The Home Improvement Projects That Could Land You In Trouble

• Projects in the home could lead to £5,000 fines
• Home workers who have turned sheds into mains-powered office spaces could fall foul if not compliant
• Bathroom refits can add to your property value, but you may delay the sale of your home if non-compliant
• Unsafe electrical work can lead to electric shock and fire

Homeowners are being warned their renovation projects could land them in hot water, as Google searches for home improvements soar.

Those undertaking improvements to their bathrooms, gardens and even outdoor buildings, such as sheds, could risk committing a criminal offence if they cannot prove their work complies with strict standards. These standards are in place to protect people from danger so non-compliant electrical work could pose safety hazards for occupants, including electric shock and fire.

The warning comes as Google Trends data in the UK shows that searches for the term ‘home renovations’ peaked to an all-time high earlier this year.

“Upgrading your bathroom, adding in an electric power shower or even converting your shed into a fully functioning office space could have some unforeseen consequences if it doesn’t comply with regulations.” David Powell, electrical installation engineer at Electrical Safety First said.

“Some areas of the home are considered ‘special locations’ within the Building Regulations Approved Document P. This means you must notify the council of the electrical work undertaken in these areas and be able to prove that the work carried out complies to regulations.” David Powell adds, “Doing this yourself could put you at serious risk of electric shock fire and burns. The best way to make your life easier is to look for a registered electrician with a competent persons scheme, who will be able to undertake this complex work in a way that satisfies the law. They will also be able to self-certify this work with the council. It takes a lot of the stress away from having to handle the building regulatory work yourself and could spare you a hefty fine in the future. If you’ve undertaken the work yourself in a way that doesn’t satisfy the Building Regulations, you may be forced to pay out again to have this work re-done.”

Other areas of your home subject to compliance under Building Regulations Approved Document P include bathrooms, outdoor spaces such as fixed lighting and pond pumps in gardens, as well as sheds, domestic greenhouses, and detached garages.

A surge in the home ‘shoffice’ has also occurred since the pandemic, with some remote workers renovating their sheds into fully fledged office spaces fitted with mains electricity.

“If you are one of the many remote workers who has turned their shed into a functioning office space and you fitted a new circuit to facilitate electricity supply to the building, you need to be able to prove this meets Building Regulations.” David Powell said. “If you did this poorly yourself, didn’t notify your local council, or had the work undertaken by someone who didn’t do the job to the required regulations, you risk a fine, enforcement order or even being forced to reverse the work altogether.”

High-Risk Renovation Zones: What Homeowners Need to Know

Bathrooms
Renovating a bathroom can boost your home’s value, but it also falls under strict regulations relating to electrical installations in a wet environment. Any electrical work in a bathroom needs to comply with regulations and will require notification to the local council. Non-compliance can result in safety hazards, potential fines, and complications when selling your property.

Garden
Outdoor spaces, including gardens, require careful planning when it comes to electrical installations. Work such as fixed lighting, water features, or outdoor sockets must meet electrical installation requirements. Improper installations risk fines and pose serious safety concerns, especially in wet conditions where there is an increased risk of electrical shocks.

Sheds & outbuildings
The rise of the ‘shoffice’ since the pandemic has made garden sheds a popular renovation project, converting them into fully functioning office spaces with mains electricity. However, adding new circuits to supply electricity requires compliance with building standards.

Consequences

Failure to be able to prove that your renovation project meets the required standards can result in an enforcement order being issued by the local building regulator.

Enforcement orders can demand that the homeowner either correct the work to ensure it meets necessary standards or, in some cases, demand the work is reverted altogether.

In certain cases, individuals could incur a fine of up to £5,000.

While the increased interest in DIY renovations offers exciting opportunities for homeowners, it also comes with responsibilities. Failure to comply with Building Regulations Approved Document P can lead to significant risks beyond just legal trouble.

Homeowners may find the sale of their home is delayed without relevant electrical safety and building control certificates and more importantly if the work is not to the required standard, it could be dangerous.

The charity recommends households use a qualified and registered electrician for this type of work, which you can find using the charity’s Find an Electrician Tool.