Can You Sell a House with Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that was formerly used in property construction because of its resistance to heat, electricity and chemical corrosion.

It was also used as an insulator in roofs and on pipes or electrical wires. Now banned due to its carcinogenic properties, there are still a lot of properties where asbestos can be found. Being able to identify whether you have asbestos in your property is crucial, especially if you are selling it, and should be carried out by a trained professional.

But how do you find it, and how does it affect the sale of your home? In this article, we investigate selling your property with (potentially) asbestos.

Table of Contents

• How do you know if you have asbestos in your property?

• Where you’ll find asbestos in your home

• The most common areas you can find asbestos

• Can you sell a house with asbestos?

• What impact does selling with asbestos have?

• Should I buy a house with asbestos?

• We buy homes in any condition

How do you know if you have asbestos in your property?

According to Gov.UK asbestos may be present in your property if it was built before the year 2000.

So, if you have an older property that hasn't had a full renovation in recent years, there is a chance you could have asbestos.

If you suspect asbestos in your property, then the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommend contacting a professional company and arranging an asbestos survey.

The three main types of asbestos

If you think that you may have asbestos in your home you might be interested in finding out exactly what type of asbestos you have in your home in order to get it removed.

Below are the three main types of asbestos you're likely to come across:

• Chrysotile (white asbestos): Chrysotile is the most commonly used type of asbestos. The fibres are usually fine, highly flexible and are resistant to heat. It is commonly found in cement and roofing materials

• Crocidolite (blue asbestos): Crocidolite has very thin fibres that can easily get lodged in the lungs, if inhaled. These thin fibres and brittle texture mean that it can easily break down, leading to people being exposed to it which can be very dangerous over time

• Amosite (brown asbestos): This form of asbestos is particularly strong and heat-resistant leading it to be commonly used in cement sheet, plumbing and electrical insulation

All types of asbestos are toxic when released or disintegrating, therefore you will need a specialist to look for and remove any of it within your property.

Where you’ll find asbestos in your home

You can find asbestos pretty much anywhere in the home, but there are a few places around the property in particular that it may be more common.

The detailed infographic below shows the key areas where specialists will look for asbestos, courtesy of Safe Air Inc.

The most common areas you can find asbestos

• Water tank

• Pipe lagging

• Insulation

• Ceiling tiles

• Artex decorative coating

• Vinyl floor tiles

• Behind a fireplace

• Gutters

• Soffits

• Exterior window panel

• Roofs & roofing felt (often from garages)

• Panels

Can you sell a house with asbestos?

The all-important question: Can you sell a house with asbestos?

Yes, you can, and it's not illegal to sell a house that contains asbestos.

However, it is worth noting that you are legally obliged to disclose that there is an asbestos presence, if you are aware of it, during the sale. This prior to 2013 used to be because of the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 (PMA), but this has been repealed, and would now be covered under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs).

What impact does selling with asbestos have?

Just because you can sell a property with asbestos, it doesn't necessarily mean that you should.

If a seller identifies asbestos, either that be through a survey or initially, they may try and negotiate the price, and ultimately, if you are unable to agree, the sale could fall through, likely costing you more money and time than the actual removal of the hazardous substance.

This issue is demonstrated perfectly through Reddit user yesbrad, who opened a topic on the discussion of "Buying property with asbestos in" . In this discussion, he states he is a first-time buyer and, through a survey, has identified "4k to have all the asbestos removed". There's no direct update from yesbrad as to whether they went through with buying the property.

But it adds that potential curveball and risk to either the sale falling through, or negotiating a reduction.

Should I buy a house with asbestos?

To address this from the buyers side. Whilst asbestos is a hazardous material & dangerous to human health, which can be scary and off putting, ultimately in the scheme of things it's relatively inexpensive to put right.

This is subjective and depends on the asbestos severity but according to Checkatrade, "The average asbestos removal cost in the UK ranges from £950 - £3,750"

We would recommend that it shouldn't put you off buying a property, if every other aspect is what you want. However, you can use this as a tool for negotiation to drive the price down slightly.

We buy homes in any condition

It's kind of our unofficial motto, and asbestos is no exception.

If you're concerned about selling your property with asbestos, we'll buy it. Our service offers a completely hassle-free alternative to the open market.

We're quick cash buyers who buy properties in any condition and any location across England and Wales. We offer a fair price in exchange for a 7-day completion, handling everything for you & covering all the associated fees - including solicitors and surveys!

Getting a quote is completely free and no obligation, so let's have a chat?