Crack suddenly appeared - advice and handholding :(

[LittlePickleHead]

I know that no one here can give a definitive answer, but I'm sleep deprived and panicking so any experience or advice to calm me sow would help.

We are in the process of selling our period flat. We've attempted a couple of times in the last couple of years but have finally sold, and we really need to move as now have two children and a serious lack of space.

We have an external wall that joins on to the front of the house at right angles, which is the entrance to our door (on the side at the basement of the property). We know that years ago, before we bought, there was an archway over the entrance that fell down and subsidence was established as the cause. This was rectified and the house was underpinned. We have lived here 6 years and there have been no problems at all.

Yesterday I noticed that the external wall has separated from the main house wall with a big crack, all the way down. It reaches 1 cm at the top. I know this is not a supporting wall so in itself not an issue, but I'm terrified that it is a sign of something more sinister.

We have the buyers survey this week so it literally could not come at worse timing.

My questions are, if it is subsidence, but rectifiable, is it usually insured against? And of we could repair it before completion would that usually be enough to satisfy buyers mortgage company?

I know we have to wait until the survey (and keep fingers crossed it comes to nothing) but I want to prepare myself for the worst and have a plan of action ready.
Any advice or experience gratefully received as I'm sitting here stressing :(

It sort of depends how thorough the buyers' survey is - do you know if they're going full structural or not? Our structural surveyor didn't spot that the 'cosmetic' cracks in our plaster were actually signs that our side wall was being pushed over by the crap loft conversion. The surveyor may not even notice to be honest. Your best bet might be to get a trusted builder round to look at it, or if you know who did the underpinning, get them to come round and look at it. then you won't be guessing at problems, and you can get an idea of what it will cost to deal with. Our old garage was subsiding due to a leaky pond nearby (flooding earth and washing away under the garage). Once the leak was dealt with, we simply had a nice builder come and strap the walls together with big chunks of metal, then redo the render over the top. Hasn't moved since. Cost us a few hundred quid.

Just sit tight and don't mention it and act completely oblivious at any mention of it.
The surveyor may not even notice it, it's so stressful selling but you can only give it your best shot, if it is picked up the buyer will either pull out, reduce their offer or want it fixed before sale . Good luck .

God this happened to us! Fortuitously the buyer's survey was poorly done and we got away with it.

Oh I hope it works out for you.

A hand-holding story from a buyer's viewpoint that may reassure you! A few years ago, I bought a period flat that had a similar-sounding problem: the entrance porch/hall to the block of flats (which had been added to the building at a later stage) was detaching itself from the main building. I didn't even notice the huge crack - probably two inches wide, running diagonally across the whole of the back wall of the entrance porch - on any of my pre-buying visits to the flat and only noticed it on the day I moved in.... The survey didn't pick it up as I had only asked the surveyor to inspect the flat (not the shared entrance). A year or so later, we had to deal with it, but it was a fairly straight-forward job and the cost was shared between all of the flat-owners in the block, so even if it is picked up it might not be a deal-breaker. Fingers crossed for you

Thanks all, I feel a little more reassured! I don't know if they are paying for a full survey or not, I have no experience of selling so I'm finding the whole thing stressful.

The wall is actually just a garden wall (it would have held the garden gate in place if there was one) so I'm hoping this may mean it doesn't form part of the survey (sounds like this may be the case from your experience lebasi). I wish we knew a builder to come round to look at it, but we don't have anyone like that we can call on.

Sounds like a lot of surveys aren't that thorough, which is obvs a bit of a nightmare as buyer, but hopefully will work in our favour.

I understand the angst and worry that you must be going through but I cannot understand this attitude of "hoping to get away with it" and knowing that what may "work in your favour" could be stitching the buyer right up!

I DO hope it works out for you, I really do, I guess I am just very sad for your buyers given that you are aware that you may be playing a part in ruining their dreams :( I just hope their reports are thorough for their sake and they do not get carried away.

I absolutely know I am coming across unintentionally harsh here given the worry that you have and I am sorry it is just as a recent first time buyer this post just made me cringe. Sorry.

No, you are absolutely right Flora, and with my first post this is not at all what I was intending (I did comment that it seemed surveyors can be slack after reading other's experiences). I was just hoping for reassurance that, as long as we can sort the problem out, it doesn't mean our sale will fall through. And that it doesn't necessarily mean there is anything majorly wrong - surely if there is then it will be picked up on? I'm not trying to cover it up or anything, but not sure what else I should do? I don't want to make a big deal out of it if it turns out to be nothing of importance. It's the not knowing that is awful.

Perhaps we should be getting independent surveys, not sure whether to do this before or after? I mean, if there survey comes back fine, should i go back and say 'oh what about the crack' - isnt that madness?

I feel totally shit about this, I'm not trying to ruin anyone's dreams and have no intention of running away from our responsibilities

I really do feel for you and I hated coming across so mean, I think I am just a little sore as we have uncovered some unwanted 'features' in our first home that we will need to put right. The sellers had to of known and I now worship to the karma Gods every chance I get!

I really hope that it turns out to be nothing, you sound lovely and obviously very concerned over this and for the right reasons, I think I just waded in and posted without thinking.

The OP would be daft to flag this up and point it out to her buyers floral but it doesn't mean she is relishing getting one over them . It's not necessarily a deal breaker on a property.

God this happened to us! Fortuitously the buyer's survey was poorly done and we got away with it.

Ditto here....