A mortgage decision depends on you and the flat. In a tall block, the lender may also need a clear account of the external walls, any planned work, the lease and ongoing charges. We can help you establish which questions to answer before you apply.
Count Ready is based in Chelmsford and advises customers by phone and online. Our initial mortgage evaluation has no fee. We explain any applicable fees before chargeable work.
Possibly. A flat's storey or the building's height does not produce one answer across all lenders. The lender considers your affordability and the property as security, using its current criteria and a valuation. It may ask for lease, building and external-wall information before making a decision.
This page concerns a mortgage on one flat. Financing an entire block is a different transaction; start with our commercial finance service. For a London property, our London high-rise flat page covers the local purchase and remortgage journey.
Ask early for the lease term, current and proposed charges, major works and whatever is known about the building's external walls. Your lender's valuer and your conveyancer may need different documents. A first-time buyer can use our first-time buyer guide for the wider budget.
Check your current deal end date and any early repayment charge. A product transfer with your current lender and a remortgage to a new lender can involve different property checks and costs. Our remortgage service explains that comparison.
Say from the outset that the flat will be rented. The lender will consider the property and the letting proposal under its buy-to-let policy, as well as rent, costs and your circumstances. Begin with our buy-to-let mortgage guide.
If a lender has already declined the property, ask for the exact reason. A valuation concern, missing document, short lease or unresolved work each calls for a different response. Another application is worthwhile only after the issue and current lender requirements are understood.
Give the address, number of storeys, flat's floor, construction and any known mixed use. A valuer assesses the individual property for the lender. Building height can matter to a lender, but a published storey limit from one provider is not a market-wide rule.
Ask the owner or managing agent what assessment exists. An EWS1 is a building-level external-wall assessment used in valuation; it is neither a life-safety certificate nor a statutory requirement for every sale. The valuer and lender decide what evidence they need for this block. Read RICS's EWS1 explanation.
Where defects or major work are known, find out what is planned, who will fund it and what written evidence exists. Some lenders consider a remediation route or leaseholder protection, subject to their policy. A solicitor must establish your actual legal and cost position.
Check the lease term, ground rent, service charge, buildings insurance and reserve fund. Ask about proposed increases and major works. The solicitor explains the legal terms; the lender decides whether the flat and your budget fit its requirements. See our leasehold mortgage guide.
A seller says a block has an older EWS1 and a funded external-wall project. The buyer first asks the managing agent for the available assessment and current work documents. Their solicitor checks the lease and who may bear costs. The adviser then asks a prospective lender what its valuer requires. The existence of a plan, or the age of a form, does not by itself establish mortgage acceptance.
You can start a conversation without uploading identity or bank documents. Separate the property facts from your personal finances so the right professional can follow up.
Explain the flat, what you want to do and anything already raised about the building. Say if a document is still missing.
We discuss potential mortgage routes and what a lender may ask for. The valuer assesses the property; your conveyancer handles legal and lease matters.
We explain the advice and application stages, including any fees, before chargeable work. You decide whether to apply when the important facts are clearer.
Count Ready is a credit broker, not a lender. Our initial mortgage evaluation has no fee. The published Terms of Business explain possible processing, offer and specialist fees and lender commission; applicable fees are agreed before chargeable work. You can check the firm's published details on the FCA Register. Advice cannot guarantee a mortgage or remove income and property checks.
There is no single cut-off across all lenders. Policies and valuations differ, and other features of the block may matter. Provide the storey count, flat level and construction so current requirements can be checked for the property.
Not automatically. The valuer and lender decide whether an EWS1 or other external-wall evidence is needed for the building. It is a building-level valuation aid, not a statutory certificate for every flat or a guarantee that the building is safe.
Possibly. UK Finance says signatory lenders do not require wholesale replacement simply because a form is more than five years old. Individual lender policy, the signatory and any change to the building still matter. Ask for current instructions before commissioning new work.
Some lenders may consider a property where remediation and funding are evidenced, subject to their policy and valuation. Your solicitor needs to check the lease and any legal protection. No funding plan or document guarantees an offer.
Give the actual lease term, ground rent and current and proposed charges to your adviser and conveyancer. These can affect the lender's view of the property and your affordability. There is no universal lease-year or service-charge threshold.
Ask your existing lender whether a product transfer is available and what checks it involves. A switch to a new lender or extra borrowing may prompt a valuation and further evidence. Compare the route, costs and terms for your circumstances.
Tell us whether you are buying, remortgaging or letting; where the flat is; what is known about the lease and external walls; and any deadline or lender concern. We can explain which mortgage questions to check next.
Reviewed 26 October 2026. RICS has published a revised valuation standard due to take effect on 1 November 2026. Check the applicable edition, current lender instructions and the actual building evidence before relying on this guidance. Building-safety and leasehold rules vary by UK nation.
