hOUSE BUILDINGS INSURANCE - subsidence history

johnstan

My problem is that I had to claim for damage to a conservatory that suffered fron subsidence. The problem occurred in 2004 , 11 years after the conservatory was built. The insurance company monitored the movement in both the conservatoty and the house for 2 years. The house showed no movement but subsidence was apparent in the conservatory. It was demolished and rebulit with extensive pile driving to provide foundations. my insurance company at first didn't change the premiums but last year they went up by 50%. at the moment the land agent secures the insurance as a condition of the lease but I am worried about what happens when we come to sell the house.

huckster

sWhat are your worries?

The Buildings Insurance is arranged via the freeholders and per your lease you cannot make your own arrangments. You would have to disclose the conservatory issue you had when selling and what was done. Most prospective owners would not think this a big issue, as there are no ongoing issues. If they want to buy the house, there are many more issues than the Buildings Insurance.

In future, start your own thread, as many more posts may now be added to a thread that was started by someone else, for which they may now receive email alerts.

bertie200

I have the same problem, a single story extension was underpinned 20 years ago.

I too have remained with the original insurance company, every year at renewal I try again to change to no avail.

I tried Legal & General as the underpinning was done over 20 years and they state only interested in past 15 years, they too won't touch us, upon asking was told we were on the "insurance high risk list"??

also now have discovered that nobody new will even insure me for just contents as my address is on this "insurance high risk list" consequently I am stuck with paying ridiculously high insurance on both contents and building forever!

I really went to town this year trying to change both insurances and even the brokers who take on such cases were not interested.

presumably I will never be able sell my property ever, unless the new buyers agreed to take insurance with my existing companies and the existing companies agreed to continue the policies with new people??

very frustrating and very expensive.

michaelaugustus5159

aberis wrote: »

Having an underpinned property myself, I know the hassle and cost involved in insuring this.

However for everyone out there with older underpinned properties, I found some great news last night whilst looking for a new insurer.

Legal and General will insure an underpinned property IF the work was completed more than 15 years ago; at what appears to be no extra cost. I have just sorted out my buildings insurance with them this morning for around £240pa for my house which was underpinned in 1987/88

Apparently, speaking to the call centre agent, L&G consider that 15 years is long enough for any problems to re-occur.

Hope this is helpful; and spread the word ... maybe other insurers will start to follow suit.

thanks i contacted L&G due to this post and have successfully taken out home insurance against our home wich was underpinned 22years ago with no problem and at a very reasonable price infact half the price of other quotes thanks o you and L&G

poe.tuesday

I am in the same position with not being able to get insurance - in 2005 a tree caused some cracks - the tree was removed, the cracks monitored and the repairs done (no underpinning) and I have a certificate from the insurance saying the repairs have been done and everything is fine (from 2009)

The problem I am facing is that my property is thatched so no one seems to be able to help, its a double whammy

can anyone help at all?

(my old insurance company no longer insures thatched properties and they have no renewed my policy so I sit here with no insurance)

dacouch

Give this company a call, if they cannot accomadate the thatch, they may be able to recommend someone http://www.bureauinsure.co.uk/

poe.tuesday

tried them and they passed me onto adrian flux who I am waiting to get back to me

I have found a few places that are being more than helpful so fingers crossed I will get something - my concern is taking out insurance without sub cover as then I wont be able to sell the place but one company is looking into getting me insured for fire etc and then once I have had a survay done then they will add on the sub cover - this naturally is better than nothing and given I am in a thatch the main thing is to get fire cover over anything else

more sleepless nights to come I think

the annoying thing is royal sun alliance who I was insured with and took the claim out against wont insure me as they dont take thatched properties (well so the call centre in india told me)

does anyone know of a direct uk number to call them on at all or any other advice?

satipat

I am just finalising completion of buying a property which has had work completed to remedy subsidence. The current insurer (who paid for the work) is AXA but I am getting conflicting information as to whether they will or will not continue to insure the property with new owners. In addition, I'm wondering what sort of differential is for a property with subsidence history as opposed to a normal property to give me some bargaining tools to reduce the price of the house. Any advise would be deeply appreciated.

Dustykitten

So happy to have found this thread.

Like so many of you we have been stuck for 10 years with the same insurer. Legal and General have quoted at less than half the price!

Need to check all the small print later. Feel a bit nervous in case things change in the future and they stop insuring. Our minor problem was 20 years ago and involved the rebuilding of a bay window due to a tree which is nolonger there.

Dustykitten

satipat wrote: »

I am just finalising completion of buying a property which has had work completed to remedy subsidence. The current insurer (who paid for the work) is AXA but I am getting conflicting information as to whether they will or will not continue to insure the property with new owners. In addition, I'm wondering what sort of differential is for a property with subsidence history as opposed to a normal property to give me some bargaining tools to reduce the price of the house. Any advise would be deeply appreciated.

Definitely try it as bargaining power as it has cost us over the odds for the last 10 years. I think there is some code about insurers having to carry on insuring but you need that in writing before you buy the property in my unqualified opinion.