Would you buy a house that had previously had spray foam insulation?

Hmaz_2

I had an offer accepted recently on what I thought was my dream home.  A few weeks later I've been informed by the estate agent that it has spray foam insulation in the loft, which the vendor is going to have removed prior to me arranging a survey as he knows it's not mortgageable as it is. 

I hadn't heard much before about this type of insulation and am rather worried after reading up on it.  My question is, once removed if a survey didn't flag up any damage as a result of the insulation or its removal would you go ahead with the purchase? I'm worrying that people just knowing it once had spray foam would be put off and I could have problems reselling the property.  Or is there the risk of damage to the timbers already having been done but perhaps not evident until further down the line if that makes sense.  I suppose I mean is there now an increased risk of future rot even once removed.

I have no idea how long the insulation has been up there, who installed it etc. 

Any advice would be gratefully received.  This is the first house I'm buying on my own since getting divorced and I'm feeling rather clueless and definitely can't afford a new roof etc anytime soon! 

stuart45

Once the foam is removed the moisture content and condition of the roof timbers can be checked. It's possible that they are in good condition, as it's not every roof with foam that is affected. You need a surveyor who knows how to check the condition of timber properly. He might recommend a specialist timber survey.

Hmaz_2

Thank you. If I choose to proceed I would definitely get a comprehensive survey.  A specialist timber survey is a good idea, I haven't budgeted for anything extra like that though unfortunately. 

My offer was accepted 3-4 weeks ago now and then the estate agent heard nothing back from the seller, so hasn't even issued the memo of sale yet to solicitors. I had actually made appointments to view other houses this weekend (the EA even advised me to do this) as thought the seller may have changed his mind (he's just moved into a nursing home to be with his wife who's there and I thought maybe he had decided not to sell etc.) or might be unwell as his phone was then off everything EA rang.  The agent finally got back to me 2 days ago to say there's this insulation but the seller is going to pay to have it removed and is getting quotes etc.  I just wish he'd done all this prior to listing the house for sale! 

tetrarch

The answer to your question may not even be in your hands. Many lenders consider spray-foam insulation an absolute red line

It can be removed - my main question would be how long has it been done? i.e. how much damage has already been caused

That said, these very liabilities will also give you the opportunity to negotiate a lower price

Regards

Tet

Hmaz_2

tetrarch said:

The answer to your question may not even be in your hands. Many lenders consider spray-foam insulation an absolute red line

It can be removed - my main question would be how long has it been done? i.e. how much damage has already been caused

That said, these very liabilities will also give you the opportunity to negotiate a lower price

Regards

Tet

At the moment I don't have any info other than the insulation is there and the seller will have it removed as soon as he can.  The estate was very relaxed about it all but I am starting to worry the more I read up on it! 

twopenny

If it really is your dream place it might be worth sticking it out as this is going to take a long spell, who knows what will happen to their health in the meantime or what the results will be.

Perhaps ask a mortgage lender about houses with prior history.

Yes keep looking at other places, who knows what is out there.
The EA is wanting his commission quicker but it's also to your advantage. He knows you're a serious buyer so he'll show you as much as you want 🙂

I decided against my dream home and while still wistful occasionally my not dream home is ok and in a lovely location with good neighbours.

eddddy

If the spray form is removed, presumably you'll want to install some other type of loft insulation to replace it.


I looked at a roof that had spray foam removed. All the timbers where re-exposed (and they were in good condition), but there was still remnants of spray foam between the tiles - it looked like the foam was gluing the tiles together.

TBH, I don't know if this was a good or bad thing. Maybe gluing the tiles together would make the roof stronger, but on the other hand, it might make it harder to replace individual tiles that crack/break if they are glued to adjacent tiles.

 

Hmaz_2

eddddy said:

If the spray form is removed, presumably you'll want to install some other type of loft insulation to replace it.


I looked at a roof that had spray foam removed. All the timbers where re-exposed (and they were in good condition), but there was still remnants of spray foam between the tiles - it looked like the foam was gluing the tiles together.

TBH, I don't know if this was a good or bad thing. Maybe gluing the tiles together would make the roof stronger, but on the other hand, it might make it harder to replace individual tiles that crack/break if they are glued to adjacent tiles.

 

Yes from what I've read it's very hard to remove all of it and there will usually be bits of foam left like that.  

I'm hoping the vendor will be able to give a bit more information about the insulation, how long ago it was sprayed etc. 

Hmaz_2

twopenny said:

If it really is your dream place it might be worth sticking it out as this is going to take a long spell, who knows what will happen to their health in the meantime or what the results will be.

Perhaps ask a mortgage lender about houses with prior history.

Yes keep looking at other places, who knows what is out there.
The EA is wanting his commission quicker but it's also to your advantage. He knows you're a serious buyer so he'll show you as much as you want 🙂

I decided against my dream home and while still wistful occasionally my not dream home is ok and in a lovely location with good neighbours.

I absolutely fell in love with it when I viewed it but I don't want to buy it if it is going to cause me issues when I eventually come to sell it or if I could be left with costly repair bills a little down the line.

I sold my property a few months ago and am starting with family so I know I'm in a good position being chain free if I do find a different property.  

stuart45

If it's got felt under the tiles there won't be a problem with the foam sticking to them.
How old is the house?

FreeBear

It may take 6 months to find a decent contractor to do the work. Are you prepared to wait that long ?