Your flat might be unsellable right now.
If you’ve got cladding problems, you already know the nightmare. No mortgage lenders. No buyers. No way out.
I’ve purchased flats trapped in the cladding crisis across the UK. The frustration is real, and the situation feels hopeless.
I’m Saif Derzi, founder of Property Buyers Today. I’ve been buying problem properties since 2015, including cladding-affected flats.
This guide explains your actual options when cladding blocks your sale. You’ll discover what documentation you need, potential funding schemes, and realistic exit strategies.
I’ll also show you how some sellers escape without waiting years for remediation.
- Understanding Cladding Problems and Their Impact on Flat Sales
- Your Options for Selling a Flat with Cladding Problems
- Legal Requirements and Documentation for Cladding-Affected Properties
- Remediation Costs and Funding Options Available
- How Cladding Issues Affect Property Values and Mortgages
- Why Traditional Estate Agents Cannot Sell Cladding-Affected Flats
- Selling Your Cladding-Affected Flat to Property Buyers Today
Understanding Cladding Problems and Their Impact on Flat Sales
Cladding problems stop flat sales completely.
After the Grenfell Tower fire, unsafe cladding was found on thousands of buildings. Some materials burn too fast. ACM panels are dangerous. HPL cladding spreads flames. Certain insulation catches fire easily.
The Building Safety Act 2022 brought new rules. Tall buildings need safety checks now. Your building manager must get certificates showing it’s safe.
Dangerous cladding types:
- ACM panels
- HPL cladding
- Flammable insulation
Banks won’t lend money without safety certificates. No EWS1 form means no mortgage. Buyers can’t buy your flat even if they want to.
I’ve watched flats stay unsold for years because of cladding. Estate agents can’t help when buyers can’t get loans.
Government schemes fix some buildings, but work slowly. The protection scheme should pay for repairs on some blocks. Many owners wait years for work to start.
Check the government building safety guidance for your rights and help available.
Selling a flat with cladding issues needs cash buyers who don’t need mortgages. They buy problem flats that others can’t touch.
Your Options for Selling a Flat with Cladding Problems
Here are the 3 primary approaches to sell your flat when cladding problems exist…
Estate Agents
The traditional route creates severe obstacles for flats with cladding issues:
- Standard sale timeframe: 6-12 months (extended duration – mortgage lenders reject properties without EWS1 certificates)
- Many sales fall through when cladding surveys reveal fire safety concerns
- You need agents experienced with cladding properties and building safety regulations
- You’ll encounter these costs:
- Agent commissions (up to 3%)
- Solicitor fees (up to £4,000)
- EWS1 fire safety assessments (£2,000-£5,000)
- Building safety surveys and reports (£500-£2,000)
- Service charge increases for remediation (ongoing costs)
- Very limited buyers interested in flats with cladding issues
Property Buyers Today
When cladding issues make your flat difficult to market:
- We can complete within just 7 days
- No financing complications or EWS1 certificates needed
- What you receive:
- No agent fees
- We handle legal costs
- No property viewings – we buy cladding-issue flats as they stand
- No certificate expenses – we manage cladding concerns ourselves
- We understand cladding regulations and remediation processes
- Completion date you can trust
- Consideration: Receive up to 85% of flat value (often better after remediation costs and prolonged delays)
Professional cash house buyers like Property Buyers Today understand cladding issue complications and handle all procedures.
Property Auction
Auctioning attracts purchasers who deal with cladding-issue flats:
- Timeline: 3-4 months
- Sale finalises instantly when gavel drops
- Key factors:
- Flat sold as-is – bidders review cladding reports
- Attracts specialist investors familiar with building safety
- Perfect for experienced buyers – draws appropriate purchasers
- Cladding status disclosed in auction legal pack
- Wait 4-8 weeks until auction date
- Wait 28 days to finalize transaction
- Entry costs (up to £1,000)
- Auction house charges (up to 6%)
- Full cladding information must be disclosed to all bidders
Check our guide on selling a house at auction to understand how this process works for flats with cladding issues.
Legal Requirements and Documentation for Cladding-Affected Properties
You must tell buyers about cladding problems by law.
The Building Safety Act 2022 created new rules for flat owners. Your TA6 form asks about fire safety and building defects. Answer honestly about cladding issues.
EWS1 forms show if your building’s outside walls are safe. Buildings over 11 metres usually need them. Without one, buyers can’t get mortgages. Your freeholder or managing agent arranges these assessments.
Documents you need:
- EWS1 form if available
- Building Safety Certificate
- Fire risk assessments
- Managing agent letters
I’ve seen sales collapse when sellers couldn’t provide safety paperwork. Buyers walk away immediately without proper certificates.
