Common Types of Concrete House and Their Lender Acceptability
The most frequently encountered concrete house types in the UK include Airey (found widely across England and Scotland), Unity (common in Yorkshire and the Midlands), Wates (frequently found on London estates), Cornish (specific to Cornwall and the South West), and Reema Hollow Panel (found across southern England). Each has its own construction method, known defects profile, and — where applicable — its own repair scheme and PRC certification route.
In their unrepaired state, virtually all mainstream lenders will decline these property types. The structural concerns are too significant and too well-documented for lenders to accept the risk. The exception to this is the Wimpey No-Fines type, which some lenders will accept with a satisfactory structural survey even without formal PRC certification, though this varies significantly by lender.
Where a recognised repair scheme exists and has been completed — such as the Airey PRC repair scheme, the Reema repair scheme, or the Cornish Unit repair — lenders may consider the property acceptable, provided a valid PRC certificate is in place. The PRC Homes Ltd scheme is the most widely recognised, and certificates issued under this scheme carry weight with a broader range of lenders.
The Role of PRC Certificates in Concrete House Remortgages
A PRC (Precast Reinforced Concrete) certificate is issued following the completion of a recognised repair scheme on a designated concrete property type. It confirms that the repair has been carried out to an approved standard and provides a warranty for the repaired structure. For lenders, a valid PRC certificate is often the minimum requirement before they will consider lending on a concrete house.
PRC certificates are typically issued for a period of 30 years from the date of repair. When remortgaging, the lender will want to see this certificate and confirm it remains valid. If a certificate has expired — or if one was never issued because the repair was not carried out under a recognised scheme — the lender options are extremely limited. In these cases, a new inspection by a PRC-approved structural engineer may be required, and there is no guarantee a new certificate can be issued if the repair does not meet current standards.
Not all concrete house types have approved repair schemes. Where no scheme exists, the property remains in its original unrepaired state in the eyes of lenders, and remortgage options are very narrow indeed. A specialist broker can advise you on whether a repair scheme exists for your specific property type and what the costs and timescales of obtaining PRC certification might involve.
