the addition of a wash-basin in there, in which case Building Regs for Hygiene (Part G if my memory serves me) would also have to be met. In any case, if the mythical requirement for more sockets could be met using spurs, Part P would not have to be met.

[Teleph0ne]

Wow it must be hard to carry a head that bid around! if it is an older house then it may not have met building regs which didn't matter, now its being converted back to a 3 bed, the additional room would have to comply as it would be classed as creating an additional room. I bought a house that had a similar situation, a 4 bed that had been converted into a 3 bed and because 1 of the windows was at the side of the house it had been bricked up because they didn't want window on 2 walls. when we converted it back I obviously had to reinstate the window and as I was creating a new bedroom, I wanted to move the sockets around to suit the new layout. If it is simply replacing a stud wall then it wouldn't be a problem!

[buildersmate]

Full marks for tenacity, if little else.

[weeal]

Must be different Regs in Scotland, as if you make alterations (even internally) you need permissions or a letter of comfort if selling without the required permissions.