What does "pre-63" mean?

scoby

A lot of adds for buildings for sale mention this. Can anyone shed any light?

Is it something to do with permission to renovate or something to do with taxes?

I understand that the house was built before 1963 btw

thanks in advance

FillSpectre

I think it is to do with it being to regulation. Pre 63 additions being exempt from planning, I always see it on rental properties for sale but not really on homes.

paulocon

Is it something to do with the exemption on planning for the partition of a property into seperate flats/apartments?

I have a book at home which mentions it, I can look up the proper definition tonight..

Blub2k4

It basically means that a landlord doesn't have to meet current building regulations, i.e. you dont need a double door between a kitchen and a bathroom as an airlock would be one example.
It is appealing for landlords as it means they can be lazy and offer what would today not be allowed for sale or rent were it post 63.
Normally the appartments are substandard.

joejoem

more so that the buildings themselves were allowed to be divided into apartments. you would find it next to impossible to get planning to turn a georgian or victorian house into apartments now.

with current fire, health and safty regulations most would not be allowed, for example apartments on the top floor of a four storey georgian building.

More commonly it applies to the existance of housing esxtensions. If your home has a pre 63 extension it does not require planning permission. You can knock it and rebuild in the same space without planning (possibly a destrcution order though), you could then apply the normal rule of extending 40 square meters from that point.

gamer

builds or extensions built pre63 dont have to comply with current building regs, but if you are renting out to tenants , you still have to comply with fire regulations and tenancy regulations,if selling you will need letter from architect to state the extension was built pre/63.theres about 200 rules re storage ventilation/space re /tenants living conditions ,they STILL apply in any building ,even pre 63.

Victor

Essentially its saying that it has never had a planning permission application. The Planning Act was introduced in 1962/3.

It will also likely mean that any change requiring planning permission will mean a substantially stricter regime.

antoinolachtnai

Basically, it is very difficult to get planning permission to divide a house into bedsits or with a number of flats per floor. It may not be completely impossible, but it is close.

A pre-63 property was divided in this way before 1963. As a result, it is legal to carry on using it in this way.

Beware that pre-63 properties actually are pre-63. I have seen a property on the market through a reputable agent which was claimed to have pre-63 usage as flats, but which was definitely not subdivided until after 1970. You need to be pretty satisfied that the documentation is in order and that the person who is certifying the status of the property is in a position to know and in a position to guarantee. If a long-standing neighbour were to swear an affidavit stating that the house had not been subdivided in 1963, you could be big trouble.

All the provisos above re fire issues, etc. are correct.