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Original poster

Our house is unmortgageable. I want to cry!

205 replies

Holls81 · 19/07/2023 07:04

Just wondering if anyone else has had this, especially recently.

In the past we’ve owned 2 properties built in the late 1800 and never had a problem getting a mortgage for either.

our current home was built in 1890.

we had no problem getting a mortgage on this either- in fact we just fixed again with the mortgage lender we’ve had for the last 5 years.
we recently applied for £10k on our mortgage to do some home improvements (re rendering etc which should add value) but it was declined. Not on the grounds that we couldn’t afford it, but on the grounds that the surveyor deemed our property as unmortgageable due to the original part of the house being single skin.

I had no idea that this would be an issue I spoke to the lender and they said it’s a blanket rule across all properties which are single skin (ie. Pre cavity wall - 1930’s builds.)

im now worried that we’ll never be able to sell our house as no one will ever be able
to get a mortgage on it, plus we’re paying a lot of money each month for a house that may never be worth anything now.

I feel sick!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
Diddykong · 19/07/2023 07:06

Half the houses in my city are pre-1930s and single skin, this can't be right!

Trixibella · 19/07/2023 07:07

A broker would be able to get a buyer a mortgage - there are lenders who are prepared to lend on this, it’s not unsellable. It’s just higher risk for the lender on a computer-says-no basis: harder to keep warm, arguably weaker in structure and easier for damp to get in but it’s not unsellable.

pity about the £10k but it’s not a disaster.

User538765 · 19/07/2023 07:09

It's probably just your lender, another lender would probably be ok, obviously just to add £10k to the mortgage you probably wouldn't want to change lenders.

bumblebee2903 · 19/07/2023 07:10

20 years ago my lender refused to mortgage on thatch or cob 😂 but plenty people do, could you try a different lender?

NameChangeAgainChange · 19/07/2023 07:11

You can definitely get a mortgage on single skin construction. It will be that lender’s policy but nit all lenders have that policy. Speak to a broker.

User538765 · 19/07/2023 07:12

if you sell the buyer will just have to shop around a bit more for a mortgage but this is usual with any house that isn't quite mainstream.

hettiethehare · 19/07/2023 07:13

Currently sat in my mortgaged, single skin 1890s house - with a mainstream lender. You need to speak to a broker.

User538765 · 19/07/2023 07:13

I would probably get a loan over 4 or 5 years instead for the £10k

Original poster
Holls81 · 19/07/2023 07:16

@hettiethehare how long ago did you get the mortgage though? We had no problem until recently!

OP posts:
minny80 · 19/07/2023 07:18

As PP said single solid walls are definitely suitable for a mortgage with many banks otherwise most sales of Victorian houses/flat wouldn't go through.

minny80 · 19/07/2023 07:19

Holls81 · 19/07/2023 07:16

@hettiethehare how long ago did you get the mortgage though? We had no problem until recently!

All my road is Victorian, at least 2 sales this year that I am aware of.

hettiethehare · 19/07/2023 07:20

Holls81 · 19/07/2023 07:16

@hettiethehare how long ago did you get the mortgage though? We had no problem until recently!

Last year - survey was carried out July 2022.

TheNoonBell · 19/07/2023 07:30

It could be part of the green push. Don't forget it will be impossible to get a mortgage from 2035 unless your house is EPC C or higher. Something to keep in mind if buying an older house at the moment.

crossstitchingnana · 19/07/2023 07:40

When we were buying a single skin Northern Rock turned us down. Thank God, they went bust 18 months later.

User538765 · 19/07/2023 07:46

crossstitchingnana · 19/07/2023 07:40

When we were buying a single skin Northern Rock turned us down. Thank God, they went bust 18 months later.

That was a lucky escape, people are stuck in really high interest mortgages there

Mylobsterteapot · 19/07/2023 07:57

I bought my house in 2021, and remortgaged this month. It’s single layer, built in the 1880s, and the very mainstream lender was fine. I used a broker at L and C, who was very good.

Bewilderedandhurt · 19/07/2023 08:06

Many older houses are single skin brick or stone.
Any house from the victorian period or before will be of this construction.
You need to contact a broker and find a more sympathetic lender. It's not a blanket rule otherwise a large proportion of the U.K housing stock has just become unmortgageable.

Dartsplayer · 19/07/2023 08:09

There is a house down the road from us that has been up for sale, sold then back up for sale again about 3 or 4 times with the same issue. A cash buyer has just bought it. You will be able to sell it but probably to a limited market

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 19/07/2023 08:11

We remortgaged our single skin 1880’s house in April this year without any bother at all!

it can’t be right, otherwise you couldn’t mortgage any property built since about 1930!

TheYearOfSmallThings · 19/07/2023 08:14

That is bizarre - most of London (and especially all the nice bits) will be unmortgageable by that argument. Maybe this is my chance to get a mansion in Hampstead for a knock down price!

Probably not.

EliflurtleTripanInfinite · 19/07/2023 08:14

This could be about your banks risk profile in relation to EPC ratings and the government requirements for 2035 rather then your house specifially. If your mortgage doesn't end before 2035 and they've done recent risk assessments of their portfolio of loans they may have worked out they can't afford to lend anymore money for properties with low EPC ratings. Other banks might not face the same issues currently. Long term it sounds like it's going to be harder or at least more expensive.This article explains the issues https://www.idealhome.co.uk/project-planning/does-an-epc-rating-affect-my-mortgage-311000

How does an EPC rating affect my mortgage?

What is a good EPC rating and how can it affect your mortgage? Here's everything you need to know

https://www.idealhome.co.uk/project-planning/does-an-epc-rating-affect-my-mortgage-311000

KievLoverTwo · 19/07/2023 08:30

TheNoonBell · 19/07/2023 07:30

It could be part of the green push. Don't forget it will be impossible to get a mortgage from 2035 unless your house is EPC C or higher. Something to keep in mind if buying an older house at the moment.

Really?

I don't know how it's going to be achievable to upgrade a lot of our ancient housing stock.

johnd2 · 19/07/2023 08:32

Usually "single skin" means half brick thick ie 4 inch, which is not good from a structural point of view or a damp resistance point of view. Thermally it wouldn't be good either but there are standard solutions there.
Usually there would only be minor additions done single skin, eg a single storey outrigger on a terraced property that's been knocked through into part of the house.
I can see why the whole original house being single skin wouldn't be mortgageable without a more specialist survey and lender.

On the other hand, a standard "solid wall" would be 9 inches thick and can be 2-3 storeys tall and generally has minor damp problems. There are millions of them and are generally easy to sell subject to bring in good repair.

Try to find out which it is, you can always look at the window reveals to work out which it is.

RubyWedding · 19/07/2023 08:34

this is usual with any house that isn't quite mainstream

A single skin contraction is completely mainstream; probably half the houses in the country are constructed this way, certainly anything built before WW1. It's not unmortgageable. Just try another lender.

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