Started to see cracks in my property

robert13_

I have recently bought a house, there goes 7-8 months and I have started to see cracks and I really feel it is a structure damage. I see some cracks outside the property too. I am really concerned, could someone advise on what I should do?
All the cracks I see are horizontal. Please let me know if you need more details if you are an expert.
Would my house insurance cover this?
What should I do?

G_M

* age of property?
* size, location and number of cracks?
* surrounding environment?
* relationship to the current dry weather (ie does it pre-date)?
* photograph?
* result of your survey?

Commenting on the basis of your post is impossible.

theartfullodger

Are these new cracks you see, or are you just noticing old cracks?

It is very dry & warm in many areas: Could be just the ground drying out, and come November/December the cracks will close up again:

Seriously: Had a house like that in the '70s or early '80s..., near Thames, Barnes.

G_M

theartfullodger wrote: »

Are these new cracks you see, or are you just noticing old cracks?

It is very dry & warm in many areas: Could be just the ground drying out, and come November/December the cracks will close up again:

Seriously: Had a house like that in the '70s or early '80s..., near Thames, Barnes.

Yes my porch is built on much shallower foundations than the house (both 150years old)


Every summer the porch 'sinks' away from the house and several quite large cracks appear (esp now in this weather). In winter when the ground is soddon, the cracks become invisible.

robert13_

Sorry I should have added more details, here are your questions answered @G_M:
- Age of property? - Approx, 1955

- Size, location and number of cracks? - Semidetached - It has number of cracks, the ones I am mainly concern with are the long horizontal cracks, will send DM you the images

- Surrounding environment? - It is on the main rode, the environment searches when I bought the properly 8 months ago didn't flag anything

- Relationship to the current dry weather (ie does it pre-date)? - First time it happened since I moved in, so not sure

- Result of your survey? - Surveys didn't flag anything 8 months ago when I purchased the property

robert13_

theartfullodger wrote: »

Are these new cracks you see, or are you just noticing old cracks?

It is very dry & warm in many areas: Could be just the ground drying out, and come November/December the cracks will close up again:

Seriously: Had a house like that in the '70s or early '80s..., near Thames, Barnes.

These only started now. Not sure whether it is the warm weather these days, but none of this was there since 8 months. I am really concerned

tacpot12

Has your neighbour in the adjoining property got similar cracks, or seen them in earlier years?

You might need a structural engineer to come out and give you a professional opinion. It does sound quite serious, so I would get a professional opinion asap. There is a chance that it is the failure or inadequate number of ties holding the inner and outer walls together.

If you have building insurance it should cover this issue, but certain causes might be excluded. I would call your insurers tomorrow, even before calling the engineer, and see if they will arrange for their own or a local engineer to come asap, or if they are happy to take the word of someone you engage (they might have a qualification they want the engineer to hold if you engage them, or they might just send their own engineer if you decide to make a claim.

You will need to read your insurance policy to see if any causes are excluded, and see how certain the engineer is about the cause. Hopefully it will be nothing to worry about, but I would not wait to see what happens with the cracks. Get them looked at by a professional with insurance to cover a situation where they mis-assess a situation.

robert13_

I really hope my insurance covers this, and calling the insurance won't cause my premium to go up for no reason.
I have content and house insurance, not too sure whether it is same as building insurance, must say I pay around £300 a year for it.

The neighbours haven't seen anything similar.
I just wonder whether I should take this to the state agents. It has only been 8 months I bought the property, surely the searches should have highlighted any issues.

If there is anything else you think, please suggest.

Slithery

robert13_ wrote: »

I just wonder whether I should take this to the state agents. It has only been 8 months I bought the property, surely the searches should have highlighted any issues.

Searches and estate agents have nothing to do with this (and a standard homebuyers survey wouldn't have made any binding statements either). What did the structural surveyor that you paid to inspect the property before purchasing have to say on the matter?

robert13_

Slithery wrote: »

Searches and estate agents have nothing to do with this (and a standard homebuyers survey wouldn't have made any binding statements either). What did the structural surveyor that you paid to inspect the property before purchasing have to say on the matter?

Searches were done by my mortgage lender, so I carried none or paid any, I may have paid for the ones that the lender done, but I think they were free. Are these any different to the ones I would pay someone to carry?

I guess I need to get someone soon to carry another structural survey.

SG27

robert13_ wrote: »

Searches were done by my mortgage lender, so I carried none or paid any, I may have paid for the ones that the lender done, but I think they were free. Are these any different to the ones I would pay someone to carry?

I guess I need to get someone soon to carry another structural survey.

The searches were done by your solicitor not your mortgage lender. This may have shown a high risk of ground instability for the general area but would have shown nothing specifically about your property. (Apart from planning matters)

Personally I would get a structural engineer to have a look. Not a structural survey. Also I wouldn't contact your insurer until after.