A failed EWS1 certificate doesn’t just delay your sale. It stops it completely.
Most lenders won’t touch properties without a valid certificate. Your buyer pool shrinks to cash purchasers overnight.
I’ve bought properties stuck in EWS1 limbo. The wait for remediation can stretch for years with no guaranteed timeline.
I’m Saif Derzi, founder of Property Buyers Today. Since 2015, I’ve specialised in properties that mortgage lenders reject.
In this guide, I’ll explain what a failed EWS1 really means for your sale. You’ll learn your remediation options, who pays, and how to sell before the work is completed.
Most importantly, I’ll show you how to avoid the waiting game that traps most sellers.
- What a Failed EWS1 Certificate Means for Your Property
- Selling Options for Properties with Failed EWS1 Certificate
- What You Must Tell Buyers About Your Failed EWS1
- Costs Involved with Failed EWS1 Properties
- How Failed EWS1 Certificates Affect Property Values
- Problems You'll Face Selling Through Traditional Methods
- How Property Buyers Today Can Help Sell Your Failed EWS1 Property
What a Failed EWS1 Certificate Means for Your Property
A failed EWS1 certificate makes your flat unsellable.
EWS1 forms check if your building’s outside walls are safe from fire. A qualified person inspects the cladding and materials. They give you a pass or fail result.
Failed means your building has dangerous materials. The walls might spread fire too fast. This puts residents at risk.
Common failure reasons:
- Unsafe cladding panels
- Flammable insulation
- Missing fire breaks
Banks refuse all mortgages on failed properties. No exceptions. Buyers can’t get loans even with big deposits.
I’ve seen owners stuck for years after failing assessments. No certificate is bad. A failed one is worse because it proves problems exist.
Some people confuse the two. No certificate means nobody checked yet. A failed certificate means they checked and found dangers.
Your building needs expensive fixes before passing. Remediation takes years and costs millions. Until then, only cash buyers will consider your flat.
Check the government EWS1 guidance for what happens next.
Selling a property with a failed EWS1 certificate requires cash buyers who accept fire safety risks others won’t touch.
Selling Options for Properties with Failed EWS1 Certificate
Here are the 3 primary methods to sell your property when the EWS1 certificate has failed…
Estate Agents
The conventional route creates major obstacles for properties with failed EWS1 certificates:
- Average sale duration: 6-12 months (extended timeframe – most mortgage lenders refuse to lend on failed EWS1 properties)
- Many sales fall through when buyers cannot secure financing due to failed certificates
- You need agents experienced with building safety properties and fire safety regulations
- You’ll encounter these costs:
- Agent commissions (up to 3%)
- Solicitor fees (up to £4,000)
- Additional fire safety assessments (£1,000-£3,000)
- Service charge increases for future remediation (ongoing)
- Legal advice on building safety (£500-£1,500)
- Extremely limited buyers (typically only cash buyers)
Property Buyers Today
When a failed EWS1 certificate makes your property difficult to market:
- We can complete within just 7 days
- No financing complications or remediation requirements needed
- What you receive:
- No agent fees
- We handle legal costs
- No property viewings – we buy failed EWS1 properties as they stand
- No remediation expenses – we accept building safety concerns
- We understand EWS1 failures and building safety law
- Completion date you can depend on
- Trade-off: Obtain up to 85% of property value (frequently better than waiting years for remediation)
Specialist cash house buyers like Property Buyers Today understand failed EWS1 complications and handle all arrangements.
Property Auction
Auctioning attracts purchasers who deal with failed EWS1 properties:
- Duration: 3-4 months
- Sale finalises instantly when gavel drops
- Important factors:
- Property sold as-is – bidders review failed EWS1 reports
- Attracts cash investors and specialist buyers
- Perfect for experienced buyers – draws appropriate purchasers
- Failed EWS1 disclosed in auction legal pack
- Wait 4-8 weeks until auction date
- Wait 28 days to finalise transaction
- Registration fees (up to £1,000)
- Auction house charges (up to 6%)
- Full EWS1 failure details must be disclosed to all bidders
Review our guide on selling a house at auction to understand how this process works for properties with failed EWS1 certificates.
