Selling Your Home With Unapproved Structures? Here’s What You Need to Know

You’ve decided to sell, you’re getting everything ready, and then your conveyancer or agent asks a question you weren’t expecting: is that shed approved? Or the pool? Or the extension out the back? Suddenly you’re not sure, and you’re worried it might hold up the sale.

This is incredibly common, and it doesn’t have to derail anything. But it is worth dealing with properly, because unapproved structures can affect a sale in a few ways.

A buyer’s solicitor will often check whether the structures on a property have the right approvals. If something doesn’t stack up, it can make buyers nervous, slow down the process, or in some cases give a buyer grounds to negotiate or walk away. Lenders and insurers can occasionally take an interest too.

The cleanest way to deal with an unapproved structure before selling is usually to obtain a Building Information Certificate. This gives you a certified position from the council on the existing structure, which means you can present a clear record to prospective buyers and remove a potential sticking point before it becomes one.

The key here is timing. These applications take a little while to work through council, so the earlier you start, the better. Leaving it until you’re mid-sale can add pressure you simply don’t need.

If you’re thinking about selling and you’ve got a structure you’re unsure about, the smartest move is to sort it out early. We can assess the situation and help you get everything in order so your sale runs smoothly.