It is set to become easier to sell or take out a mortgage on a flat after new guidance was released on cladding surveys.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has outlined new guidance and help people save time when inspections were not needed.

It will reduce the number of occasions that an EWS1 form is needed before a buyer is able to obtain a mortgage, after thousands of flat owners were left unable to sell or remortgage.

Checks of the cladding on high-rise flats were first introduced after 72 people were killed in a fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017.

But in January 2020, mortgage providers began needing fire surveys from a much wider range of sellers after the government extended its advice to smaller properties.

It meant that surveyors were not able to keep up with demand, leading flat owners to be left in limbo.

The RICS guidance comes after consultation with the fire safety industry, insurers and lenders, providing criteria that can be used by valuers to identify buildings where remediation work to external walls that may materially affect the value of the property is likely.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick told the BBC that RICS' new guidance would mean "nearly 500,000 leaseholders will no longer need an EWS1 form - helping homeowners to sell or re-mortgage more quickly and easily".

"The government has also provided an unprecedented investment of £5bn to protect leaseholders from the costs of cladding remediation," he added.

An EWS1 form will not be required if cladding is not visible on buildings that is not over four storeys tall.

A decision tree on the RICS website allows you to find out whether an EWS1 form is required for your property. You can find it here.