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Is buying a house with asbestos a good idea? We look at how to find out if a house or flat has asbestos and what to consider before you buy.
Asbestos is a building material that was widely used, particularly from the 1960s to mid-1980s, until it was banned completely in 1999. If you’re buying a house that was built before 2000, it may contain asbestos.
It’s important that you know if you’re buying a house with asbestos because if materials containing asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air. When these fibres are inhaled they can cause cancer and other serious diseases, often decades later.
If the seller of the house you’re buying knows asbestos is present, they must declare it during the sale process. And if they’ve had an asbestos survey because of building work, they must provide it to you. But they may not know whether asbestos is present in their house or not, so it’s up to you to find out if you’re buying a house with asbestos.
A Homebuyer Survey and/or Building Survey is not a specialist asbestos report. The surveyor may well make comment, based upon their experience, about the potential risk and/or likelihood of a particular item containing asbestos. For example, they may point out some artex ceiling tiles that need further investigation. But as no testing is carried out during a homebuying or building survey, to be certain whether a product contains asbestos or not, you would likely require sampling and testing, carried out by specialist asbestos surveyors.
If you think you may be buying a house with asbestos, appoint an accredited surveyor to carry out an asbestos survey.
Find and compare estimates from Asbestos Surveyors near you.
The estimates generated are not quotations but are guideline prices for the Surveyor to visit your property to carry out an initial investigation. The Surveyor will then be able to provide a report outlining what further steps will need to be considered and, where applicable, an indication of likely further costs. These costs may vary quite considerably dependent on what type of survey is required.
There are two types of asbestos surveys:
Speak to your asbestos surveyor about which is the asbestos best survey for you.
An asbestos survey can be an intrusive inspection where a specialist asbestos surveyor, wearing protective clothing, will remove samples of the suspected asbestos-containing materials for testing.
You’ll receive a report stating the type of asbestos found, how it can be removed and you may also get an estimate of how much asbestos removal will cost.
When shopping around for a surveyor you should ensure that they have suitable qualifications, accreditation, experience and insurance. Surveyors carrying out inspections will normally have the qualifications BOHS P402 and P405. While there is no legal requirement for asbestos surveyors to be accredited, HSE strongly recommends using surveyors accredited to standard BS EN ISO/IEC 17020. In the UK the only accreditation recognised by the HSE is that provided by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
Find an Asbestos Surveyor near you to obtain quotes and discuss your concerns.
If you’re considering buying a house with asbestos, the presence of asbestos alone should not be a cause for concern, says the Health and Safety Executive. It says asbestos only becomes a risk to human health when it is released into the air and breathed in. For example, this may happen during a house renovation if any materials containing asbestos are drilled into, sawed or sanded.
When asbestos fibres are released into the air and they are inhaled, they can cause incurable, irreversible cancer (and other diseases) – not immediately, but normally between 20 and 40 years later.
If you’re planning to add an extension or renovate the property you’re buying and you’re concerned about asbestos, then it’s advisable to have an asbestos survey carried out.
Asbestos is not necessarily a reason to avoid buying a house. ‘Asbestos might be looked at like having a house with old wiring. It is not ideal and potentially dangerous if not managed properly,’ says Kevin Bampton, Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection.
‘It can be costly and inconvenient to remedy it and a wise purchaser would ensure they had a professional check for any risk and factor this into their offer,’ he adds.
The cost of asbestos removal will vary depending on factors, including the amount of asbestos to be removed, the type of asbestos, its current state and its location. And you may be able to get reduced rates from your local council.
However, the average price of asbestos removal is around £150 per m2, according to Checkatrade. While the average cost to encapsulate asbestos is about £25 per m2. This process involves covering or enclosing asbestos-containing materials with a protective coating or material to prevent the release of fibres into the air.
So after you’ve had an asbestos survey, get quotes to find out how much it would cost to deal with. Then take this into account when you make an offer. If you’ve already agreed an offer, you may choose to go back to the seller to renegotiate the price due to the asbestos.
Find and compare estimates from Asbestos Surveyors near you.
An asbestos survey on a 2-3 bedroom house typically costs around £250. But the cost of an asbestos survey will vary depending on factors like the size of the property and when it was built. The easiest way to find out how much an asbestos survey costs is to use our handy tool – you’ll instantly get quotes for asbestos surveys in your area.