Check the Building Safety Act guidance for your duties as a leaseholder. New protection schemes mean you shouldn’t pay for some historical repairs.
Your managing agent holds most documents. Get copies early before listing your flat. Missing paperwork makes sales impossible through estate agents.
Leaseholder protections cap your costs for past cladding problems. Buildings over 11 metres get more protection. Get advice on what you need to sell your flat properly.
Without correct certificates, only cash buyers will consider your property.
Remediation Costs and Funding Options Available
Cladding fixes cost millions, but government help exists. Understanding what money you can get makes a big difference.
Building Safety Fund
This government money covers buildings 18 metres or taller.
It pays to remove dangerous cladding on high blocks. Your building manager applies, not you. The fund covers outside wall materials that aren’t safe.
Getting approval takes 6-12 months.
Buildings need surveys showing what’s wrong first. Many blocks are still waiting. Ask your managing agent if your building applied yet.
Cladding Safety Scheme
Buildings between 11 and 18 metres get this help.
It works like the Building Safety Fund but for medium blocks. It pays for dangerous cladding replacement. Your building manager does the paperwork.
Not every building gets approved.
The government checks each one based on fire risk. Some blocks need extra safety measures whilst waiting. This pushes up service charges for now.
Developer Contributions
Many builders now pay to fix buildings they made.
Legal pressure forced big construction companies to commit billions. Check if your builder signed up to fix problems. Your managing agent should know this.
Some builders went bust or said no.
Small companies that built your block might be gone now. Others say it’s not their fault. Legal fights continue for many buildings.
Leaseholder Protection Caps
The government caps what flat owners pay for cladding fixes.
Cheap flats under £175,000 (£325,000 in London) have £10,000 caps. More expensive flats have £15,000 caps. You can’t be charged more than this for fixing cladding.
Caps only work for cladding and some fire safety work.
Other repairs don’t count. Service charges for normal maintenance keep going up. Selling flats with high service charges remains hard even with caps.
Service Charge Implications
Safety measures whilst waiting cost thousands each year.
Waking watches use security guards 24/7 until the cladding gets fixed. This costs £100-£400 per flat each month. Fire alarms cost extra, too. These charges continue until work finishes.
Service charges often double or triple.
All flat owners split the costs. These higher bills last 2-5 years, usually. Understanding the cost to sell a house means thinking about the ongoing charges buyers take on.
Legal Action Funding
Many flat owner groups take builders to court.
Group legal action spreads costs across lots of people. Special lawyers work on no-win-no-fee deals for cladding cases. Winning claims get money back from builders or product makers.
Court cases usually take 3-5 years.
Legal battles move slowly. Meanwhile, you’re stuck, unable to sell or get new mortgages. Check government remediation guidance for the latest help available.
How Cladding Issues Affect Property Values and Mortgages
Cladding problems destroy flat values instantly.
Flats with cladding issues lose 30-70% of their value. A flat worth £200,000 before might fetch only £60,000-£140,000 now. Some become worthless until fixed.
Banks refuse all mortgages without proper safety certificates. No EWS1 form means zero mortgage offers. Failed assessments are even worse than missing ones.
What kills your value:
- No safety certificates
- Failed EWS1 assessment
- Ongoing remediation work
- Unknown completion dates
Most buyers need mortgages to purchase flats. Without lending available, 95% of potential buyers disappear. Only cash buyers remain, and they know you’re desperate.
I’ve watched owners accept terrible offers because nobody else would buy. Limited competition means rock-bottom prices.
Values can recover after fixes are complete. Once your building gets full certification, mortgages become available again. Prices bounce back closer to normal levels.
Understanding how much your house is worth with cladding helps set expectations. Most cladding-affected properties become un-mortgageable until remediation finishes.
Cash buyers offer the only realistic exit while problems exist.
Why Traditional Estate Agents Cannot Sell Cladding-Affected Flats
Estate agents struggle badly with cladding-affected flats. Most give up after months of failed viewings and rejected offers because normal buyers simply can’t buy these properties.
Mortgage Lending Restrictions
Banks refuse to lend on flats with cladding problems.
Around 95% of buyers need mortgages to purchase property. Without mortgage approval, they can’t buy your flat, no matter how much they like it. Lenders see dangerous cladding as too risky.
EWS1 forms show buildings fail safety checks.
These certificates tell lenders whether external walls are safe. Failed ratings mean automatic mortgage rejection. Even missing EWS1 forms causes problems because lenders won’t proceed without them.
