The EWS1 form was developed by The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, which came into force in December 2019. The form was developed as result of the Grenfell fire, which killed 72 people in 2017, the form is to prevent another fire disaster occurring on high rise building.

EWS is an acronym for External Wall System, the survey is a fire safety assessment of the potential use of combustible material used on external walls and balconies. The EWS1 is recommended for residential blocks of 18 metres or taller or where specific concerns exist.

The new process will require a fire safety assessment to be conducted by a suitably qualified and competent professional and designed to deliver assurance for mortgage lenders, valuers, residents, buyers and sellers.

Flat owners have been left exasperated not being able to sell, unless they can find a cash buyer for their flat, such as BestHouseBuyer. Also, owners can also be effected by facing months on their lender’s most expensive mortgage rate, unable to change their mortgage plan.

Shared-ownership homeowners have also been frustrated, and affected found they are unable to increase the percentage of the home that they own by not being able to get mortgage due to EWS1

One completed EWS1 survey is recommended per building and required for individual flats. The form is valid for five years.

It has been observed that there has been countless sales and purchases that have either collapsed or are in a state of limbo.

There is an estimated 300 experts certified to carry out EWS inspections, taller hi rise building have taken priority, and also building where there is known to be cladding.

Home buyers and sellers have been frustrated with the difficulties obtaining an EWS1 form, frustrations are growing. Many flat owners have been told it is unlikely that their building will be examined for several years.

Freeholders have been reported that they are refusing to commission the work, telling homeowners that lenders should not require them because their buildings have no cladding or are under six storeys high.

The EWS process has been described as slow and expensive process by the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee and have also commented that it is being applied to an unnecessarily wide range of buildings. It has called for the government to implement a faster and fairer system.

Confusion on whether an EWS form is required has not been the only issue, there is also a lack of qualified professions able to carry out survey, the huge increase in demand for EWS1 forms have found the building owners are now on a very long waiting list until they can have the survey, also as the form is only valid for 5 years the demand will unlikely to diminish in the near future.

You can still sell you flat without an EWS1 form, but only to a cash buyer.
BestHouseBuyer can assist by purchasing your property from you in a short time frame, with no fees in a cash sale.

Contact us today if you are having trouble selling your home due to EWS1 survey.