Selling a house without a kitchen or bathroom can be impossible because lenders define it as uninhabitable.
Properties with no electricity, exposed to elements or no heating or hot water facilities also fall into the unmortgageable category.
It could be that you are selling an empty house.
You may have started renovating your property and now have no time, inclination or energy to do it. Would selling it ‘as it is’ be the right thing for you? If so, we’d be happy to buy an unfinished house.
In this article, we’ll discuss in detail how inhabitable properties can be difficult to sell, and also options for selling them.
Table of Contents
Do I need a bath in my house?
Lacking a bathtub might restrict the potential buyers for your property. No matter the worth of your house, a missing bath can be a significant drawback for potential buyers, especially families.
The absence of a bathtub might result in your property staying on the market for an extended period. This waiting period often translates into a lower selling price.
Will not having a bath affect the price of my property?
Not having a bath in a bathroom will put off families with children as it is difficult to bath a baby in a shower.
It is subjective, but it is a must for families or buyers who like to have a soak on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Even having a shower over a bathroom is a great option.
Is it harder to sell a house without a bath?
Most property experts say that while the absence of a bathtub may not significantly affect a house’s value, it could potentially prolong the selling process for family homes. This is particularly true when compared to a similar property that includes a tub.
What makes a property unmortgageable?
Properties can become unmortgageable due to several reasons. These include neglect, fire-damaged properties, properties without a working kitchen or bathroom or properties with legal issues such as neighbourly disputes or a short lease.
Other factors that make a property unmortgageable include:
- Structural problems
- Boundary disputes
- Leasehold properties with a short lease
- Vacant commercial property
- Sitting tenants or unregulated tenancies
- Compulsory purchase order
- Two kitchens in one house
- Japanese Knotweed
- Damp & rot
- Ex-local housing authorities
- Non standard construction
- Unmortgageable house
- Fire damaged house
- Uninhabitable house with no utilities
- Restrictive covenants
- Flying freehold
- Lack of planning permission or building regulations
Is it illegal to sell a house with a broken boiler?
No. It is perfectly legal to sell a house with a condemned boiler. However, you’d have to inform your prospective buyers.
Can you sell a house with no boiler certificate?
Without a boiler certificate, selling a house won’t be easy.
If you have lost the certificate, you can apply to the Gas Safe Register and get a replacement for a fee.
Do you have to service a boiler when selling a house?
It is expected that your boiler is serviced annually when you sell a house. Potential buyers will enquire about when the boiler was last serviced.
They will request a Gas Certificate that shows the inspection history conducted by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Is it a legal requirement to have a gas safety certificate when selling a property?
Having a gas safety certificate is not a legal requirement when selling your home. However, if you have a gas boiler, it is highly recommended to have a gas safety certificate for your own safety. This certificate will have been obtained during your last boiler service.
How to sell a house with no central heating?
Not having a boiler or a fully working central heating system can be inconvenient; however, it does affect the value of a property. The first issue will be that your buyers won’t be able to get a mortgage on the property.
Even if you start to replace a central heating system, the work can be quite intrusive in nature, with plaster being chiselled out of walls to make way for hot water pipes; the risk is that in older homes, the entire house may need re-plastering. You can easily end up with taking a house back to brick, and what started as a £3,000 project budget can now easily run into tens of thousands of pounds refurbishment project.
Because the property can’t be lived without hot water or heating, it will put off most buyers.
You can sell your house without central heating to Property Saviour. As we are cash buyers, we don’t need a mortgage.
Can you sell an uninhabitable property
There are numerous situations in which a buyer may perceive your uninhabitable house or flat as a worthwhile investment. For instance, they might intend to purchase your property, carry out extensive renovations, and then aim to sell it at a higher price in the future.
What counts as an uninhabitable house?
It will be difficult to sell an uninhabitable house via an estate agent. What exactly makes a home uninhabitable?
Let’s focus on what would make a house uninhabitable in the UK:
- There is an absence of running water from the mains.
- A non-functional kitchen.
Lack of a conventional heating system.
Unusable bathrooms. - Serious or dangerous structural issues.
- Major roof leaks.
- The presence of damp or mould.
You may have tried to sell a house without a kitchen or bathroom through an estate agent. They probably promised you a quick sale but never followed through, causing you to lose money due to the delay. This resulted in additional bills for council tax, mortgage, insurance, and utilities.
The good news is that Property Saviour will agree to buy your house with no kitchen or bathroom facilities. This is because we specialise in buying properties that are unmortgageable.
