Non standard construction

Coachouse1

Hi we purchased a house of non standard construction without knowing it , the bungalow is made from large concrete breeze blocks then it has a timber frame on the inside with insulation attached then plasterboard , the bungalow is warm and doesn't have any damp , it is rendered on the outside with a slate roof . The floors have a very large crawl hatch in the hall . Everything looks very solid , so we had no idea .
We have now decided to move but have been told now that buyers can't purchase it with a mortgage , any ideas what we can do would be great thank you

Chanes

You bought the house without a survey?

AdrianC

Non-standard construction is not the same as defective construction, but a lot of people seem to think it is.

When you say "large concrete breeze-blocks", do you mean this sort of block?


If so, then there's no inherent problem with that at all - the problematic constructions are full-size reinforced concrete panels, used to prefabricate houses for very quick on-site construction, almost entirely in the 1950s and 1960s.

Coachouse1

Yes large blocks like that but think the bungalow is about 70 years old , thank you

Coachouse1

But made of concrete , and really heavy

PasturesNew

Some can be made to be "standard construction", a house would typically cost £20k to do that to... but it all depends on the construction really.

What they appear to do is:
Raise the roof by 2-3" and prop it up
Remove the existing exterior
Rebuild the exterior
Plonk the roof back down.

In layman's terms

booksurr

Coachouse1 wrote: »

any ideas what we can do would be great thank you

sue your original surveyor for failing to spot that

sell on a cash buyers only basis

wait for a buyer who is prepared to pay a premium to the handful of lenders willing to accept non standard construction

pay for remedial work and then sell as "fixed" non standard construction

ThemeOne

If it's non-standard construction I'm wondering how you bought it in the first place other than for cash, since lenders have had a long-standing embargo on non-standard construction.

Anyway that's by the way, as your question is what to do now. Presumably the lender has conducted their own inspection of your property in reaching this decision, so I'm not sure there's much you can do.

I'm in the same boat (though not trying to sell). My flat is non-standard construction (in addition to being ex-council, and in a high-rise block) and it's totally unmortgageable as far as I know.

When I bought it (mid 90s) lenders were a little more flexible and I got a small short term mortgage from Barclays, but if anything lenders have got more and more fussy.

Once a property is saleable cash only it depresses the price too, so don't expect to get the market price for a similar sized traditional construction property in your area.

AdrianC

ThemeOne wrote: »

If it's non-standard construction I'm wondering how you bought it in the first place other than for cash, since lenders have had a long-standing embargo on non-standard construction.

Thank you for that fine demonstration of what I meant by...

AdrianC wrote: »

Non-standard construction is not the same as defective construction, but a lot of people seem to think it is.

Coachouse1

Yes paid cash for it but it was normal price for the area as standard built

Davesnave

Coachouse1 wrote: »

Yes paid cash for it but it was normal price for the area as standard built

But it seems you didn't have a survey, or you would have been told about the main fabric of the building.

Modern timber frame houses are quite similarly made. The factory-made framework is put up first, then a brick or block skin is added.

The difference is that modern houses will have passed various tests as regards insulation and suitability of materials for the purpose. Seventy years ago, things were less regulated.

You will have to market with the non-standard construction stigma in mind. Every house sells at the appropriate price.