Subsidence

[7610]

In these days of tough insurance you'll not get covered. Virtually the first question asked will be about subsidence evidence. The house will be a millstone for you. I have bought and sold over 20 houses in the last 10 years and know what I'm talking about. Walk away. You'll regret the purchase. Look at all the headlines about insurance companies and the premiums for flood risk areas. The same will apply to his house and all the data is linked. It may be a lovely house but there are others without this massive issue. If you ever need to resell it you'll have to declare I and there will be another on here asking the same question. Walk away. It's the biggest purchase you'll make in your lifetime.

[Chris at eden]

In these days of tough insurance you'll not get covered. Virtually the first question asked will be about subsidence evidence. The house will be a millstone for you. I have bought and sold over 20 houses in the last 10 years and know what I'm talking about. Walk away. You'll regret the purchase. Look at all the headlines about insurance companies and the premiums for flood risk areas. The same will apply to his house and all the data is linked. It may be a lovely house but there are others without this massive issue. If you ever need to resell it you'll have to declare I and there will be another on here asking the same question. Walk away. It's the biggest purchase you'll make in your lifetime.

 

Its a bit extreme but have to say this would be my view also. Even if you solve the subs issues with tree management/removal and/or structural re-enforcements, the stigma that is attached to subsidence will ultimately cause you problems with mortgage and insurance companies, and when you come to sell it you probably wont get market value.

[Chris at eden]

Good post, but if there are severe soil moisture deficits it may take a lot more than a couple of years before soils return to normal capacity. Giles Biddles book has an example of a property moving, IIRC, 30yrs after tree removal.

 

A question for the original poster, can you be specific on how the survey has identified subsidence. (This is just my personal curiosity). I thought the sellers report had to identify issues like this and any history of remedial work/insurance claims etc.

 

Subsidence investigations are normally quite lengthy, due to recording seasonal changes with level or crack monitoring. Out of interest what part of the country do you live in?

 

We have had one client, purchasing a property, whose surveyor claimed that the house was at risk of subsidence. My investigations revealed the local geography was millstone grit with no evidence of subsidence at all locally - so all may not be as bad as it appears. Good luck.

 

Good post also. Sounds to me like the surveyor has guessed at the cause and recommended more surveys rather than investigating before forming a conclusion.

 

I do quite a few mortgage reports and the valuation surveyor's always state that they suspect the house is built on shrinkable subsoil. When I ask why they suspect this they never have an answer. They won't even discuss it.

[Stubby]

If you remove the trees that cause subsidence do you not then get " heave " ?

[7610]

Dan, do me a favour and phone mainstream insurance company for a quote. Tell them the issues and see what they say. Then phone another. I think that'll make your mind up for you.

 

Chris thanks for backing me up too.

[peatff]

My brother in law bought for cash a house with subsidence and got it for a song. He had a problem with the neighbours trees, a row of 6 40ft Leylandii 4ft from the gable end. He asked about paying to remove them himself and they said they they wanted some ridiculous figure in compensation for the loss of the trees so he went to the council and a solicitor and in the end the neighbours had to foot the bill for the removal. He had the gable underpinned and had no problem getting insurance or selling when he moved.

[7610]

The operative words are "cash" & "song".

[Chris at eden]

If you remove the trees that cause subsidence do you not then get " heave " ?

 

If you remove the trees you get recovery in the first instance. You only get heave (i.e. past the point of recovery) if there is a persistent moisture deficit. Heave is much less common than subsidence.

[Chris at eden]

The operative words are "cash" & "song".

 

Or to put it another way, below market value and without a mortgage.

Not a problem if they are happy to go down that route.

[Chris at eden]

My brother in law bought for cash a house with subsidence and got it for a song. He had a problem with the neighbours trees, a row of 6 40ft Leylandii 4ft from the gable end. He asked about paying to remove them himself and they said they they wanted some ridiculous figure in compensation for the loss of the trees so he went to the council and a solicitor and in the end the neighbours had to foot the bill for the removal. He had the gable underpinned and had no problem getting insurance or selling when he moved.

 

Sounds like he got pretty lucky to me.