Would you buy a house that's been underpinned?

theGrinch

What questions need to be asked?

Browntoa

Is there a warranty

Who was the insurer at the time

Go for full structural survey

quantumlobster

"Hello there, Reputable Surveyors R Us, how much for a full structural?"

eddddy

When was it underpinned?

If it was more than, say, 15 years ago - there are insurers who will insure it on normal terms.

If it was underpinned recently, insurance might be much more expensive.

A lot of people would consider it to be a 'negative factor', so you might expect the house to be a bit cheaper than other similar houses.

(Or put another way... you might get more house for your money.)

kingstreet

Structural engineer's report, not structural survey.

Straight to the horse's mouth. I learned that lesson after a RICS surveyor paid £655 for the full survey asked for the engineer's report...

theGrinch

1984. Warranty expired.

Caused by tree at the front on the pavement dead centre about 7 metres away and 8 metres tall. Tree still there, though no obvious signs of movement since according to the vendor.

Considering engineers report and drain CCTV and mindful of the stigma

Davesnave

theGrinch wrote: »

Considering engineers report and drain CCTV and mindful of the stigma

Surely, if you pay the right reduced price, the stigma is unimportant.

Tom99

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]If its still available, the detailed specification of the exact work carried out.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Many properties with subsidence insurance claims are not actually 'underpinned' in the end. They may just be monitored and the cracks repaired or maybe the brickwork walls reinforced with steel rods.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Also obtain insurance quotes, it may be more expensive and the subsidence excess may be a lot higher than the normal £1,000[/FONT]

theGrinch

Tom99 wrote: »

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]If its still available, the detailed specification of the exact work carried out.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Many properties with subsidence insurance claims are not actually 'underpinned' in the end. They may just be monitored and the cracks repaired or maybe the brickwork walls reinforced with steel rods.[/FONT]

Is this known as the "sequence" or "sequencing"?

eddddy

theGrinch wrote: »

1984. Warranty expired.

Caused by tree at the front on the pavement dead centre about 7 metres away and 8 metres tall. Tree still there, though no obvious signs of movement since according to the vendor.

Considering engineers report and drain CCTV and mindful of the stigma

So regarding insurance, for example, AXA only ask:

Has your home experienced subsidence, heave or landslip in the last 10 years?

So they should quote on normal terms, with normal excess etc.

Similarly, Legal and General say:

We have made the following assumptions about your property and its outbuildings:

- It has not been affected by subsidence, heave, landslip or structural movement in the last 15 years

- It has not been underpinned, or provided with other structural support in the last 15 years

So again, they should quote on normal terms, excess etc.

But maybe call them and double check...

Slinky

We bought a house that was underpinned 27 years earlier. Some companies decline to quote for insurance even after all that time. You will never remove the 'subsidence/underpinning' marker from the address, even if for example it was a separate garage that was later demolished. But there are companies who will quote a reasonable figure. Our subsidence excess is only the standard £1K.

Make sure that you check the underpinning was carried out under Building Control supervision.