Buying house with newly uncovered subsidence during survey?

PatrickBoomer

ProDave said:

You mention subsidence in the rear extension.  Is this a substantial 2 storey extension?  Or a small single storey extension (not much more than a posh conservatory)?

This is probably less worrying than susidence in the main house.

If you bought a house with a clean survey and then it started so subside, the insurance would normally cover it.  If you buy it now, I am sure the insurance would not pay for a known fault at the time you bought it.

Any pictures of the extension?

Forgot to add, but it's single storey. And yes, I agree, if it was the main house then I'd be concerned. The report noted that there were hairline cracks at the front but nothing major. The house has been standing for over 120+ years but the extension is new, so it's most likely down to the foundation of the extension and they way it was probably built. 

FreeBear

PatrickBoomer said: I've also been able to source insurance but explicitly without subsidence cover (which doesn't affect me since I'm repairing it myself)

If you are underpinning the foundations, do make sure you get Building Control to sign off on the work. In conjunction with a S.E. report, you'll find it much easier to sell the place in the future.

lincroft1710

7.5% on its own is meaningless. If the house was £100K to start with, £7.5K would probably not cover the works needed. There is a possibility this extension was built on existing inadequate foundations. You need to do one of two things, either get a structural engineer's report or walk away, and the first might make you do the second.


One very important thing to remember, labour and materials costs these days are exorbitant.

PatrickBoomer

lincroft1710 said:

7.5% on its own is meaningless. If the house was £100K to start with, £7.5K would probably not cover the works needed. There is a possibility this extension was built on existing inadequate foundations. You need to do one of two things, either get a structural engineer's report or walk away, and the first might make you do the second.


One very important thing to remember, labour and materials costs these days are exorbitant.

I got it down from £415 to £385, so £30k in total, and underpinning for the 2 bed is estimated at 15-20k. Bear in mind that's already at a approx £10k discount from what I would say is a fair value for the house. I have gotten a structural report and it does mention the foundations themselves are likely the cause of the subsidence, with no trees or drainage nearby. His advice was to get around a £20k discount which is what I've done, just don't know if I can even get the mortgage at this point now

HobgoblinBT

OP, have you discussed the subsidence and the previous remedial works with the vendor?

Remedial works and underpinning to my extension came with a 10 year warranty, which we put in a minor claim for more work- builders left a prop in place in the foundations which caused cracks when extension on its new concrete “raft” settled.

PatrickBoomer

HobgoblinBT said:

OP, have you discussed the subsidence and the previous remedial works with the vendor?

Remedial works and underpinning to my extension came with a 10 year warranty, which we put in a minor claim for more work- builders left a prop in place in the foundations which caused cracks when extension on its new concrete “raft” settled.

Thanks, I have confirmed that there hasn't been any previous remedial works. I know the seller basically did a patch up job but nothing official like getting underpinning etc and getting it signed off etc. so this is the first time it's occurred in terms of the history of the house.