Can You Remortgage a House with Spray Foam Insulation?

If your fixed term is ending or you're switching providers, you probably expected a routine remortgage — not a roadblock. But for thousands of UK homeowners, spray foam insulation is suddenly turning remortgage applications into a headache.

Here’s why lenders are rejecting properties with spray foam in the loft — and what you can do to move things forward.

Why Spray Foam Causes Remortgage Issues

During the valuation stage of a remortgage, lenders send out a surveyor to assess the property's structure and market value.

If that surveyor finds spray foam insulation, particularly closed-cell foam, they may flag it because:

• It seals over the roof timbers, hiding them from view
• It traps moisture, increasing the risk of unseen rot
• It’s often installed without proper documentation

This makes the property harder to assess — and riskier for the lender.

What Happens After It’s Flagged?

Once spray foam is flagged, most lenders will:

• Decline the application outright
• Request removal before proceeding
• Ask for a specialist report (which rarely overturns the concern)

Even if your home is otherwise in great condition, spray foam alone is enough to stop the process.

We hear this story regularly from homeowners in South Wales and the West Midlands — many of whom had no idea the insulation would ever be an issue.

What If You Installed It Yourself?

Even if you know it was done properly, it usually doesn’t matter. Most lenders don’t have time to dig into:

• The difference between open-cell and closed-cell foam
• The specific brand or installation method
• Your own assessment of the work

They want the surveyor to visually inspect the roof — and spray foam makes that impossible.

What Can You Do?

In most cases, the only viable option is to have the spray foam removed.

At Snug & Secure, we handle the full process:

• Safe, manual removal
• Replacement with breathable loft insulation
• Certificate of removal
• Before-and-after documentation for your lender

Once this is done, most remortgage applications can proceed without issue.

Final Thoughts

Spray foam doesn’t just affect home sales — it can bring remortgaging to a halt too. If your application’s been delayed or declined, there is a way forward.

We help homeowners remove spray foam every week for this exact reason. If you’d like advice (with no pressure or sales pitch), get in touch — or browse our blog for more on how to handle insulation-related issues.