We are also genuine cash property buyers, which means we do not need to go to a bank and ask for a mortgage to buy your property. Effectively, this gives you the ability to sell and us the flexibility to buy your property fast for cash – with absolutely no delays.
Why not take your first step to selling your house? Call us now on 0113 320 6700. We are here to take your call.
Can You Sell a House Without a Bathroom?
It would be very difficult to sell a house without a working bathroom because the property can’t be lived in.
However, you can sell a house without a bathroom to a cash house buyer.
We will buy any house, even one without a bathroom or kitchen. This is because we want to refurbish, add value and sell or rent the property.
As cash buyers, we do not really care about the internal condition of the property, but it is a consideration for purposes of valuation. You do not need to worry about fees if you decide to sell to us.
We will make you a fair cash offer that works for us and works for you, taking into consideration the condition of the property. We will, of course, come and view the property, but this survey does not cost you a penny, unlike many online cash house buyers.
We will buy any property in England, Scotland or Wales. The only question remains ‘how quickly can you get your solicitor to send us a contract of sale’ once a price has been agreed?
Oh, by the way, if you’re in a hurry to sell, you have the option to use your own solicitor. Just ask them to speed up the process because many High Street solicitors are notoriously slow. They usually take around 3-4 months to complete a sale and have a relaxed attitude towards work, starting at 10 am and leaving at 3 pm from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, they come in at 11 am and leave at 2 pm, often burdened with 33 completions that they know they can’t handle because they’re hardly ever in the office.
Let’s take a moment to vent our frustration. Most solicitors have a tendency to hide behind their keyboards. They rarely return phone calls and only respond to emails once a week. This is definitely not what you need if you’re looking for a quick sale.
Unfortunately, our solicitor can’t single-handedly speed up the purchase of your property. Traditional High Street solicitors like to take their time. However, we’re willing to sweeten the deal by offering to pay £1,500 towards your legal fees in addition to the purchase price.
All you have to do is get your solicitor to send our solicitor the contracts. Let’s make you an offer first.
Sell with certainty & speed
Can you get a mortgage without running water?
If a house does not have running water, hot water or a functioning kitchen or bathroom, then it is not mortgageable. It can only be sold to a genuine cash buyer like Property Saviour.
Can you get a mortgage on a property without a bathroom?
If a property does not have a bathroom, is run-down, derelict or not weatherproof, then it won’t qualify for a mortgage.
Properties without electricity, running water, hot water, and heating facilities are uninhabitable and, therefore, very difficult to sell unless you sell to a genuine cash buyer.
Can you get a mortgage on a house without electricity?
Properties without electricity or connection to drainage are considered off-grid homes and therefore, do not qualify for a mortgage. These unmortgageable properties can be sold to Property Saviour.
Is it worth replacing a bathroom to sell a house?
Definitely. If you need to sell your house quickly, you may not be inclined to start replacing bathrooms or kitchens. Why not sell your property as it is to Property Saviour?
Does removing a bathroom devalue your home?
Once you have removed a kitchen or bathroom from a property, it becomes uninhabitable.
What this means is that banks won’t lend against it because people can’t live in it, as you would normally expect them to.
I have a bare shell property, would you still buy it?
If you have taken your house back to the brick, we’ll still buy it for cash. We love to buy unfinished development projects.
Will a new kitchen help sell a house?
A new kitchen can make a property more desirable and easier to sell. If you are a seller in a rush to move on, deciding on kitchen design and working with joiners, plumbers and electricians can be very stressful.
There is another way to sell any property as it is to Property Saviour.
Property Saviour Price Promise
- The price we’ll offer is the price that you will receive with no hidden deductions.
- Be careful with ‘cash buyers’ who require a valuation needed for a mortgage or bridging loan.
- These valuations or surveys result in delays and price reductions later on.
- We are cash buyers. There are no surveys.
- We always provide proof of funds with every formal offer issued.
We'll Pay £1,500 Towards Your Legal Fees
- No long exclusivity agreement to sign because we are the buyers.
- You are welcome to use your own solicitor.
- If you don’t have one, we can ask our solicitors for recommendations.
- We share our solicitor’s details and issue a Memorandum of Sale.
Sell With Certainty & Speed
- Our approach is transparent and ethical, which is why sellers trust us.
- 100% Discretion guaranteed.
- If you have another buyer, you can put us in a contracts race to see who completes first.
- Complete in 10 days or at a timescale that works for you. You are in control.