Non-standard construction
One sentence says the house may be Orlit and the next says the type is uncertain. What should you not tell the lender while both sentences stand?
While one sentence says the house may be Orlit and the next says the type is uncertain, you should not tell the lender it is Orlit. Both sentences stand, so the system name is not established. Passing a hedged name to a lender as a fact asks the lender the wrong question. The survey has not identified the construction. You must not tidy the hedge by picking the name, or by substituting a different system the report did not use.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Non-standard houses are identified from the frame, the panels and the details, not from a first impression that is then withdrawn. A report that says 'may be' and then 'uncertain' is telling you the inspection did not finish the identification. The honest summary is that the type is not known. Orlit remains a possibility the surveyor would not commit to, which is not the same as a finding.
Quote both sentences if you quote either. Ask the surveyor what was missing: a covered frame, a rendered panel, or simply too little to see. A further inspection may be needed before any system name is used. Until then the lender should hear that the construction is uncertain, not a confident label this report already stepped back from.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Which details left you able to say Orlit, and which details then made the type uncertain?
- Are both sentences still standing, with no later identification?
- What should a lender be told while the type remains uncertain?
What are the typical next steps?
- Do not tell the lender the house is Orlit while the report still hedges.
- Do not replace the hedge with a different system name of your own.
- If a firm identification is needed, ask what further inspection would achieve it.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the first sentence names Orlit, can the second be ignored?
No. The next sentence says the type is uncertain. While both stand, the name is not something you should give the lender as a fact.
Can you call it a different prefabricated system instead?
No. Swapping in another system name, while the report is uncertain, is the same mistake. Tell the lender the type is not established.