Survey finding
Airey house: survey, mortgage problems, and how to check the repair
Airey house mortgage problems are one of the most-searched queries on PRC properties. This page covers what an Airey is, why it was designated defective in 1984, how the PRC Homes Ltd repair scheme works, and the document trail that changes lender appetite.
Last updated: 6 May 2026. Editorially reviewed: 20 May 2026.
Finding
Airey house
What this usually means
Airey houses are a precast reinforced concrete (PRC) system built between 1945 and 1955, predominantly by local authorities to address the post-war housing shortage. The original construction uses concrete columns with thin concrete cladding panels, and the embedded steel reinforcement was found to corrode prematurely. Designated 'defective' under the Housing Defects Act 1984. Many Aireys were repaired under licensed schemes from the 1980s onward.
Why it matters
Aireys without a licensed repair are not generally mortgageable on the high street. Once repaired under a licensed scheme (PRC Homes Ltd certificate is the standard). The property returns to mainstream lender appetite. The certificate is the binary marker, confirm its existence before paying for further surveys.
Ask your surveyor
- Check:Can you confirm this is an Airey rather than a different PRC system (look for the characteristic concrete columns and storey-height panels)?
- Check:Has it been repaired under a licensed scheme, and is the certificate available?
Ask the seller
- Check:Do you have the PRC repair certificate and structural warranty paperwork?
- Check:When was the repair carried out and which contractor delivered it?
Next steps
- •Confirm with your broker which lender will accept this construction type before paying for any further surveys.
- •Order a structural engineer's report if no recent one exists in the property's records.
Browse all findings
- Spray foam insulation
- Evidence of movement
- Damp
- Japanese knotweed
- Damp proof course issues
- Underpinning
- Cracks
- Roof issues
- Timber decay
- Electrical issues
- Non-standard construction
- Asbestos containing materials
- Roof covering needs repair
- Single skin wall construction
- Timber decay / wet rot
- Settlement cracks
- RAAC concrete
- Wall tie failure
- Party wall matters
- Drainage issues
- Subsidence monitoring
- Full electrical rewire needed
- Flat roof condition
- Cladding issues
- EWS1 form required
- Lintel failure
- Structural crack BRE category 3
- Structural crack BRE category 4-5
- Chimney stack movement
- Chimney flashing failure
- Parapet wall movement
- Bay window cracking
- Flat roof ponding
- Cold roof inadequate ventilation
- Warm roof insulation issues
- Prefab concrete construction
- Large panel system (LPS) construction
- Rising damp
- Penetrating damp
- Condensation vs damp distinction
- Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans)
- Woodworm
- Timber floor springiness
- Cellar / basement damp
- Outdated electrics (60-amp fuse board)
- Aluminium wiring
- Partial rewire needed
- Gas boiler condition
- Back boiler
- Unvented hot water cylinder issues
- Lead pipes (pre-1970)
- Lead paint
- Asbestos in Artex ceilings
- Asbestos floor tiles
- Asbestos cement roof
- Asbestos insulated board (AIB)
- Asbestos soffit boards
- Pointing / repointing needed
- Render cracking
- Pebbledash delamination
- UPVC window seal failure
- Sash window condition
- Flat roof membrane condition
- Zinc roof
- Felt roof condition
- Corrugated asbestos roof
- Cavity wall insulation issues
- External wall insulation issues
- No building regulations certificate
- No planning permission for extension
- Certificate of lawfulness needed
- Indemnity insurance required
- Neighbour dispute on file
- EPC F or G rating
- Oil heating property
- Off-gas-grid property
- Solar panel lease vs owned
- Ground source heat pump property
- Air source heat pump property
- Chimney breast removed without support
- Floor joist decay
- Wall bowing
- Mould and condensation
- Septic tank property
- Thatched roof condition
- Listed building restrictions
- Conservation area restrictions
- Restrictive covenants on title
- Coal mining area
- Coastal erosion risk
- Flood risk zone 3
- Radon affected area
- Contaminated land history
- Trees near building
- Party wall agreement outstanding
- EICR required
- Knotweed treatment history
- Single glazing condition
- RCD protection missing
- Damp-proofing guarantee transferability
- PRC (precast reinforced concrete) house
- Airey house
- BISF (British Iron and Steel Federation) house
