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Q&As
Our Completion Certificate needs to be issued before we’ve completed our self build – what can we do about this?
Our self build has had second fix plumbing and electrics completed and we are decorating. We need to move in as our rental is coming to an end. Our building control have told us this will trigger Regulation 17 and we will have 8 weeks to get our completion certificate or apply for an Extension of Time (but they won’t say how long we might get). There is still lots to do on our planning permission that we will lose the ability to reclaim VAT on and it just us working on the house so we will struggle to get all Building Regs signed off quickly. This feels very unfair especially as most other self builders don’t appear to have faced this and can take years to complete their builds. Is there anything we can do?
2 Answers
Hi Helen,
Thanks for your query. This has been forwarded to one of our experts here at Build It and we will get back to you with an answer as soon as possible.
Thanks,
Georgina (editorial assistant)
Hi Helen,
Regarding the VAT reclaim, I was once told by a building control inspector that so long as you can sleep, wash yourselves and cook, then there is no reason to withhold issuing the completion certificate, so it’s all about having a good relationship with your local building control officer.
If, for instance, you have planning for a garage, but you have concentrated on the building your new home, this would not stop the completion certificate being issued.
You should therefore purchase as much of the materials you can afford so you can ensure the VAT is included in your claim if you have to submit earlier than you would like. If you explain this to your building control officer, they may give you more time — they are human after all. You cannot include any invoices in your claim that are dated after the date of the completion certificate.
Kathy Tisdale (Build It VAT Reclaims expert)