Mortgage Refused - Sub standard timber frame?

dimbo61

Move on !
Forget Santander and London and Country ( I tried to use them a few years ago and they could not help me )
Anything complex and they lose all interest.
You need to find an " independent mortgage broker "
If you type into Google " independent mortgage broker " it will list a couple of BIG local firms who have paid to advertise with them or ask family/friends.
Yellow pages,

https://www.unbiased.co.uk/advisers/mortgage-adviser#/8950639

Cakeguts

Luthias wrote: »

The LA owned block of flats attached to one side of our house had a fire a 4 years ago. The connecting walls on all 3 floors of our house were all stripped back and checked and parts of the roof that were damaged were repaired. The walls are certainly not thin on that side, neither were the wooden beams that were exposed once the walls were stripped back. We were out of the property in temporary accommodation for nearly 18 months while repairs and all the upgrades were made to our property and the flats. The LA used it as a showhome to promote their new fire system before handing it back to us :mad: so I'd hope it's sound after the extensive work done to repair any damage from the fire.

The LA have provided all the structural integrity reports for the the whole of our block dating back to when the block was built as part of the right to buy information on the property too, they all show no issues with the structural integrity.

In the 7 years we have lived in house's on this estate we have not seen anything to cause us concern with the construction of the properties or the levels of insulation (other than the wooden cladding previously replaced), if anything it's always warm in our house and our heatings hardly ever on. Which is why I am happy to buy it and confused by the valuation report from the lender.

It isn't the beams within the walls that is the problem. It is the fact that the house has a timber frame. So within the rest of all the other walls the strength part of the house is built from timber that isn't up to standards required by some mortgage companies. Instead of using concrete or brickwork for the strength in the building they have used timber and that timber may not be strong enough to hold the building up for the lifetime of the mortgage without being substantially repaired. The mortgage company doesn't want to risk the chance that you may not have enough money to effectively rebuild part of this house if part of the timber frame fails. This is why I personally wouldn't buy this house because if the part of the frame goes depending on where it is it could cause the house to become structurally unsound. If you want to chance having to spend more than the house is ever going to be worth on repairing the frame then it is a good house to buy but if you don't think you are ever going to have enough in savings to rebuild the house then it isn't a good idea.

Luthias

Thank you all for your replies. My next step will be to find out from Santander what happens with my £999 fees they asked for after congratulating me on being accepted for the mortgage. I'm guessing they pocket that and walk away smiling and then I shall see an independant mortgage broker locally. Found one from the search provided by dimbo61. Appealing with Santander for possibly the same result at my own cost is likely not going to work,

I found an example of the buildings on the estate to give some idea of the build but I don't think you can post links on here I added the property number for it on right move. This is from a different street but ours would be the same build as the peach looking house to the right of the block of flats in the corner.

google rightmove property-58939822