[Strawbale] Mortgages on SB houses in the UK

[Derek Roff]

I suppose the success of this approach would vary by the laws and 
traditions in various countries, but it seems very risky to me. 
Insurance companies investigate all big claims, and routinely deny 
coverage to their clients, based on _their_ conclusions about whether 
the terms of the insurance agreement have been honored.  Calling a 
loadbearing strawbale building a "timber-frame" might convince a 
company to sell you an insurance policy, but that doesn't mean you 
would actually have any insurance coverage, in the case of a fire or 
other large insurance claim.

If the insurance company denies a claim, the owner must take legal 
action to try and force them to pay.  That implies convincing a third 
(fourth, fifth) party that the terms of the insurance policy have 
been followed.  I think that would be very tough, in the scenario 
that Andrew describes.

It seems to me that this approach allows the home owner to pay 
insurance premiums for no actual coverage.  Maybe some owners would 
be comfortable with this, if the presence of an insurance policy 
allows them to get a mortgage.  However, to pay insurance premiums 
for some number of years, when the insurance company is unlikely to 
pay a claim, seems imprudent to me.  Worse, both the insurance 
company and the company that issues the mortgage would seem to have 
solid ground for suing the homeowner for fraud, in the event that the 
house was lost, and the insurance company had been misled about the 
nature of construction.

Instead of endorsing Chug's enthusiastic slogan of "Bale on", there 
is a significant risk that insurance and mortgage companies will have 
a strong reaction of "Bale NO".

Derek

Derek Roff
Language Learning Center
Ortega Hall 129, MSC03-2100
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
505/277-7368, fax 505/277-3885
Internet: derek at unm...


>>

Chug,


No; as a description of load bearing method as insurance companies 
are nervous about straw as a load bearing building material.  This is 
not actually that much of a stretch of the imagination as assuming 
you are using a wooden base and wall plate with integral wooden posts 
for door  and window openings, then this timber is doing some 
structural work.


regards
Andrew



__________________________________________________
From: Chug <chug at strawbale-building....uk>
To: European strawbale building discussions 
<strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
Sent: Fri, 9 July, 2010 13:09:39
Subject: Re: [Strawbale] Mortgages on SB houses in the UK

Andrew,

I take it you mean as a description for post and beam and not 
loadbearing as
you wrote?

and Neale
I thought you were asking about experience in selling a SB house, but 
if
it's just a mortgage you are looking for Ecology BS as mentioned, and
Virgin, and Triodos, but I don't think they will go up to 100%, 
although I
think they could be persuaded.

bale on
Chug
chug at strawbale-building....uk
http://www.strawbale-building.co.uk
.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Wilkinson" <wilkospeak at yahoo....uk>
To: "European strawbale building discussions" 
<strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Strawbale] Mortgages on SB houses in the UK


Neale,

I am currently working on two newbuilds in Yorkshire.  Whilst I don't 
have
any
direct experience of Open Market sales, I am aware that a main 
financier of
such
mortgages would be the Ecology Building Society.  I am also aware 
that in
the
recent past , those seeking to insure their houses have referred to 
straw
bale
load bearing houses as "timber frame with cellulose insulation" to 
overcome
insurance company concerns.

regards
Andrew



________________________________
From: Neale Brickwood <neale.brickwood at googlemail...>
To: Strawbale at amper....muni.cz
Sent: Fri, 9 July, 2010 13:21:12
Subject: [Strawbale] Mortgages on SB houses in the UK

Hi

I'm researching SB housing in the UK and am trying to find out if any
have been built for sale on the open market and if so what the
purchasers experiences were in mortgaging the property and who the
lenders were

If anyone can help it would be much appreciated

Regards

Neale

neale.brickwood at googlemail...
07798854867

www.ikonland.com

Ikon Land and New Homes Limited
The coach House
2 hereford Road
Southsea
Portsmouth
PO5 2DH

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