Buying a house with new Foam insulation

[Unicornbaker]

Hi all

we saw a house first weekend of May, dream property which needs some work but missed out on the same house down the road exactly a year ago- felt like fate. Offer accepted Monday afternoon. The seller did mention that he will be changing the insulation in the roof to upgrade it. Great we thought! Well…just got an email from broker stating the property cannot be mortgaged unless all manner of documents is provided, or a full structural survey is instructed.

the house is 1970s build, and roof is original. We are waiting on the documents to be provided - work only done last week (why did he bother at all?!) so hope all correct documents and surveys were done before work commenced.

BUT

should we ask for a full structural survey to be done regardless?
would you reduce the offer?

any advice greatly appreciated!

Has the broker said what the problem with the roof is? How is that linked to the new insulation?

For him to do that, he must be covering something up.
Regardless, I'd run a mile from anything with foam roof insulation. An industry has built up around the removal of it because it rots roofs.

I think in the past people had taken out a loan for the insulation, which was tied to the property, which is where the broker is coming from.

I suspect that the owner is replacing foam that didn't have the correct documentation, and that's why it has been done now. I've heard tales of people having to have insulation ripped out.

You could ensure that the owner is aware that this all needs to be provided or the deal is off. Speak to your solicitor about all this

Has it got or are they planning to put that spray foam insulation into the roof? If present this often makes properties unmortgagable and costs a fortune to remove.

Why would someone "upgrade" the roof insulation a few weeks before selling ?

To cover something up ?

I would ask them the question why they did this. There may be a reasonable explanation, like they booked it in some time ago before they were thinking of selling - it can take a long time to get work done atm. OTOH they may have done it to cover something up.

And be aware that if they have covered something up, like placed additional insulation to cover up spray foam or other damage, then you might be wasting your money on a survey if the property is difficult to mortgage.

we are waiting on the documentation and proof the correct surveys were completed before the new insulation was put down. When we viewed, and when the home report was done, old insulation was in place. No notes of concern raised. The guy selling said he is get in new insulation in the next couple of days - I’m assuming as his inwards purchase was quite sudden this could have been planned in advance. He did do other works like replacing the flat roof in the garage - so the insulation work is not the only improvement/change he did just prior or just after putting it on the market.

Honestly, if you want this property, don't let them do the spray insulation. Google it. I don't understand why it's not illegal. It's awful stuff.

If the roof has been sprayed with foam insulation do not touch it with a barge pole. This stuff doesnot allow your roof to breathe and said condensation then creates a perfect ground for rot. Awful stuff, unless you are prepared to completely reroof!

Honestly we are at a loss as to why he used it- seems like a switched on individual, and although an older gent, I would have thought that he would have researched the material to be used! The original insulation was old but home report didn’t pick up a need to replace it at all.

Our solicitor is very confused and said that he think the sellers solicitors will be the same! Hopefully will get some answers tomorrow. We are gutted as this was our dream home, we missed out on the same house last year but this one is slightly better condition, better garden but same layout.

We are potentially thinking if the seller did actually do due diligence, had correct surveys done and all documents are present to make it mortgageable, what guarantees we can have on the roof not needing work in the coming years? Don’t know what this will do to the home value - but won’t know this until the lender surveyed receives the documents (if present!).