I am a hopeful first time home buyer in Auckland, and in the past month I have read the Property Talk NZ forum intensively, and learned a great deal. This is my first time posting, and I thank all the experts here in advance for your replies. I truly appreciate your time and expertise. My question involves an unconsented conversion from laundry room to bathroom. I have searched both in this forum and on Google, with a variety of keywords, and I have not found any similar thread / situation. (Maybe I could not recognize the similarities because I am a newbie. All I can guess is that this is much less serious than the "garage to minor dwelling" illegal conversion that's been dealt with a few times here.)
I am considering a property (Te Atatu South, 3 bedroom, built in 1950's) for personal use. Both the Barfoot and TradeMe webpages cite 1 bathroom, while the floor plan and photos clearly show 2 bathrooms. The agent revealed that one of the bathrooms was converted from a laundry room without permit. The laundry is relocated to the basement. The house will be sold as is, and the Conditions of Sale will include a clause stating this.
My questions are:
(i) If I buy this house as is, and use both bathrooms in the usual way, what are the consequences? E.g., any implication to house insurance?
(ii) If I want to remedy this (e.g. to make my future sale more transparent), what are the steps? I am guessing I need a Certificate of Acceptance, and maybe a professional to prove compliance with Building Act? I want to estimate the cost and hassle involved.
Again, many thanks to the experts here in advance.
I am considering a property (Te Atatu South, 3 bedroom, built in 1950's) for personal use. Both the Barfoot and TradeMe webpages cite 1 bathroom, while the floor plan and photos clearly show 2 bathrooms. The agent revealed that one of the bathrooms was converted from a laundry room without permit. The laundry is relocated to the basement. The house will be sold as is, and the Conditions of Sale will include a clause stating this.
My questions are:
(i) If I buy this house as is, and use both bathrooms in the usual way, what are the consequences? E.g., any implication to house insurance?
(ii) If I want to remedy this (e.g. to make my future sale more transparent), what are the steps? I am guessing I need a Certificate of Acceptance, and maybe a professional to prove compliance with Building Act? I want to estimate the cost and hassle involved.
Again, many thanks to the experts here in advance.
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