31/08/2018
Consequences of Building without Building Permission
All developments in areas that fall in planning areas require building permission, whether it’s a building or boundary wall, big or small. Botswana has a Development Control Code which exists to ensure developments conform to safety, liveability, health and general welfare standards. The Development Control Code is enforced by councils in their respective jurisdictions. Below we discuss the consequences:
1. Safety, Liveability and Health
Having obtained building permission will give you peace of mind knowing that your development will be conforming to regulations that will ensure the safety, liveability and health.
2. Contractor Short Cuts
Some contractors can make short cuts on your development knowing that there will be no independent inspection of their work given that the client might not necessarily have knowledge or experience in construction.
3. Valuation
Developments without occupation certificates might negatively affect the value of your building. Depending on the purpose of your Property Valuation, a property evaluator may take this into consideration when recommending the value of your property.
4. Expensive to regularise
Should you build illegally now and decide to regularise your development in future, it will prove to be much more costly. When regularising a development, as built drawings of the development are required which means Architectural fees are incurred anyhow. This mostly applies to those who think they are avoiding Architectural fees by photocopying a friend or relative’s building plan just because it can also fit in their plot as well.
A structural report prepared by a Registered Structural Engineer is also required. This is an additional cost incurred on top of the Architectural fees.
5. Future Circumstances
If future circumstances require that you sell your development, it may difficult to secure a buyer particularly bank financed buyers. Most banks require occupation certificates as attachments for loan applications. This then means as a seller, your potential buyers will be limited to self-financed buyers but then again, those buyers may be informed enough to avoid an illegal development.
Heed the above information well.
Consequences of Building without Building Permission
All developments in areas that fall in planning areas require building permission, whether it’s a building or boundary wall, big or small. Botswana has a Development Control Code which exists to ensure developments conform to safety, liveability, health and general welfare standards. The Development Control Code is enforced by councils in their respective jurisdictions. Below we discuss the consequences:
1. Safety, Liveability and Health
Having obtained building permission will give you peace of mind knowing that your development will be conforming to regulations that will ensure the safety, liveability and health.
2. Contractor Short Cuts
Some contractors can make short cuts on your development knowing that there will be no independent inspection of their work given that the client might not necessarily have knowledge or experience in construction.
3. Valuation
Developments without occupation certificates might negatively affect the value of your building. Depending on the purpose of your Property Valuation, a property evaluator may take this into consideration when recommending the value of your property.
4. Expensive to regularise
Should you build illegally now and decide to regularise your development in future, it will prove to be much more costly. When regularising a development, as built drawings of the development are required which means Architectural fees are incurred anyhow. This mostly applies to those who think they are avoiding Architectural fees by photocopying a friend or relative’s building plan just because it can also fit in their plot as well.
A structural report prepared by a Registered Structural Engineer is also required. This is an additional cost incurred on top of the Architectural fees.
5. Future Circumstances
If future circumstances require that you sell your development, it may difficult to secure a buyer particularly bank financed buyers. Most banks require occupation certificates as attachments for loan applications. This then means as a seller, your potential buyers will be limited to self-financed buyers but then again, those buyers may be informed enough to avoid an illegal development.
Heed the above information well.
