Can Removing Spray Foam Help You Sell Your House?

Insulation is an essential part of any home, and the correct application of the right materials in the right place can save people a huge amount on their heating bills. 

If this is the case, why is the removal of spray foam insulation not only increasingly popular but seen as such a necessity, particularly for people trying to sell their homes?

If installed properly, appropriately and with a mindfulness of the short and long-term impacts, spray foam insulation can be an effective option, to the point that the UK Government included it in their Green Homes Grant scheme.

However, if installed incorrectly or if the wrong type is used, it can trap moisture into the roof, which leads to condensation, damp, mould and the rotting of structural elements such as roof timbers.

The potential for this has made spray foam a major red flag for lenders for quite some time, with responses that vary from requiring reports from structural engineers to outright refusing to lend money.

This is not only a problem for potential sellers as buyers are locked out from buying a home due to the potential risks to the lender that they will themselves be unable to sell in the event of a default, it can also affect homeowners who want to stay in their homes.

The inability to mortgage a property with spray foam includes the inability to remortgage a house, which is a common strategy for some homeowners to keep their mortgage rates low by remortgaging at a low initial rate once their current deal expires.

As well as this, older homeowners looking to access the equity in their homes are unlikely to be able to do so, given that most equity release products take the form of a mortgage.

Removing the insulation with the help of a professional company can be the only way to ensure that a property can be sold.