Home/Hard to Sell
Hard to Sell
Hard to sell or hard to mortgage? There are still routes.
Some homes stall on the open market because a lender will not lend on them, not because nobody wants them. Here is why that happens and the routes open to owners.
Why It Happens
Why a lender says no.
When a buyer's lender will not lend, the sale falls through even with a willing buyer. Common reasons include:
- Non-standard construction, such as some concrete or timber-framed homes
- A short lease on a flat
- A flat above a shop, restaurant or takeaway
- Structural movement, subsidence or major damp
- No working kitchen or bathroom
- Cladding or fire-safety questions on some flats, where a lender asks for an EWS1 form
Your Routes
The routes, compared.
Sometimes the fix is worth doing first. Sometimes it is not.
| Route | What happens | Price and speed | Where we fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fix it, then sell | Extend the lease, repair or put the facilities back first | Can widen the pool of buyers; costs time and money | Not a route we handle |
| Auction | Often where cash buyers look | Speed and certainty, with fees and a reserve-price risk | An auction house handles this |
| Quiet sale | Introductions to investors on our list | Below open market value, in exchange for speed and certainty | No fee to you; the buyer pays our fee |
| Keep it and let it | If it is lettable: management or a company let | You keep the asset | Where the property suits it |
A property a lender will not lend on usually sells to a cash buyer. If an investor on our list wants it, any offer comes from them.
Read This First
What we are and what we are not.
We do not buy your house. Maine Property Solutions is not the buyer and makes no offers of its own. We introduce properties to investors on our list and any offer comes from them.
You pay us nothing. Not now, not on completion. We are paid by the buyer we introduce you to. That amount is agreed in writing and we tell you what it is before you commit to anything.
Investors buy below open market value. They trade a lower price for speed and certainty, so an offer will be lower than a full open-market sale through an estate agent would be expected to achieve.
If price matters most, use an estate agent. An open-market sale is expected to achieve more. Take independent legal advice before agreeing to anything: a solicitor acting for you, not for a buyer.
Tell Us About It
Tell us what the issue is.
Where it is and what is holding the sale up. We come back to you about the routes that fit.
- Tell us the problem plainly
- No fee to talk
- A call at the time you choose
Prefer to talk? 02477 450677 or WhatsApp us — Mon–Fri 9–6, Sat 10–2.
Free Guide
Selling a property off-market
What off-market means, how it compares with an agent or an auction and the checks that protect you.
Other Situations
Not quite your situation?
Each page sets out the routes for one situation. The guides go into more depth.
Your Questions
Hard-to-sell homes, answered.
Why can a buyer not get a mortgage on my home?
Lenders decline some homes because of how they are built, a short lease, what is below or beside them, their condition or fire-safety questions. The buyer then cannot proceed with a mortgage.
Who buys a home a lender will not lend on?
Usually a cash buyer, such as an investor. If an investor on our list wants the property, any offer comes from them.
Should I fix the problem before selling?
Sometimes. A lease extension or a repair can widen the pool of buyers. Weigh the cost and time against the price difference. Take advice first.
Do you charge me?
No. The buyer pays our fee and you will know the amount before you commit to anything.