This page is for anyone buying, remortgaging or refinancing a thatched home — whether long straw, combed wheat reed or water reed — and finding that the lender choice is narrower than for a conventional house. It covers thatched properties bought as a main residence, a second home or to let, including the period and listed cottages that thatch so often comes with. If you have searched for a "thatched roof mortgage" because a lender has hesitated or declined, you are in the right place.
Working across more than 135 lenders, Propertyze approaches a thatched-property case the way a specialist must: criteria-first. The starting question is not "what rate" but "who will lend on this roof, on this property, at all" — and then how to present the case correctly so the lender sees the building, the insurance and the condition the way an underwriter needs to. A thatched roof rarely makes a property unmortgageable; it usually just means the case belongs with the right lender, packaged properly.
Key facts at a glance
- Why it is non-standard: a thatched roof — long straw, combed wheat reed or water reed — takes the property outside "standard construction" (brick or stone walls under a tile or slate roof), which is the box most mainstream lenders are built around.
- Fewer lenders, for genuine reasons: higher fire risk, the cost and cycle of re-thatching and maintenance, and the frequent overlap with listed or conservation status all narrow the panel — but a meaningful number of lenders will still consider thatch.
- Insurance is pivotal: specialist buildings insurance that covers thatch is essential, and a lender will generally require suitable cover to be in place as a condition of the mortgage.
- The case turns on the valuation: lending hinges on a satisfactory valuation, the condition and ongoing saleability of the property, and the fire-safety and chimney arrangements.
- Listing overlap is common: many thatched homes are listed (Grade I, II or II*) or sit in a conservation area, which adds consent constraints on alterations and can affect how a lender views the property.
- Use is flexible: thatched mortgages are most often residential, but second-home, holiday-let and buy-to-let options can also be available through specialist lenders.
- Regulation: a mortgage on a thatched property you live in is a regulated residential mortgage contract; a buy-to-let on a thatched property is usually not regulated by the FCA.
Why a thatched roof makes a property non-standard
Lenders and their valuers work from a default picture of "standard construction" — masonry walls beneath a tiled or slated roof. A thatched roof falls outside that picture, which is why it is classed as non-standard, alongside things like timber-frame, cob, or steel-framed buildings.
Being non-standard is not a defect; it is a category. What it changes is the lender's risk assessment. Thatch is a natural material with a finite life: depending on the material and the exposure, a ridge typically needs attention more often than the main coat, and the full roof will need re-thatching periodically over the decades. That maintenance cycle, and the cost behind it, is part of what a lender weighs. So is the way thatch behaves in a fire and the specialist insurance that follows from it. None of this is unusual for the lenders who understand thatch — it is simply why the property needs to go to one of them rather than to a mainstream lender whose criteria stop at standard construction.
Insurance: the part that often decides the case
For a thatched property, buildings insurance is not a back-office detail — it is frequently the hinge the whole mortgage turns on.
Thatch carries a higher fire risk than a conventional roof, and the cost of a serious thatch fire can be significant, so specialist insurers price and underwrite thatched cover differently from ordinary home insurance. Cover is available, but it generally comes from insurers who specialise in thatch and who may ask about the chimney and flue arrangements, the heating, any fire-retardant measures and how the property is maintained. As a general guide you should expect specialist thatch insurance to cost more than standard buildings cover and to come with conditions.
From the lender's side, the logic is simple: the roof is the security, and the security needs to be insurable. A lender will typically require suitable buildings insurance to be arranged and kept in place as a condition of the mortgage. That is why, on a thatched case, the insurance and the mortgage are best progressed in step — getting an indication of cover early can remove the single biggest source of delay later. We will flag this at the outset rather than leaving it to surface at the eleventh hour.
Listed buildings and conservation areas
Thatch and heritage protection go together far more often than not. A great many thatched homes are listed — Grade I, II or II* in England and Wales, with equivalents elsewhere in the UK — or sit within a conservation area.
Listing protects the building's special interest, which means alterations, extensions and even some repairs can require listed building consent, and works generally have to respect the original materials and methods — including the thatch itself. A conservation area brings its own, usually lighter, controls. For a lender, this overlap matters because it can affect what an owner is permitted to do with the property and, in turn, its long-term value and saleability. Some lenders are comfortable with listed thatch; others are not, which is another reason the right lender selection is so important.
