Selling with subsidence?

solmend

I want to sell my house in the next year. I've noticed cracks above a couple of doors near the front of the house and the front door appears to have moved slightly, necessitating a bit of adjustment to make sure it closes properly. We have a large tree (hornbeam) on the pavement about 5 metres from the front of the house, which is built on london clay. I've been told that around now - August, if the cracks lengthen/change then it's a sign of subsidence down to the tree.

Is it a good idea to tell my insurer or better to get the issue independently assessed? I worry that an insurance company might be too keen to slap a subsidence "note" on our house which might put a buyer off because of increased insurance. Also I don't want to mislead a buyer.

Thanks

dacouch

Is it a council tree, if so contact them initially

solmend

Thanks - but would the council be interested in assessing the cracks in my walls? I would have thought they'd wait to be told by an outside agency. Have you had experience of something like this?

DTDfanBoy

If it's only a couple of cracks I'd just fill them and paint then forget you ever saw them, contacting insurance or council re subsidence is going to decrease your property value, 'caveat emptor' is the golden rule when it comes to property

Lord_Baltimore

solmend wrote: »

I've been told that around now - August, if the cracks lengthen/change then it's a sign of subsidence down to the tree.

Not necessarily. The house is built on clay which notoriously hydrates/dehydrates cyclically depending on the weather and this can cause the cracking. A surveyor would pick this up. You could sell at auction perhaps.

I wouldn't want to sell a house with disguised subsidence to some young FTB but then, I am a big softee

AdrianC

solmend wrote: »

Is it a good idea to tell my insurer or better to get the issue independently assessed? I worry that an insurance company might be too keen to slap a subsidence "note" on our house which might put a buyer off because of increased insurance. Also I don't want to mislead a buyer.

If it IS suffering from subsidence, then surely having it addressed by insurance is a good thing? After all, the only reason you'd not want any kind of record is if you WERE planning to mislead a buyer, isn't it?

nubbins

Get a good builder round and ask him their opinion, do not get insurers round first.