What You Must Tell Buyers About Your Failed EWS1
You must tell buyers about your failed EWS1 immediately.
Consumer protection rules say fire safety problems are material information. Your property forms ask directly about building defects and safety issues. Answer honestly about the failed certificate.
Hide it and face serious legal trouble. Buyers discover the truth when their solicitor requests building documents. I’ve seen sellers sued for thousands after hiding failed assessments.
Documents buyers will request:
- The failed EWS1 form
- Fire risk assessments
- Managing agent letters
- Remediation plans
Your estate agent must tell viewers upfront, too. Trading Standards prosecute agents who hide fire safety failures. Most agents refuse to list properties without full disclosure.
Being honest actually helps your sale. Cash buyers expect problems and price accordingly. Hiding issues wastes everyone’s time when the truth comes out during legal checks.
Buyers can cancel after the exchange if they prove you lied. Some even reverse completed sales through fraud claims.
Get advice on what you need to sell your house properly. Your solicitor ensures you disclose everything correctly.
Tell the truth from the start. It’s the law and protects you from future claims.
Costs Involved with Failed EWS1 Properties
Failed EWS1 certificates create massive costs for flat owners. Understanding who pays what helps you plan financially whilst stuck in an unsellable property.
Remediation Expenses
Fixing dangerous cladding costs millions per building.
The government now limits what flat owners pay. If your property is worth under £175,000 outside London (or £325,000 in London), you pay a maximum of £10,000. Properties worth more have £15,000 caps.
Developers should pay for the buildings they built.
Many construction companies signed deals to fix the cladding problems they caused. Check if your developer agreed to pay. Your managing agent has this information. Some builders went bust or refuse to help.
Ongoing Safety Costs
Waking watch costs £100-£400 per flat each month.
Security guards patrol your building 24/7 until the cladding gets fixed. This continues for years, typically. Fire alarms and extra safety equipment add £50-£100 monthly on top.
These costs hit you immediately.
You pay from the moment problems are discovered. Selling flats with high service charges becomes almost impossible when monthly bills are this high.
Service Charge Increases
Your monthly bills often double or triple.
Normal service charges might be £150 monthly. Add safety measures, and they jump to £400-£600 monthly. This continues until remediation work finishes in 3-5 years.
Building insurance costs more, too.
Insurance companies charge higher premiums for buildings with dangerous cladding. These extra costs get added to everyone’s service charges. Budget carefully because these bills last for years.
Legal Protections
Government caps protect you from unlimited bills.
You can’t be charged more than £10,000-£15,000 for cladding fixes. This cap covers external wall materials and certain fire safety work. Other building repairs don’t count under protection rules.
Keep records of everything you pay.
Track all cladding-related charges carefully. The government’s leaseholder protection information explains exactly what counts towards your cap. Don’t pay more than your legal limit.
Lost Property Value
Your flat loses 30-70% of its value with a failed EWS1.
A flat worth £250,000 before might now be worth £100,000 or less. Cash buyers know you’re desperate and make very low offers. Banks won’t lend, so normal buyers can’t purchase at any price.
Some flats become completely unsellable.
Surveyors give nil valuations on the worst buildings. This means your flat is technically worth nothing until the cladding gets fixed. Selling flats with cladding issues often means accepting huge losses just to escape.
Unable to Remortgage
You’re stuck on your current mortgage deal.
When your fixed rate ends, you can’t switch to cheaper deals. Banks won’t remortgage properties with cladding problems. You move onto expensive variable rates instead.
This costs hundreds extra monthly.
Fixed-rate mortgages might charge 3-4% interest. Variable rates jump to 6-8% or more. On a £150,000 mortgage, this means £300-£500 extra each month. You’re trapped paying more whilst your flat sits unsellable.
How Failed EWS1 Certificates Affect Property Values
Failed EWS1 certificates destroy your flat’s value.
Properties lose 50-70% of their worth immediately after failing. A £250,000 flat might only fetch £75,000-£125,000 now. Some owners can’t sell at any price.