- Timber frame construction
- Steel frame house
- Wet rot
- Heave (ground movement)
- Chimney condition and stability
- Short lease (under 80 years)
- Fire safety: flat and leasehold issues
- Blocked or condemned flue
- Spalling brickwork
- Diagonal cracks in walls
- Retaining wall condition
- Tanking failure in basement
- Missing or slipped ridge tiles
- Lead flashing condition
- Gutters and downpipes
- Double glazing condensation (failed units)
- Skylight or roof light condition
- Dormer condition and weathering
- Torn or missing sarking felt
- Chancel repair liability
- Easement or right of way
- Boundary dispute or unclear boundary
- Adverse possession risk
- Flying freehold
- Ground rent escalation clause
- High or variable service charge
- Extension without planning consent
- Loft conversion: no building regs
- Single-phase electrical supply only
- Shared or private sewer
- Blocked or collapsed drains
- Cesspit or septic tank
- Solid fuel heating
- No mains gas supply
- Low water pressure
- Private water supply
- Wimpey No-Fines concrete house
- Reema construction
- Unity or Boot construction
- Laing Easiform
- Cornish Unit house
- Cross-wall construction
- In-situ concrete construction
- Oak frame construction
- Radon: mitigation required
- Missing or inadequate fire alarms
- Single staircase: means of escape
- No earthing or bonding
Tool shortcut
Check the property before you offer
Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
Run a free previewCross-check this finding with EPC, building age, and address-specific risk data.
What you need to know
Severity
Serious. Lender and insurer involvement likely; structural or specialist remediation.
Typical cost to fix
Airey repair under the standard licensed scheme typically £35,000–£75,000 per house depending on regional contractor pricing. Many were repaired by local authorities under grant schemes; private buyers without a certified repair face the full cost.
Mortgage impact
High-street lenders generally decline unrepaired Aireys outright. With a valid PRC Homes Ltd certificate (or equivalent licensed scheme certificate) and a 60-year structural warranty, most mainstream lenders treat Airey as standard. Specialist lenders do consider unrepaired Aireys at higher rates and lower LTV (often 60–75%).
Insurance impact
Standard insurance is available on certified-repaired Aireys. Unrepaired Aireys require specialist placement; quotes vary widely and the structural element of cover is the binding constraint.
When to pull out
Pull out if unrepaired, no certificate exists. The seller is unwilling to fund repair, and your lender refuses. The certificate is binary; without it. The property is in a different lender market entirely.
When to renegotiate, and by how much
If certificated, treat as standard. If unrepaired, negotiate by the full repair cost plus 15% buffer. Get a specialist Airey-experienced engineer's quote before exchange.
Thinking of pulling out or renegotiating? What to do after a bad survey
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The Survey Decoder explains the wording. The full report adds address-specific flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, listed status, building age and price comparison data, so a single finding isn't judged in isolation.
Run the check
Check the property before you offer
Flood, subsidence, EPC, crime, schools, transport, broadband, tenure, age, listed status and price checks where data is available.
Run a free previewRead next
PRC (precast reinforced concrete) house , often sits near airey house on a survey and is the next thing to check.
Editorial review
Editorial owner: BiteRight Ltd, operator of MyPropertyScan. We review buyer guides against UK public property datasets, RICS survey wording, lender requirements, and common buyer questions.
Pages are updated when source coverage, property-risk guidance, survey cost assumptions, or product checks materially change. Methodology and dataset limitations are explained on the MyPropertyScan methodology page.
Sources used
We use UK public and specialist sources where they are available. Public datasets can be incomplete, delayed, or missing for some addresses. Treat them as a starting point, not as a replacement for professional advice.
Source standard: preference goes to official government datasets, statutory bodies, professional standards, and primary dataset publishers. We cite the source family on the page and explain coverage limits rather than filling gaps with unsupported estimates.