David and Margaret Hay, from near Darvel, East Ayrshire, were devastated to learn that their £250,000 house is “unsellable” due to spray foam loft insulation. The couple only discovered the problem after deciding to move and attempting to buy a new home last year. Their purchase fell through at the last minute when they were told it would be pointless to list their own property on the market.
Widespread Crisis Affecting 250,000 Homes
The Hays are among an estimated 250,000 people across the UK who have spray foam insulation, which was previously promoted by governments as an effective way to improve home energy efficiency. However, poor installations causing damp and timber rot have created a mounting consumer crisis, leaving homeowners unable to sell or remortgage their properties.
David, a 68-year-old former HGV driver, explained that “breathable open cell” spray foam insulation was installed as part of the architect’s design when the house was built in 2016, with everything done “by the book.” He told the Sunday Mail: “There have been a lot of cowboys selling spray foam insulation to people, and because that’s happened there has been almost a blanket ban on finance from banks and building societies. We’ve been caught up in all of that. It has come as a huge shock. We worked hard all our lives right up to the last minute, it was a big effort getting to this point. So this situation has been gutting.”
Financial and Emotional Toll
The Hays purchased their three-bedroom house for £205,000 in 2018, mostly with their own savings. They took out a £60,000 mortgage with Bank of Scotland, which they have already fully repaid. Based on comparable property prices in the area, the house could be worth over £250,000 today without the insulation problem. Now, they are left with a property they cannot sell. They could spend up to £700 on a specialist surveyor to inspect the insulation, but there is no guarantee this would satisfy mortgage lenders.
Margaret, 74, a former NHS worker, said: “We’re stuck between the devil and deep blue sea. I wanted to move a bit closer to amenities. I’ve got terrible arthritis so going up and down stairs is difficult. We wanted to move to a bungalow which would have been ideal for me. When we were told it didn’t look like we could sell, it absolutely kicked the teeth out of me. For four or five months, it just floored me. I couldn’t come to terms with it.”
Costly Removal and Unscrupulous Traders
Another option for the couple is paying thousands of pounds to have the spray foam removed, but this could damage the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or even invalidate its planning permission. Experts have warned that the crisis has sparked a wave of unscrupulous traders offering spray foam removal at extortionate rates, particularly targeting elderly and vulnerable homeowners.
Call for Government Action
David and Margaret have met with Kilmarnock and Loudoun MP Lillian Jones to discuss their situation and are calling for government action to allow people in their position to sell their homes. They hope for regulatory changes or financial support to resolve the crisis affecting thousands of households across the UK.
