Tree in front of house

Annemos

https://geologyviewer.bgs.ac.uk/?_ga=2.73527825.2017153743.1683241701-144237493.1683241701

As a very rough indication for what the foundation might be built on. 

If you click into this. At the very top right, there is a little magnifying glass. You can click onto that and enter the postcode. Then it will zoom into your location. Click where the house is and it will tell you what the bedrock is.

Clay is an issue for any potential Subsidence. (Sandstone is not such an issue.) Trees go looking for moisture in the clay and can dry it out, making it shrink. Bad news if that occurs under a property. 

(Mine is Mudstone with clay in it and it can clearly be seen on that geology map. A whole belt of it, with me in the middle of it!)



Are there a lot of trees at the back of the home, too? 

If clay. Could the house have been built with a deep enough foundation, taking account of the tree when it was built? 

The problem with mine was, the property was built in the late 70s with a relatively shallow foundation. Then the Estate was landscaped, presumably by the Building Company, by planting trees on the grassy areas. The Council then took those areas with the trees on. They were never maintained over the years and just got bigger and bigger. (And we were not allowed to touch them.)

So the foundation of my property had never been designed to be deep enough to take account of a large tree, as close as it was, considering that we are on clay. (Tree was not there when mine was designed and built.)

It took the 2018 drought, for mine to subside, when the tree was about 39 years old. 



Just to say, I am not an expert. It is just what I leaned from experience. 

lincroft1710

Play_fair84 said:

Thanks everyone, house is the one with blue car, maybe someone can identify tree…

No way would I ever have considered buying that house!

Ksw3

If the back garden is amazing, I imagine you would spend your time our there and if its hot, you'll still have a cool part of the house.

Play_fair84

lincroft1710 said:

Play_fair84 said:

Thanks everyone, house is the one with blue car, maybe someone can identify tree…

No way would I ever have considered buying that house!

Interesting comment, may I ask why?

Linton

Play_fair84 said:

Thanks everyone, house is the one with blue car, maybe someone can identify tree…

From the leaves it looks like a lime.

Skiddaw1

I don't think it's close enough to the house to be an issue OP. It certainly wouldn't stop me from making an offer. Obviously see what the survey indicates if you go ahead, but I think that if there was a root issue it'd be obvious by now. Yes, said tree could blow down in a gale but hey-it equally could still be standing in 150 years time.

lincroft1710

Play_fair84 said:

lincroft1710 said:

Play_fair84 said:

Thanks everyone, house is the one with blue car, maybe someone can identify tree…

No way would I ever have considered buying that house!

Interesting comment, may I ask why?

For me that tree is way too close to the house. Blocks light. Given its height, roots could be under house causing subsidence issues. If it is deciduous, all the falling leaves problems in the Autumn. And if it fell.......


A friend lived in a low rise block of flats with a tree slightly further away which caused the block to have subsidence problems. took 3 years to resolve.