‘If you own a leasehold property, shared ownership home or live in a mixed residential and commercial building, any asbestos will almost certainly be managed by the landlord or by a management company,’ says Kevin. ‘This will place them under strict rules regulated by the Health and Safety Executive under their duty to manage the scheme. However, this won’t cover asbestos inside any part that you solely occupy, which remains your private responsibility.
‘Normally, in practice the duty to manage relates to ensuring that asbestos in shared areas like stairs and landings is managed, and surveyed if there is a change in premises,’ he explains.
If you’re buying the freehold or taking over ownership of a shared area, then you also take on the responsibility for any asbestos that is there, whether it is accessible or hidden. So it’s a good idea to get an asbestos survey before you buy the freehold.
Where am I most likely to encounter asbestos in the home?
Inside
A. asbestos insulating board (AIB) around boiler
B. toilet cistern
C. vinyl floor tiles backed with asbestos paper and bitumen adhesive
D. AIB or asbestos cement bath panels
E. AIB ceiling tiles
F. AIB airing cupboard and/or sprayed insulation coating boiler
G. pipe lagging
H. AIB partition wall
I. asbestos cement water tank
J. AIB behind fuse box
K. textured decorative coating, for example Artex
L. loose fill insulation
M. AIB behind fire
N. AIB or asbestos cement interior window panel
Outside
1. AIB or asbestos cement soffits and fascias
2. roofing felt
3. asbestos cement roof tiles/slates
4. asbestos cement panels
5. profiled asbestos cement sheeting
6. AIB or asbestos cement exterior window panel
7. gutters and asbestos cement downpipes
source: https://books.hse.gov.uk/product/9780717667529/Posters/Industrial-where-asbestos-hides-A3-poster-Poster
If you’ve found asbestos in your home and want to remove it, the UK Health Security Agency does not recommend the DIY removal of asbestos without advice. It says if you find any asbestos which requires removal, you should contact your local council for more information about asbestos and its disposal.
However, if you know (or strongly suspect) that your home contains asbestos materials it’s often best to leave it where it is, especially if they’re in good condition and unlikely to get damaged. Although check the condition of the materials from time to time to make sure they haven’t been damaged or started to deteriorate.
Home insurance companies typically consider asbestos a maintenance issue and will rarely provide insurance cover for removal, unless the asbestos containing material is damaged as a result of an insured risk, such as fire or storm damage. But policies do vary so check the small print.
If you’re buying a house with asbestos, mortgages are generally widely available but you may have to jump through some extra hoops and some lenders may not lend. Here are some things to consider:
Get fee free mortgage advice from our partners at L&C. Use the online mortgage finder or speak to an advisor today.
Artex is a surface coating that creates a textured surface and was very popular in the 1970s and early 1980s. Asbestos was commonly mixed into Artex before it was banned. But not all Artex contains asbestos and you can’t tell just looking at it whether any material contains asbestos. To find out whether any material contains asbestos you’ll need to have a sample taken and tested at a lab. This should be undertaken by an asbestos surveyor.
Yes, you must disclose the presence of asbestos when selling your home if you’re aware of it. Under The Property Misdescriptions Act 2013, it’s an offence to withhold such information.
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 protects householders from any risks from work activities being carried out in their homes. Where work being done involves asbestos-containing materials then the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 will also apply, in particular:
regulation 11 (Prevention or reduction of exposure to asbestos)
regulation 15 (Arrangements to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies)
regulation 16 (Duty to prevent or reduce the spread of asbestos
In homes where the owner lives, the owners aren’t legally responsible for risks to contractors from asbestos because the owners themselves aren’t engaged in any work activity.
Before it was banned, asbestos was used widely used in house building for a number of reasons including that it’s fire resistant, tough, a good insulator, widely available and was cheap. It was seen as a magic mineral. Rather horrifyingly, it was the snow in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and the fibre used in 1980s texture coatings for ceilings.
Potentially yes. For example, if a buyer wants to extend the property they may pull out if they’re worried about the extra costs associated with the removal of asbestos that may be required.
If the property was built before 2000 it may contain asbestos. If it was built after 2000 it’s highly unlikely that it will contain asbestos.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate material and there is evidence of its use asbestos dating back over 4,500 years.
Large scale mining for asbestos became more popular at the end of the 1800s due to its properties as an insulator and for being fire resistant. Blue and brown asbestos was banned in the UK in 1985. The import and sale of white asbestos was banned in 1999.
Thanks to the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection for help with this content.
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