Potential problems
Any non-standard house construction can lead to some problems. Mortgage companies and insurers like anything that’s traditional and standard. Anything outside the box requires specialists care. Non-traditional construction, such as steel-framed BISF houses will need specialists advice. There’s been a lot of controversion around whether the houses are safe to live in or not. It’s mainly due to the fact that allegedly BISF houses were included in the 1984 Housing Defects Act.
One of the biggest disadvantages of BISF houses is the asbestos roof. Back when BISF properties were constructed it was a common material. Now as we know the health and environmental hazards of having asbestos roofs could be very costly to remove because the job needs to be done by a specialist team.
Even though it can come as a surprise how well the houses lasted, similarly to traditional construction – a brick house, non traditional construction pose its own issues.
If you own a BISF house it might be difficult to find a prospective buyer. It’s important to find an estate agent that has experience in selling non standard construction houses. BISF houses may be difficult to get a mortgage on. The lender needs to make sure that the BISF house will sell in the future.
If you are interested in buying a BISF home – and you have some good reasons to be -whilst the repairs can cost more you are generally getting good value for your money – make sure you order a survey from a chartered surveyor. It’s very important to know if there’s a major problem with the property.