Tree too close?

dfarry

Hi all...

We have found a nice house and had an offer accepted on it.... just one thing I am concerned about is one particular deciduious (I think) tree in a neighbours garden which is about 6 metres from the corner of the house we intend to buy.

You can see it in the picture below...



The trunk is about 30cm's perhaps more in diameter and the tree is tall (taller than our house and the branches overhang our property. It's a nice tree as far as tree's are concerned and seems to be well tended but being so close to our house I was a bit concerned... The tree has been there for some time I think, the house we are buying is a 1960's build... the neighbouring house is about ten years old and it looks like some property was bought to build on because the fence for the garden goes around the tree, then beyond this is another fence and a few other tree but these are a few metres further away (you can also see them in the picture).

There are no signs of subsidence or cracking but I'm just being cautious.

clutton_2

what type of tree is it ?

lindos90

Not able to see the photo, that would help identify the type of tree, some trees have deeper roots, generally I believe that roots are about as wide as the branches (like an underground mirror image) but this rule of thumb depends on how much its been trimmed.

If the tree overhangs the boundary Id be happy, if I liked the tree, if it overhangs the actual property then I would be cautious and investigate further.

Not sure if it would be covered by a survey, they would probably just mention it as a possibility, and recommend a tree specialist (similar to when they say 'not able to view floorboards, recommend report from a dry rot specialist to investigate just in case')

Davesnave

The picture shows fairly clearly that your light from that direction is being restricted, so even if subsidence isn't a concern, the overshadowing would certainly bother me.

We rent a property with a large chestnut tree and the neighbour's house to our west / south west. From mid-afternoon onwards we begin to lose the sun and by evening, when we should be enjoying a sunny laze on the patio, there is nothing but shadow.

When viewing properties to buy, DW and I have applied the same question to every one: 'To what extent is the property owner in charge of their sunlight?'

I don't know which way your proposed house faces, but I wouldn't buy the one we're renting at any price.

lincroft1710

Too close for comfort. As well as poss subsidence problems and loss of light, if tree blows over in bad storm it could fall on house.

Dustykitten

Could you ask the current owners how often the tree gets pruned by the neighbours? I wonder if the current owners are doing some of the pruning from their own garden.

staffie1

You need to watch out for clauses in buildings insurance policies too as sometimes there is a restriction on the insurance if a tree of 10m or over is within 5m from your house.
Large tree roots absorb lots of moisture from the ground and can dry out the soil - especially clay-type soils which crumble when dried out.

Geenie

The tree looks lovely, but is too close for my liking. Far too big for a residential area.

Archlever

Hi,

I'm going to differ with the majority opinion here.

We are in the process of buying a 60 year old house which has two large trees within 5 metres of it, and several on the boundary. My view is that these trees (and the house) have been around for several years and not done any harm yet (no evidence of root action damage on survey)....so we'll take the chance. Additionally, the property is in a conservation area and the trees cannot be cut or lopped without permission.

Your survey does not show any evidence of root action damage...if you want to be sure get a tree surgeons report. Another thing...if the fence goes around the tree then it may be that the tree is subject to a tree preservation order (even if it is not in a conservation area). In that case neither you nor your neighbour can chop anything without written permission from council preservation office. That is only granted for essential pruning for the benefit of the tree.

As for the tree falling on the house in case of a storm, hmmmm don't know what to say to that one, except that this is pretty uncommon.

So my opinion is look at whether you love the house, not hate the tree :beer:.

All the best :j.

g_attrill

This free chapter of a book on Google has some good reading on the subject of trees and houses:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2M2sCZD_-RAC&pg=PA1&dq=subsidence+trees

lincroft1710

It can take several years before there is any sign of damage, it may not be visible this year, but next year??? A friend lived in small lowrise block and the subsidence problem caused by elderly tree 5m away wasn't apparent until building well over 30 yrs old. Took 2 yrs plus reams of paperwork to sort out. We certainly don't want another Oct 87 storm, but it could happen.