Homeowners are struggling to sell their properties fitted with the insulation material (Image: Getty)
Selling UK can be a trickier task than you might think – vulnerable to fluctuating factors including the state of the and buyer confidence.
And homeowners are now warning of another issue that could get in the way of selling homes across the country – and which has already put many at a disadvantage.
The has found that a quarter of the country’s biggest lenders are refusing homes fitted with spray foam insulation – which was installed across the country as part of the s Green Homes Grant.
Up to 250,000 homes have this kind of insulation, the broadcaster estimates, with a huge rise in uptake sparked by a subsidy scheme for people on benefits.
While experts say spray foam insulation can be effective when properly installed, companies are concerned that if not properly fitted, it can trap moisture in the properties and put them at risk of decay.
Robbbie, 38, from Nottingham, put his home up for sale this summer after fitting it with spray foam in 2021 – with the £5,733 cost completely covered by the Green Homes Grant on account of his benefits eligibility.
Despite receiving an offer, the lending company was quick to reject it, however, “shocking” the 38-year-old and leaving him feeling “betrayed”.
He is now planning to remove the insulation himself, an undertaking that will cost around £4,000.
“I don’t feel it’s fair that we should have to pay to get this removed,” Robbie .
“[The government] have to take accountability for it … given that they forked out for something they thought was a good thing.”
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The insulation requires professional application – and can seriously damage property value (Image: Getty)
And Philippa from Wiltshire had a similar story – with the Green Homes Grant paying £8,662 for her loft to be insulated with spray foam three years ago.
She said she had accepted an offer from first-time buyers but they pulled out after being “spooked” by Nationwide requesting more information about the insulation before OK’ing a loan.
She now can’t afford to remove the insulation herself and has instead reduced the asking price in a desperate bid to find another buyer.
“I feel like I’ve been completely conned by the government,” she said.
Spray foam insulation is still available under the current government’s Great British Insulation Scheme. According to experts at Which?, it can “potentially reduce ventilation within the roof space, causing humidity and damp, which places roof timbers at risk of decay”.
Insight from the Royal Institution of Charted Surveyors also suggests that spray foam insulation can reduce a property’s value, necessitate a specialist report or, in the worst cases, make a house unmortgageable due to its risk factor.
However, the foam, which is applied by spraying an insulated layer onto parts of a property such as its walls, ceilings or windows, can offer sound protection as well as effective insulation and prevent air leakage.
The Department for Housing said it had “consulted lenders” about the form of insulation and would “rely on the views of valuers and surveyors on the issue” in a statement to the .
The Express has contacted the department for comment.