Buying a previously underpinned bungalow

[theobear]

I've been to view a detached bungalow which has been for sale for a while. I thought the reason for this is that it is very dated and a bit expensive but it turns out that it was underpinned 25 years ago due to subsidence being identified. The estate agent advised that a structural engineer looked at it 2 years ago and confirmed that there has been no further movement. I think the main issues are to do with insurance cover and getting a mortgage, which I can explore, but we looked at this bungalow with a view to adding a loft extension.

I don't want to incur costs by instructing a structural engineer and having a full building survey yet, as we're not sure whether we want to proceed, but does anyone know if this previous underpinning definitely precludes a loft extension? I think it probably does.

Hi

Was it fully underpinned or partially? Do you know what caused the subsidence?

Hi twotired. I'm not sure - I could ask those questions. It was one of those viewings where the lovely little old lady was there and that always makes me feel a bit awkward! I could ask the estate agent to disclose as much as he can about the subsidence issue and insurance premiums as possible.

If it was partially underpinned underneath where you need the loft extension to go then i would imagine it would be ok but it may have consequences for any areas which were not underpinned at the time.

As a general rule if the property is fully underpinned the building is highly unlikely to move again. If it is partial then it might be an influencing factor if part of the building won't be as supported as the rest. It's all to do with the load and support in the house.

If the subsidence was because of something like tree roots you would need to be seeing if the tree is still there, any pruning requirements etc etc.

I only have brief experience of this but that was the first thing that came to mind.

Two tired is spot on, if it's fully underpinned you can be confident it's not moving in future, especially after so long.
Loft conversion is relatively light as no external walls, but a standard width foundation will be good for several storeys. The depth is needed to get down to stable ground so doesn't make a difference. It will have been under pinned due to ground movement not that the house was too heavy.

Thanks, I've emailed the agent to ask whether it was fully or partially underpinned and what the cause of the subsidence was.