Most sales hit trouble at the same point: the buyer's mortgage valuation. The surveyor finds the foam, the lender asks for a specialist report or refuses, and the buyer is stuck.
Your three routes
- Remove it before you sell. The cleanest route. Hand the completion report to your agent so it's ready when the buyer's surveyor asks.
- Sell with it and be upfront. Tell your agent early. Have a specialist report ready, and expect fewer buyers and possibly a lower price, since some buyers' lenders will still refuse.
- Sell to a cash buyer. No lender means no mortgage valuation, but cash buyers usually price in the removal cost and more.
If your sale has already stalled
Ask the buyer's broker exactly what the lender needs. Sometimes a report is enough. If removal is required, many firms can survey within days, and agreeing who pays (often through a price reduction) can keep the sale alive.
See removal costs and the paperwork to ask for.
SourcesInformation checked 6 Nov 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice.
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