Concrete and Prefab House Mortgages: Which PRC Types Are Lendable

What PRC homes are

After the Second World War, the UK built around 1.5 million homes using non-traditional construction methods to address an acute housing shortage. Many of these were prefabricated reinforced concrete (PRC) designs, factory-made panels assembled on site rather than built in brick. The most common types include:

• Airey (designed 1945, around 26,000 built)
• Cornish Unit (designed 1946, around 30,000 built)
• Unity (designed 1947, around 11,000 built)
• Wates (designed 1947, around 22,000 built)
• Smith (around 8,000 built)
• Reema Hollow Panel
• Tarran
• Orlit
• Boot Pier and Panel
• Parkinson Frame
• BISF (steel-framed, often grouped with PRC)

These were intended as temporary solutions but most are still standing 75 years later. The reinforced concrete panels were later found to deteriorate as the embedded steel reinforcement corrodes, leading to the Housing Defects Act 1984 which designated several types as defective.

Designated Defective dwellings

The 1984 Act designated specific PRC house types as defective and gave the original owners (almost all local authorities) the right to claim for repair or replacement. The designated types include Airey, Boot, Cornish Unit, Dorran, Gregory, Myton, Newland, Orlit, Parkinson Frame, Reema Hollow Panel, Schindler, Stent, Stonecrete, Stour, Tarran, Underdown, Unity, Waller, Wates, Wessex, Whitson Fairhurst, Winget, and Woolaway.

A Designated Defective home cannot normally be mortgaged unless it has been repaired under a recognised PRC repair scheme and certified by an approved engineer.

PRC certificates

A PRC certificate (or Certificate of Structural Adequacy) is issued by an approved engineer after the structural panels have been replaced or comprehensively reinforced under a recognised scheme. The most well-known scheme is PRC Homes Limited, which operates approved repair schemes for several PRC types. After certification, the property is treated as a brick built home for mortgage purposes and most mainstream lenders will accept it.

A PRC certificate is permanent. It travels with the property and does not need renewing.

Which lenders will consider PRC homes

Repaired and certified

If the property has a valid PRC certificate from an approved scheme, most high street lenders will lend, although criteria still vary. Halifax, Nationwide, Santander, and several building societies have explicit PRC criteria.

Not yet repaired

If the property has not been repaired, it is unlendable on the high street. Specialist lenders may consider it at higher rates and lower LTV, but the realistic options are very limited.

Not designated defective

Some PRC types were not designated defective and have a different status. These can sometimes be mortgaged with a specialist structural report, although lender appetite remains limited.

BISF steel frame

BISF (British Iron and Steel Federation) houses are steel-framed rather than concrete, but they are often grouped with PRC for mortgage purposes. Some lenders treat BISF as standard if the steel frame is in good condition; others treat it as non-standard. A structural engineer's report is essential.

How to identify the type

PRC types are not always obvious from the outside. The original concrete panels may be hidden behind subsequent rendering, brickwork cladding, or insulation. The most reliable way to identify the type is:

1. Local knowledge. Estates often contained dozens or hundreds of identical houses. Local estate agents and conveyancers know which PRC types are in their area.

2. Council records. Local authority housing records often identify PRC types in their stock.

3. Specialist survey. A surveyor experienced in PRC homes can identify the type from internal features and any exposed structure.

4. Repair certificate. If a PRC certificate exists, it states the type explicitly.

What to check before viewing

If you are looking at a 1940s to 1960s former local authority house, especially one in a large estate of similar properties, treat PRC as a possibility until proven otherwise. Property Passport UK shows the EPC construction age band for every property at [/search](/search), which is the easiest way to date a property quickly. If the age band falls in the post-war non-traditional period and the appearance suggests prefab construction, get a specialist survey before paying for a mortgage application.

What to do if you already own one

If you own a PRC home that has not been repaired:

1. Get a structural engineer's report to confirm the type and current condition

2. Investigate whether your local authority operates a recognised repair scheme

3. Speak to a mortgage broker about specialist lender options

4. Consider grant funding if available

5. Budget for a full structural repair (typically £40,000 to £100,000 depending on the type and house size)

Check the property on Property Passport UK before you buy

Property Passport UK aggregates verified data on every one of the 19.35 million properties in England and Wales, including listed building status, conservation area, EPC, flood risk, and HM Land Registry tenure. Search any address at [/search](/search) before you make an offer or commission a survey. Construction-related risks often flag through one of these data points before they show up in the building survey itself.

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