Possible subsidence

Tom99

Locornwall wrote: »

Yes I have viewed the previous survey. Can you just confirm you are saying that if this survey didn’t show up subsidence issues and later it turned out there was an issue they would be liable for that, as it would have been their mistake? Even if I didn’t pay for it?

No it's not that straightforward. Firstly you could never make a claim because you are not the surveyors client. Secondly even if it was you who had commissioned the survey and later subsidence was notice you would then have to demonstrate that the surveyor was negligent ie that a competent average surveyor would have notice the problem. So if the problem was not evident at the time of the survey the surveyor could not be held to be negligent. A survey is not some sort of guarantee that a problem will not occur in the future, that's what insurance is for.

Locornwall

So what advice would you offer? I understand underpinning costs between £10000 - £15000 on average. So if the price of the house is so cheap, wouldn’t be still a bargain.

Also, when I get my mortgage and the provider I guess wants either a homebuyers survey or full survey. If that comes back without subsidence signs then later on wouldn’t the insurance company cover underpinning costs?

Albala

Why was there subsidence? Mining? Trees? Clay soil?

Tom99

Locornwall wrote: »

So what advice would you offer? I understand underpinning costs between £10000 - £15000 on average. So if the price of the house is so cheap, wouldn’t be still a bargain.

Also, when I get my mortgage and the provider I guess wants either a homebuyers survey or full survey. If that comes back without subsidence signs then later on wouldn’t the insurance company cover underpinning costs?

The mortgage co will usually only require a basic valuation and it is usually up to you to incur more expense on a homebuyer or building survey. If that survey showed possible subsidence the only person who could make a claim would be the current owner on the existing policy. There would probably then be months or even years of investigation to establish if the house was still moving, before any work was put in hand.
Its possible you could take over that claim once it had got underway but I can't see why you would want to do that and your mortgage co may not let you anyway.
I have only ever dealt with 1 such claim and it took 10 years from 1st notifying the insurance co to final sign off of the work.

Locornwall

Thanks Tom.

It sounds like you are saying I should go with the valuation, as if my survey showed up something I can in essence forget about buying the house for now. However, if I just go with the valuation and purchase the house with insurance, once there I would be covered for repairs?

I have just read the report which was done for the house, as it was at auction. Actually, it was a structural engineer who did it and he has found nothing structurally wrong with the house. Just some superficial cracks and not many considering it’s over 100 years old.

Albala, sorry I don’t know how the subsidence was caused to the other properties.

Locornwall

Albala wrote: »

Why was there subsidence? Mining? Trees? Clay soil?

Sounds like from the structural engineer’s report it stands on sand and gravel deposits upon a Gault Formation bedrock of mudstone.

Locornwall

Also. The house I am interested in buying does not have signs of subsidence, however two of the neighbours have been underpinned. Would the valuation take this into account?

Albala

Locornwall wrote: »

Sounds like from the structural engineer’s report it stands on sand and gravel deposits upon a Gault Formation bedrock of mudstone.

Thanks, I hadn't grasped that.


I've just started reading books about geology, something I've always wanted to know about, but still just learning basic terms at present- must go back to the books and work all that out!