To think the council have given me a possible unsafe house

[Maidmummy]

I've been in my current property for a year and a half (social housing) and me and my mum are convinced the house is sinking on one side. For clarification I live on what is known in my local area as the "pit top" the reason it's called this is because just past my back garden is where all the old mines are and I know there are tunnels underneath that you could walk through to get from pit site to pit site. Anyway I've noticed things around the house like cracks along skirting boards, door frames and my back door sticks when trying to open it. I also have a piece of skirting board missing and all you can see is brickwork behind the plaster a very deep hole and the original floor doesn't even meet the wall I can put my hand underneath it.

All the above issues are in one room and this room also has sloping floors mainly in the corners (which is now making my laminate start to bow in the middle of the floor) . I've had a look outside and all the left hand side of my house sits lower than the other side. I have an inspector coming out in a couple of weeks but I'm scared I'm going to be fobbed off as subsidence isn't something they specialise in but they are the only people the council are willing to send out to have a look.

I've added pictures so you can see what I mean x

The first picture is the gap that was covered by skirting board, the hole goes quite deep and I can see mud (that gap should be covered by the original floor but it's not there)

Is the floor under the flooring wooden or concrete? If it's wooden, there might be a sagging joist.

If the council are sending out a surveyor they should be able to determine if there is a sinking issue or not but possibly not work out the exact causes at first.

It's wooden, I forgot to add the third picture that shows the crack that goes all along one wall also a wall upstairs that divides 2 rooms the door frame at the bottom has been prised/pushed open by huge chunks of cement from the inner dividing wall.

How old is the house?

It's an inspector they are sending out, they use inspectors to sign off on big (costly) jobs and they use them to inspect any work that has been done before a council property is let to a tenant, they don't specialise in subsidence mainly just plastering, damp and boiler removal.

Presumably they're RICS qualified though, and will be able to assess whether there is movement that requires investigating by a specialist.

@RJnomore1 around 80 years, the village I live in most of the houses were built to house the pit workers and I live right on top of it.

But push for a mining survey.

Also, movement isn’t necessarily uncommon in old houses and it’s necessarily a massive problem either - land settles, things settle. I live in an old house and and our floors are definitely not level!

Hmm if it was a new build id have said settlement cracks but obviously not. I’d worry too in all honesty. See what they say when they come out.

Looks like a bog standard old house, but who knows? The pictures don't make anything very clear. I'd want to see the external brickwork.

Tbh there has to be something going on, everyone that has ever visited have all said the same excuse my French but "it's like your house is on the piss" everything slants, door frames, radiators, walls, nothing is level. It's like living in a fun house 😂

@NotFabulousDarling the house is cladded on the outside and I can't see anything but the council are doing external insulation in April which requires taking off the cladding so maybe they may come across something on the brick work underneath. I'm hoping it's possibly historic settlement but it doesn't look good when I'm coming across problems and areas that already have problems are just getting worse as time goes on.

I'm scared I'm going to be fobbed off

This house is your home, but is also an asset for the social housing provider. If you're in a subsidance area they are unlikely to fob you off as they will not want to leave it and end up with an unusable asset.

The problem may not be subsidence, so if the inspector says it's an issue with the floor joist, don't automatically assume this is a lazy lie. It's not worth the inspectors reputation to make a costly mistake.

We live in an old victorian semi also in a historic mining area. One room in our house did this and I got myself in a right tizzy convinced we had bought a house that was about to disappear into a great big hole ( prone to overreacting ). Anyway it was rotten floor joists due to the timbers touching the outside wall and getting damp over the years. It was an easy and inexpensive fix so it could just be that. At least you won't have to fork out if it is a big issue or fight the insurers as presumably the council will sort it all.
Anyway fingers crossed it is something simple . Good luck .

Chat to your neighbours. We had something sort of similar and found from talking to neighbours there had been a historic issue, and there had been work done already to stabilise it. A house being wonky/having a few gaps and cracks isnt in itself necessarily unsafe.if theres a serious issue an inspector should spot it.

I live in an old council house over an old mining site. My walls are on the piss and have gaps in the skirting but it’s not dangerous. I wouldn’t worry too much the council won’t let you live in a dangerous house. I covered the crap plaster with backing paper and painted it.
Unfortunately council houses aren’t show houses and you have to make the most of a bad job

I haven't a straight wall or flat floor in my house. At least the council are sending someone out to check and can sort/reassure you.

Looks like most council houses I've seen.