Your buyer pool shrinks to just 5% cash purchasers.
Valuation Difficulties
Surveyors refuse to value flats in unsafe buildings.
They either give nil valuations or won’t complete reports at all. Banks need valuations to approve mortgages. No valuation means no mortgage means no sale.
Some surveyors value properties at £1.
This technical valuation lets them complete paperwork whilst showing the flat is unsellable. Buyers see these reports and walk away immediately. Estate agents can’t overcome valuation problems no matter how hard they try.
Extended Marketing Failures
Cladding-affected flats sit unsold for years.
Normal properties take 3-4 months to sell. Flats with cladding issues stay on the market for 2-3 years or more. How long it takes to sell a house becomes meaningless when mortgage restrictions block 95% of buyers.
Price cuts don’t help much.
Dropping your asking price by 20-30% still doesn’t attract mortgage buyers. They physically can’t get loans regardless of price. Estate agents keep suggesting cuts, but they rarely result in sales.
Marketing costs pile up month after month.
Buyer Pool Limitations
Only cash buyers and investors can purchase.
This tiny group knows you’re desperate and makes very low offers. They might offer 40-60% below market value. Many are buy-to-let investors who’ll rent your flat out whilst waiting for cladding fixes.
Cash buyers take advantage of your situation.
They know you’re stuck paying service charges and can’t remortgage. They make insulting offers, expecting you to accept eventually. Understanding why your house isn’t selling comes down to mortgage restrictions that estate agents can’t solve.
Legal Complexities
Solicitors tell buyers not to purchase cladding-affected flats.
They warn clients about ongoing costs, safety risks, and resale difficulties. Even cash buyers with money get scared off by legal advice. Their solicitors explain they’ll be stuck, unable to sell later.
Conveyancing becomes extremely complicated.
Extra searches, safety certificates, and remediation documentation slow everything down. Many sales fall through during legal stages, even after offers are accepted. Buyers discover new problems in paperwork and withdraw.
Ongoing Cost Accumulation
Service charges keep rising whilst your flat sits unsold.
Waking watch costs £100-£400 monthly per flat. Fire safety measures add more. These charges continue for years until remediation finishes. You’re paying thousands whilst unable to sell or move.
Mortgage payments continue if you still owe money.
Many owners are trapped paying mortgages on flats they can’t sell or live in. Moving for work becomes impossible. Financial pressure builds month after month. Visit UK Cladding support resources for help and advice from others in similar situations.
Estate agents give up after 6-12 months, usually.
Selling Your Cladding-Affected Flat to Property Buyers Today
Let me level with you…
Cladding issues have become a complete nightmare for flat owners. Buildings can become virtually unsellable, mortgage lenders won’t touch them, and you’re often stuck paying for expensive waking watch services. If you’re tired of being trapped in this impossible situation, I completely understand your frustration.
Here’s the truth—we can’t offer full market value because we need to account for our costs and plan to resell relatively quickly.
Yet here’s why leaseholders facing cladding problems still decide to sell their house fast with us…
Speed
Most house sales take months, but we can buy your property in as little as 7 days.
This quick process is perfect if you need to move soon or want to avoid being stuck in a long chain of buyers and sellers. We have the cash on hand so don’t need to wait for mortgages or a chain to collapse.
Guaranteed Sale
Did you know 1 in 3 sales fall through on the open market?
We know how frustrating it is to get 6 months into a process and have a buyer pull out.
When we give you the final price for your house, that’s the amount you’ll get. Guaranteed!
No Costs
You won’t face any costs with us.
We handle all the expenses involved in buying your property, including legal fees and surveys. You get cash in your bank when the sale is complete, and there are no surprise estate agent commissions to worry about.
No Stress Or Hassle
Our team supports you through the whole selling process.
We keep you updated about what’s happening and answer any questions quickly. You’ll always understand what’s going on with your sale and what happens next.
Free Property Valuation
Our property experts will value your house at no cost to you.
They look carefully at your property and check local market prices to give you an accurate figure. This professional service comes with no obligations.
No Viewings Required
Forget about cleaning and tidying for viewings.
We don’t need multiple visits or open houses to make our offer. This means no strangers walking through your home, and no disruption to your daily life.
All Properties Welcome
Whether your house needs work or is in perfect condition, we’ll buy it.
We have experience with all types of properties and conditions. This means you can sell your house to us no matter what state it’s in.
Professional Legal Service
Our expert team manages all the legal requirements for you.
We work with experienced property lawyers who make sure everything runs smoothly, and put your property at the top of their list. This gives you peace of mind that your sale is being handled properly from start to finish.
