Would you claim this damage on house insurance

laalhippy

My neighbour has recently told me about some damage to the gable end of my house, which can only be seen from in hs back yard, about which he has known for 11 years but only told me now that he lives next door (it used to be his parents that lived next door, and they and I didn't get on so it never got mentioned).

The damage is a large amount of render/pebbledashing which has come away, been chiselled off in patches so there are patches of exposed brickwork and the bricks have got cracked in the severe cold weather. This means that the elements are getting in to my bathroom, under the roof, and rain is running down under the roof slates into the ceiling of the bathroom.

Apparently the previous occupant told my neighbour he started off the job of reparing the render, chipped a load off and then decided he couldn't be bothered finishing the job.

SO would this be claimable on the insurance, or should I try and track the former occupier of my house down for a claim in the small claims court or something?

I am afraid of putting in an insurance claim and the insurance company saying no but then saying I have to fix it promptly myself as wear and tear or something, as I have't got any money to fix it.

TSx

It does definitely sound like wear and tear, and it's most likely gradually operating as well so I'm confident there's no possibility of a claim on the insurance (your insurance wouldn't cover pre-existing conditions either). Can't see how the previous occupant would be liable either, if you own the property, presumably a survey was done?

laalhippy

I have read back over the survey and it wasn't mentioned - The previous occupant was a surveyor by trade and with the amount of bad things I keep discovering about this house I Am starting to think that there was some kind of back hander/stitch up job done.

hcb42

there is usually disclaimers about what is accessible.

how long have you owned the house? TBH I would just accept it and fix it myself. (well not literally but you know what I mean...)

SandC

The render has been chipped off for 11 years so I don't think your insurers would cover it - besides which it was deliberately done by the home owner at the time, presumably he was intending on re-rendering but never ended up finishing the job. So it wasn't an accident and any resulting damage would be wear and tear - if you haven't had anything detrimental come out of it as a result of this botch work until now over the course of 11 years then I don't see what comeback you have on the previous owner either.

You say the exposed brickwork has cracked and is causing problems due to the recent cold weather, yet you hadn't investigated the exterior of the house yourself to know that the render was damaged, as you state your new neighbour informed you of it from his view of the exterior.

Tygermoth

TSx wrote: »

It does definitely sound like wear and tear, and it's most likely gradually operating as well so I'm confident there's no possibility of a claim on the insurance.

^^ This would be my slant on the matter too.