1 Are you ready to sell your Barbican flat? There are issues which can derail your sale. How we can help Using us, saves more  We know how to spot and deal with these issues.  This presentation assumes we are acting for you. So we aren’t covering the things you’d have to do yourself, if we weren’t involved.

2  Lenders. They could be with your lenders if you still have a mortgage.  You. Many lenders no longer hold title deeds, so perhaps they were sent to you by your solicitors when you bought. Or they could have been sent to you by your lenders if you paid off your mortgage.  Your former solicitors. Perhaps they are still holding them.  Your bank. Did you send them to your bank for safe-keeping? These are the usual places Title deeds Where are your title deeds – particularly your lease?

3 Alterations Have you done any alterations? Did a previous owner alter anything?  The consents your buyer will need to see are discussed in the following pages.  The current flat owner is responsible for alterations done by all previous flat owners.  That’s why these issues matter to buyers, who will be in the same position once they’ve bought.  The same consents will be needed as for alterations you have done personally. Has the flat ever been altered?

4 Typical Barbican alterations Alterations  Removal of the Garchey waste disposal system  Moving extracts or pipe-work, or covering up ventilator vents  Removing walls (e.g. to increase the living area)  Removing the sliding dividers or doors  Kitchen: changes to pipe-work, replacement of units, etc  Bathroom: changes to pipe- work, creation of fitted shower areas, etc.  Wooden floors These are alterations which come up a lot

5 Garchey Confirmation letter You need a letter from the Barbican Estate Office confirming it was done to their satisfaction, because it can affect the whole system if done wrongly. Their expert Their expert comes and inspects and issues the letter. Your own plumber can’t do it. Tip on bad smells By the way, if it still smells, they have smart ways to stop it. Have you had your Garchey removed?

6 Landlord’s consent for alterations repairing, requires their consent. If it’s missing, you will need to obtain a retrospective consent. It’s a good idea to get that started as early as possible since it can take a few weeks to obtain. You need This means consent in writing from the Barbican Estate Office. Nearly any change to a flat, other than redecorating or to contact Sheila Delaney at the Barbican Estate Office on and she will tell you exactly what you need to do. If there are any plans, post them to her at Barbican Estate Office, Lauderdale Place, Barbican, London, EC2Y 8EN Do you have the landlord’s consent?

7 Wooden flooring The lease says the flat has to be carpeted You can’t get formal consent  But the Barbican Estate Office normally don’t do anything about it, unless a neighbour complains about the late night tap dancing lessons.  Even though the Barbican Estate Office don’t usually enforce the requirement for fitted carpets, they won’t issue a written consent.  But buyers normally accept the risk. Have any of the carpets been replaced with wooden floors?

8 If any of the alterations involved making connections to the building’s ventilation, water or drainage systems, then Building Regulation approval was needed. For example, changing a sink and making a new connection inside the flat, doesn’t require it. But if you put in a new shower and the plumber has to connect to the drain in the central core, that does require it. Building Regulation completion certificate Did you need Building Regulation consent? When your works need approval

9  The necessary piece of paper is the ‘completion certificate’ which the District Surveyor at the City issues when he has inspected and finally approved the works.  You should request a duplicate if you have lost the original certificate.  If you didn’t get consent in the first place, read the next section This is what you should have Building Regulation completion certificate Did you get Building Regulation consent?

10  You have to apply to the District Surveyor’s Department at the City.  They will inspect the works. That may mean that they will require you to arrange to open up the wall to expose the pipe work, since it is the connections to the central services which they are checking.  They may require you to redo some of it, and then they will reinspect.  Then, assuming they are happy, they will issue you with the completion certificate. Building Regulation completion certificate Getting retrospective Building Regulation consent What is involved

11  Instead of getting retrospective Building Regulations approval, you can offer a policy, for a one-off premium, which covers the buyers’ risk of the costs involved in getting consent themselves, if they ever have to  It doesn’t cover them against the disruption.  Most buyers would expect you to get retrospective approval and would not regard a policy as a decent substitute. Indemnity insurance Building Regulation completion certificate Are there any alternatives?

12 Building regulations - electrical work Have you had any electrical work done?  If you have had any electrical work done, since 1 st January 2005, that also required building regulation consent.  But an authorised electrician can do this on behalf of the District Surveyors.  So you should have a certificate from your electrician.  If you have had any electrical work done, since 1 st January 2005, that also required building regulation consent.  But an authorised electrician can do this on behalf of the District Surveyors.  So you should have a certificate from your electrician.

13 Alterations before the Barbican Estate was listed Listed building Did all alterations take place before 5th September 2001 when the Barbican became a ‘listed building’? It’s a serious issue. It’s an offence to alter a listed building without permission, and the City can require unauthorised changes to be undone. Beating the deadline If you can prove any works were definitely done before September 2001, then listed building consent is not an issue. The Barbican Estate became a listed building in 2001.

14 Alterations since the Barbican Estate was listed Do you have consent? If the alterations definitely took place after the Barbican became listed, do you have a listed building consent? If ‘yes’ …. That’s fine. Just let us have a copy. If ‘no’ … That may still be fine, because not all alterations require consent. This is covered in the next page. Alterations since 2001 may require consent.

15 When listed building consent is required It’s complicated How to work it out  Changing the tiles in the bathroom doesn’t need listed building consent; but changing the skirting board does. Even changing the window boxes does!  You need to go online and read the Listed Building Guide for Barbican residents.  We can give you a copy.

16 After checking the listed building guidance... Hopefully, there aren’t any issues. If no consents were needed BUT if consents were needed  That is fine. Nothing more is needed  You should arrange with the Planning Department at the City to inspect the works and hopefully give you retrospective consent – but this can take a few weeks so you should start the process immediately.

17 Final check  all the consents for alterations you have  a certificate for any electrical work since 2004  the title deeds … given us  Any necessary applications for retrospective consent. … started  nothing else was done which required consents. … checked Have you … ?

18 Congratulations! You are ready to sell!