Non-standard construction
Where a report pairs a Tarran bungalow with an open panel joint, what stays open about a frame the joint does not fully show?
The frame behind the joint stays open. A Tarran bungalow is a non-standard system, and an open panel joint shows a gap at the edge of a panel, not the frame, the fixings or the reinforcement the joint does not fully reveal. The survey recorded the system name and the open joint it could see. It has not opened the panel, has not tested the frame and has not decided that the bungalow is sound or unsound because one joint is open.
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 bungalows of this family were built as repeating panels rather than as ordinary brick cavity work. An open joint can be a missing seal, thermal movement, or a sign that panels have shifted, and those causes are not sorted by looking along the gap. The joint does not show the edges of the frame, any corrosion of metal, or how panels are tied back. The survey named the Tarran form and the open joint. It did not cut a panel out.
Ask the solicitor for any PRC certificate, repair scheme papers or structural report already held for this Tarran bungalow. If a lender asks about construction, the honest reply is the system name and the limit of this inspection, not a clearance of the frame. A specialist used to non-standard housing can advise if a closer look is needed. Do not say the open joint has exposed the whole structure. It has not.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Does the open joint show the frame, or only the panel edge?
- Was any panel opened, or was the Tarran system only named?
- Has the report avoided calling the bungalow sound or unsound from one joint?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the frame behind the open joint as unseen.
- Ask the solicitor for any PRC or repair-scheme papers.
- Tell a lender the system was identified, not cleared.
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
Are all concrete bungalows the same system as Tarran?
No. Tarran is one named non-standard form. Other bungalows use different frames, panels and claddings, and a label on this house does not describe the house next door. The survey recorded this system and this open joint. It has not compared estates or decided that every concrete bungalow shares the same defect.
Does an open joint by itself mean a loan will be refused?
The survey cannot say that. It has not set lending criteria and it has not assessed the hidden frame. What it can support is a plain statement: Tarran construction, one open panel joint, frame not fully shown. Any decision about lending sits with the lender after it sees that limit, plus whatever certificates the solicitor can produce.