Normal sales through estate agents become impossible. Banks won’t lend money on failed properties. This removes 95% of potential buyers from the market instantly.
Value timeline:
- Before crisis: Full market value
- After failure: 30-70% drop
- After fixes: Values recover
Only cash buyers remain interested. Few people have £100,000+ in cash ready. Limited buyers mean terrible competition and rock-bottom offers.
I’ve watched desperate owners accept shockingly low prices just to escape. Your flat becomes an un-mortgageable property until remediation is completed.
Values do recover once buildings pass certification. After the fixes finish and the new EWS1 forms arrive, mortgages become available again. Prices bounce back toward normal levels.
This takes years, though. Most remediation programmes run 3-5 years behind schedule.
Understanding how much your house is worth with a failed certificate helps set realistic expectations. Cash buyers offer the only exit while problems exist.
Problems You’ll Face Selling Through Traditional Methods
Selling flats with failed EWS1 certificates through normal estate agents is nearly impossible. The problems you face aren’t fixable with lower prices or better marketing.
No Mortgage Buyers
Banks refuse to lend on flats with failed EWS1 forms.
About 95% of buyers need mortgages to purchase property. Without bank approval, they can’t buy your flat. Lenders see dangerous cladding as too big a risk.
Your buyer pool drops to just 5%.
Only cash purchasers can buy. This tiny group knows you’re desperate. They make very low offers, expecting you to accept. Understanding why your house isn’t selling comes down to mortgage blocks that can’t be solved.
Valuer Refusals
Surveyors won’t value flats in unsafe buildings.
They give nil valuations or refuse to complete reports. Banks need valuations to approve mortgages. No valuation means no mortgage means no sale. Some surveyors technically value properties at £1 just to complete paperwork.
This shows lenders the flat is worthless.
Check the RICS fire safety guidance to understand how valuers assess cladding problems. Even experienced estate agents can’t overcome valuation refusals.
Years on Market
Normal flats sell in 3-4 months typically.
Cladding-affected properties sit unsold for 2-3 years or longer. How long it takes to sell a house becomes meaningless when mortgage restrictions block almost everyone.
Price cuts don’t help much.
Dropping prices by 30-40% still doesn’t attract buyers who need mortgages. They physically can’t get loans at any price. Estate agents keep suggesting cuts, but sales rarely happen.
Solicitor Warnings
Lawyers tell their clients not to buy flats with cladding problems.
Even cash buyers with money get warned off by legal advice. Solicitors explain the risks, ongoing costs, and future selling difficulties. Most buyers listen to their lawyers and walk away.
Sales fall through during legal stages.
Buyers accept offers, then discover problems in paperwork. Their solicitor advises pulling out. You’ve wasted weeks or months and paid legal fees for nothing.
Accumulating Costs
Service charges keep rising whilst your flat sits unsold.
Waking watch costs £100-£400 monthly. Fire safety measures add more. You pay these charges for years whilst unable to sell. Moving for work becomes impossible. Financial pressure builds month after month.
You might still have mortgage payments, too.
Many owners pay mortgages on flats they can’t sell or live in. Bills pile up with no way out. When fixed rates end, you’re forced onto expensive variable rates because you can’t remortgage.
Mental Health Impact
Being trapped in an unsellable property causes serious stress.
You watch your savings disappear on service charges. Your mortgage costs jump when deals end. Life plans get cancelled because you can’t move. The situation feels hopeless with no end date.
Thousands of leaseholders face depression and anxiety.
The cladding scandal has destroyed people’s finances and well-being. Support groups exist online where trapped owners share experiences. Professional help is available if stress becomes overwhelming.
How Property Buyers Today Can Help Sell Your Failed EWS1 Property
I’ll be honest here…
A failed EWS1 certificate basically puts your sale on hold indefinitely. Buyers can’t get mortgages, valuers won’t proceed, and you’re stuck waiting for remediation works that could take years. If you need to move on with your life rather than remain in limbo, I totally get it.
Let’s be transparent—our offer won’t match what you’d get with a passed certificate, because we have our own costs and need to move the property on.
Even knowing this, here’s why flat owners in your situation still choose 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.
