Spray foam insulation is causing problems for Staffordshire homeowners looking to re-mortgage, sell or release equity.

Many homeowners especially those with a lower EPC rating, are looking to improve their insulation. Loft insulation is often one of the first options explored which makes sense as heat rises and gas bills are at an all-time high. 

There was even a government grant scheme (the Green Homes grant) which covered up to two-thirds of the cost of loft insulation improvements up to as recently as March 2022. This included the use of spray foam insulation in lofts! 

Therefore, if spray foams were included in a government-backed scheme you’d be forgiven for assuming it was ok to use, however, that is not the case!

Spray foam insulation can:-

• Reduce air circulation and ventilation within a roof space.
• Lead to dampness and condensation on the underside of a roof because it forms an air barrier and stops moisture from escaping.
• Place timber-framed roofs at risk of decay.

As a result, when a mortgage valuer is assessing the property and finds spray foam insulation they report it to the lender normally saying  further investigation is required to assess the type of foam used (closed cell or open cell) and whether it was installed correctly. To enable this, they would need to see:-

• A pre-survey suitability report which was done to assess the condition of your roof and timbers before the foam was sprayed;
• Condensation risk assessment was conducted;
• Independent test certificate such as BBA or Kiwa certification detailing the type of foam and how it should be sprayed;
• Installation company details and its credentials;
• Installation guarantee.

In practice, this often means that the mortgage company simply refuse to lend unless the spray foam is removed from the roof. Due to how time-consuming and hard it is to remove spray foam insulation it can actually be cheaper to reroof the house. According to the website Checkatrade, the cost of removing spray foam insulation from the roof of a three-bedroom detached house is around £3,200 (or £40 per square metre).

We have written this blog in the hope that people see it before they decide to install spray foam insulation but the fact is often people only realise the problem when it’s picked up on survey so if that’s the case what options are there? 

Well, you can do as we have mentioned and pay a professional company to remove the insulation before sale providing both you and your purchaser are not in a rush to move, if they are you may lose that sale but once the work is done you will be able to remarket the property and achieve full value.

Alternatively, you could sell your property without doing the work to a local cash buyer like Jeffries property buyers.

As Jeffries property buyers are professional cash buyers with 39 years’ experience buying unmortgageable properties in Staffordshire they can buy your property back at a price that reflects the works required and complete the deal fast, in fact often within 2 weeks of first viewing, keeping your move on track!

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