If your property is listed, it is worth knowing where it sits in the registers and what consents any planned works would need — and a specialist conveyancer will check this as part of the purchase. Our companion guides on listed and period properties go into the consent side in more detail.
How a specialist broker places a thatched case
Placing a thatched mortgage is mostly about matching the property to a lender whose criteria genuinely accommodate it, then presenting the case so the underwriter can say yes.
In practice that means establishing the construction (the thatch material and the walls beneath), the listing or conservation position, the property's condition and the state of the roof, the intended use, and the insurance position — and then approaching lenders on the panel whose appetite fits that picture, rather than testing the case against lenders who will simply decline. A clean, complete submission — valuation expectations set realistically, insurance in hand or in progress, listing position explained — tends to move faster and run into fewer surprises than a case sent in piecemeal. With access to more than 135 lenders, the aim is to find a lender that is comfortable with the property as it actually is.
Common complications we handle
- A roof part-way through its life: a coat or ridge that will need attention in the foreseeable future, which a valuer may flag and a lender may want addressed.
- A listed property with restricted alterations: Grade I, II or II* status limiting what can be changed and requiring listed building consent for works.
- Chimney and fire-safety concerns: older flues, wood-burning stoves or chimney arrangements that an insurer or valuer raises.
- Difficulty arranging insurance: a property where standard insurers will not quote and specialist thatch cover has to be sourced before the mortgage can complete.
- A second home or holiday let on a thatched cottage: a non-residential use that a mainstream lender will not entertain but a specialist may.
- A remortgage where the current lender no longer suits: an existing thatched home whose owner needs to move lender as circumstances or the product change.
- A non-standard wall construction beneath the thatch: cob, clay lump or timber frame combined with thatch, narrowing the panel further.
The process
- Initial conversation — we discuss the property (the thatch type, the walls, listing or conservation status), how you intend to use it, your circumstances and what you are trying to achieve.
- Assess and research — we establish the construction and condition, sense-check the insurance position, and identify the lenders whose criteria genuinely fit a thatched, and often listed, property.
- Prepare the case — we package the application so the valuation, insurance and listing position are all presented clearly to the chosen lender.
- Submit and manage the valuation — we submit, support the valuation, and work through any conditions the lender or insurer raises, keeping the insurance and the mortgage moving in step.
- Through to completion — we liaise with the lender, your conveyancer and, where needed, the insurer, and keep you updated until completion.
As a general guide you should be ready to provide proof of identity and address, income evidence, details of the property and its construction, and information on the buildings insurance. Timescales vary with the lender, the property and the conveyancing — a listed thatched property with a valuation referral and specialist insurance to arrange can take longer than a straightforward case, which is exactly why getting the moving parts lined up early helps.
Frequently asked questions
Can you get a mortgage on a thatched house? Yes, in most cases. A thatched roof makes the property non-standard rather than unmortgageable, and a number of specialist lenders will consider it. The case turns on a satisfactory valuation, suitable insurance being in place and the property's condition and saleability.
Why is insurance harder to arrange? Thatch carries a higher fire risk than a tiled or slated roof, so it needs specialist buildings insurance rather than a standard policy. Cover is available from insurers who specialise in thatch, and a lender will generally require suitable cover to be in place as a condition of the mortgage.
Are rates higher on a thatched property mortgage? Pricing depends on the lender, the property and your circumstances rather than the roof alone, and the choice of lender is narrower than for standard construction. Rather than quote a figure, we focus on finding a lender that will lend on the property and then on the most suitable terms available for your case.
Does a listed building cause problems? It can add a layer. Listing (Grade I, II or II*) restricts alterations and means works may need listed building consent, and not every lender is comfortable with listed thatch — but many will consider it. We factor the listing position in when selecting the lender.
Can I get a holiday let or buy-to-let on a thatched cottage? Often, yes, through specialist lenders. A thatched cottage let as a holiday let or on a buy-to-let basis is more specialist than a residential case and the panel is smaller, but options exist. Note that buy-to-let mortgages are usually not regulated by the FCA.
Speak to a specialist
If you are buying or remortgaging a thatched property and want to know who will lend and how to present the case, we can help you place it with a lender that understands thatch. Call 020 7126 8574 or request a call back, and we will reply within one working day.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage secured on it.
Propertyze is a trading style of City Finance Brokers Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 766295). We conduct both regulated and unregulated business, so not all products provided through us are regulated by the FCA; most buy-to-let mortgages, for example, are not regulated.