Telling your insurer
Notify your buildings insurer once the conversion is complete, in the same way you would for any structural alteration. Keep the building warrant completion certificate and electrical certification with your policy documents — an insurer can ask for them if a claim ever relates to the room.
Does it change your premium?
A well-documented, warranted conversion does not typically raise a standard buildings insurance premium on its own, since it's treated as an improvement rather than an unknown risk. An undocumented DIY conversion is a different matter — insurers may treat it as an unquantified risk if a claim arises.
Mortgage lenders and remortgaging
A lender's valuation surveyor checks for a building warrant completion certificate on any structural work completed since the property was last sold or mortgaged. A missing certificate for work that needed one can delay a mortgage offer or a remortgage until the position is resolved.
Resale and the buyer's solicitor
- —A buyer's solicitor will ask for the completion certificate as a standard part of conveyancing on any Scottish property sale.
- —Missing paperwork for warranted work doesn't necessarily stop a sale, but it commonly leads to a price renegotiation or a requirement to obtain a retrospective letter of comfort, both of which take time and cost money.
- —Keeping the drawings, warrant approval and completion certificate together from day one avoids this entirely.
Parking and value
Where a converted garage removes the only off-street parking a property had, some buyers factor that into their offer, particularly in areas with restricted on-street parking. Where a driveway remains available independent of the garage, this rarely affects value. See the garage conversion vs extension guide for more on this trade-off.