Subsidence questions

[tomskip]

How do you know if your property is subsiding and who do you go to to get a sensible survey? And if the worst happens and subsidence is confirmed, what is it like to have it put right? Can you still live in the property while it is happening. Does buildings insurance cover it? Thanks in advance for all/any advice ... 

[vladi]

Google is your friend!

[Moovart]

Consider getting a structural engineers report to see exactly what the problem is before contacting your insurance company unless it's obvious you have as major problem in which case you have to go straight to your insurance company.  Your insurance policy will indicate what subsidence cover you have and if there is a large excess.  If you go to the insurance company for something that turns out to be a minor problem you could have sorted with a builder, your insurance can be blighted in the future.

Whether you can stay in your house all depends on how bad the problem is and what needs doing to repair it.

 

[malumbu]

What is happening to make you think it is subsidence?

[tomskip]

Vertical cracks on the staircase @malumbu.

I was hoping for some local knowledge as I know that SE London and other properties built on clay soil can subside. 

[chigerian]

If you pop into KFH on Lordship Lane and ask for Stephen, I am happy to give you some advice 

 

[malumbu]

Araldite a glass slide anchoring this on either side of a crack and see how long it takes for the slide to break. That will tell you if there is ongoing movement.

Source is likely to be clay drying out then getting saturated, tree roots, ground works eg anyone having a new extension or worse still a subterranean development, cracked drains, native American Indian burial ground (as in Poltergeist).

Speak to neighbours to see if they have a similar problem.

I expect it will be more likely in Edwardian or older properties.  As long as you didn't fib to insurers you should be covered, maybe with a hefty excess. 

[Sally Eva]

On 23/07/2023 at 08:39, Moovart said:

Consider getting a structural engineers report to see exactly what the problem is before contacting your insurance company unless it's obvious you have as major problem in which case you have to go straight to your insurance company.  Your insurance policy will indicate what subsidence cover you have and if there is a large excess.  If you go to the insurance company for something that turns out to be a minor problem you could have sorted with a builder, your insurance can be blighted in the future.

Whether you can stay in your house all depends on how bad the problem is and what needs doing to repair it.

 

we went directly to the insurance company who taped a wire equivalent of the slide across the cracks. They said it had been moving but was stable (the wire did not break). They told us to take down the trees at our own expense, redecorated and (at the next renewal) halved the price of the insurance.