Ground stability issue - advise please

[ozzia]

Our solicitor has sent all the information over from the searches, with all the other mountains of paperwork. I sat down last night to read over it all, and its showing that there is a "moderate" risk from "natural ground instability". It suggests a home buyers report to see if there are any signs of damage from this - there wasn't. Do we worry? Could it just be because its on a steep hill?

I wouldn't worry about this too much. Yet again, they are covering their backs. If it was a high risk area, then that would be worth investigating but a moderate risk not so much. Do you have clay soil, because that expands and contracts depending on whether it is wet or dry? Also you are on a steep hill so presumably the foundations have to be deep to stop landslip. To be honest the vast majority of houses I see through my conveyancing work are at moderate risk, very few are low risk. Has the house been underpinned at all? If so, then I would walk away from it.

How would I find out if the house has been underpinned? The home buyers report came up (on the whole) as a glowing report - a few minor things which are easily rectified but nothing that made me worry.

I think its a clay soil, the house is a 1950's house so its been there a long time with no issue.

Having a phase where nothing in this purchase process is going right

Have you got a copy of the Seller's Property Information Form? The seller should disclose if the property has been underpinned in there. If you don't have it, speak to your solicitor and ask them to make enquiries.

Regarding the survey, I would have gone for a full structural survey, even though they can be vague (to cover themselves), but it would mean the surveyor spending hours at the property looking at the structure and tell-tale signs of movement. A home buyer's survey is not detailed enough. Houses built in the 50s don't always have deep foundations but the fact that the house has stood the test of time and doesn't appear to be falling down would indicate that it will last a few more years!

I can't see anything about underpinning, I will ask the solicitor to be sure.

Thank you for your help, its so stressful not really knowing what any of it means to use as buyers.

Would you suggest a full structural survey is carried out now?

Dumb question alert - do we want the house to have been underpinned or not?

In theory if a house has been underpinned then it is unlikely to move. However any mention of underpinning in relation to subsidence tends to cause panic amongst insurers and subsequent purchasers.

So we find out if it is then speak to our insurance companies?

I don't understand why if it is unlikely to move if underpinned then they see it as a bad thing? So odd!

You don't need to get a full structural survey.

Find out from your solicitor whether the house has been underpinned. It's unlikely as your survey didn't spot any signs, the house is still in good condition after 60 years and legally the vendor has a duty to disclose this when selling anyway. Honestly, a moderate risk is nothing to worry about - it is general to the area not a specific property.

You will be better armed when you know the answer to the above. If the house is not underpinned and no signs of subsidence, then no problem. If the house is not underpinned and there are signs of subsidence, it will be up to the vendor to sort out. If the house is underpinned then there were problems with ground stability and, although the house will be structurally secure now, many people are put off by this and will pull out of the purchase (something to think about when selling in the future). Also buildings insurance can be difficult to get and expensive.

Don't forget surveys are done to warn you of "what ifs" 'and "maybe's" and they routinely suggest further surveys on matters which may or may not be relevant.

Thank you Spickle

I don't know how I'd manage this house moving lark without MN

Sorry to jump on your thread ozzia. We just got our searches back too, and ours also says moderate potential for natural ground instability in the area within 50 metres. The only difference is our property is a new build, with 5 years left to go on its NHBC, and we didn't get a survey. I'm clueless. What to do?

In the process of purchasing a new build report came back with a high to moderate stability risk, the build has only just started should we proceed with purchase really worried about this.

@FurZer8 You will be better starting a new thread. Otherwise people tend to just read the original post and reply to that one.