Perfect property has massive oak tree in front garden

[zippyswife]

Firstly I'm clearly very naive and clueless when it comes to trees.

We put in an offer and had it accepted on a property which is perfect and in a lovely leafy area.

I took my mum to view it and she pointed out that the massive oak tree in the front garden 3-4 metres from the house could be a problem. We've had such a nightmare time of moving and I was so excited that an offer had finally been accepted on a property but now I don't know if I should be touching it if there's potential problems.

Dh says it's no big deal as the tree was there a long time before the house (house built in 70s). He thinks I'm overreacting.

We've spent over 2k on survey/solicitors on a property that fell through as the vendors changed their mind so I'm keen not to waste more time/energy/money on this.

Any advice would be really welcome.

It's already massive now and once they are mature, oaks don't actually grow much more. If there were going to be any problems, they'd already be evident and any survey should pick them up.

They reckon that one oak tree is home to over a thousand species with millions of individual organisms. They are fantastically good for the environment. It's been there longer than the house. It needs to stay there. In any case, there might be a TPO on it.

Cutting down a large mature oak near a house is likely to result in ground heave which can also cause damage.

www.surveyorlocal.co.uk/glossary/ground-heave

If it really does dwarf the house, I’d consider getting it cut back rather than removed. If there is a TPO on it, it’s not the end of the world but you will need permission to reduce it. Despite what people on MN seem to think, there isn’t a TPO on every tree.

We own loads of mature trees. Not a single TPO.

I’d also advise caution here I have a lot of trees in the garden and trust me they come down. Also in some instances you can’t remove as the take so much water that when they stop (Ie if it comes down) it can destabilise the property.

You need to get an arborist out who will do a test on it and tell you it’s health.

I think some folks are posting here who are havering on about the beauty of trees with no experience of large trees coming down unexpectedly and no real concept of the issues. The folks advising caution seem to have some experience.

Our neighbour had a massive oak, thought to be a couple of hundred years old. In full leaf. One storm it came down. It was fairly hollow inside. There was no way to know by looking at it.

Find a local arborist and have them take a look.

I wouldn't we've had a few house near use have structural problems with trees that close.

If you cut it down the ground is like a dehydrated sponge with the tree taking all the water out. Cut it down and the ground moves and expands

@Tambora

It's already massive now and once they are mature, oaks don't actually grow much more. If there were going to be any problems, they'd already be evident and any survey should pick them up.

They reckon that one oak tree is home to over a thousand species with millions of individual organisms. They are fantastically good for the environment. It's been there longer than the house. It needs to stay there. In any case, there might be a TPO on it.

This is just not remotely true.

Honestly why do people post answers when they don’t know what they are talking about.

There is a huge risk with a large mature tree this close to a property. The op needs to get an arborist in to check the trees health and properly advise. And she needs to be cautious before that occurs.

It’s not about how beautiful the tree is or what lives there, or how long it’s been there, it’s about is she buying a property where she risks it coming down any time soon. And as said, no one, not even a surveyor can tell that just by looking, she needs it properly assessed by an arborist.

Thanks for the advice.

So will an arborist be able to tell with some certainty the health and whether there is a risk of it coming down?

I know someone who has a large tree close to the front of their house (I can't remember what tree). They've been told the tree roots could cause damage to their house but are having a nightmare getting permission to have the tree removed which is massively frustrating for them. Definitely get some specialist advice.

Oak tree outside our 70’s house too, no problem apart from leaf picking up in the Autumn. Oak roots mostly go straight down rather than out wide like a Willow tree. We had a drain survey done as I was worried about roots seeking moisture and no problems at all. I love our Faraway tree!

Trees near property need to be well managed and if they are neglected they can cause structural problems.

As a rule of thumb, there is about the same amount of tree underground as there is overground so a big tree might well have roots that reach the foundations of a building. Good management would require an annual visit from a tree surgeon to reduce the crown of the tree which in turn prevents the roots from spreading too much. If this doesn't happen then in a contest between roots vs bricks&mortar, the roots generally win in the end.

In this situation I would get a visit from a tree specialist who can assess the specific tree and tell you how much of a problem it is. It could be that the tree has already grown too big, the damage is already started and the building is unstable in which case you need to walk away. If it's not that bad you could go ahead but plan to get the tree felled quickly if it is too far grown to bring under control, or it might be that it has been well managed and can stay so long as you keep managing it properly.

We have a gorgeous old oak tree in front of our house, gives so much privacy and doesn’t cut out the light (about 4ms away) No TPO so we have recently got it trimmed. It does produce a lot of acorns in the autumn and you have to pick them up, or they will try to grow new oaks!

We recently brought the house and got a survey. No problems and the tree surgeon said the tree was healthy. The house has been here since the 60s, obviously the tree is even older.

It’s such a wonderful tree, I love seeing the birds and squirrels hiding in it in a storm. It doesn’t move an inch!

Last year we moved into a house and the neighbours have a mature oak tree on their verge. Its the main thing she talks about, so I've learnt a great deal about them now! Our neighbour applied for and was granted a TPO on the oak on her verge, one next door to her and another up the road! None of which are actually on her property. Do check if yours has a TPO applied.

If it does, you need to apply to the council, just to have it trimmed by a specialist arborist firm. I'm unsure of the application costs with the council, but she pays £800-£1000 to have the trees trimmed every 5yrs of so!

The leaves and acorns go everywhere as already mentioned!

If you plan on a new front fence, front drive, extension or basically anything- the roots could really impact. We are having a small extension to the back of our property. Its over 20m from the oak tree base, but our structural engineer wants foundations of 2.25m deep!

3-4m from the house is very close. I agree with getting it checked for rot/health before proceeding.

Find out if it has a protection order on it. Get full survey done. Perhaps get a tree expert to have a look, though all this costs money.
Surely if it is that close the branches must be brushing against the house, or are they higher than the house.
Find out about insurance .

I lived in an area of heavy clay and many houses had cracks in them. People just accepted them but we had to have an engineering survey before selling the house and the price was probably a bit lower. But house was in SE in desirable area so sold easily anyway.

Oak processionary moth wouldn’t be any fun on that tree. Hope you’re not in an area where that is/might become an issue.

@zippyswife

Thanks for the advice.

So will an arborist be able to tell with some certainty the health and whether there is a risk of it coming down?

Yes, that’s their job/speciality, they study trees and differ from a basic tree surgeon, they conduct tests which can tell how hollow it is inside and if it’s likely to come down in the next twelve months. They will tell you about it’s health, and it’s root system and any issues, it’s not expensive.

One of my friends manages facilities for a large chain, and they have the trees close to properties tested annually.

To any one who doesn’t specialise in tree health it’s often impossible to tell just by looking. They can look perfectly healthy and still leaf and be rotting from thr inside.

A surveyor won’t be able to tell, they will simoly be looking at is the root system going to damage the property.

Ask on the local face book page if anyone can recommend a good arborist.

I'd buy it for the tree alone, I had three huge trees in my last garden and even though I've moved to a place with a courtyard garden I still have one big tree and two other tall and straight ones.
we can't live without beautiful trees.
Why do people treat them like the enemy?

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

I'd buy it for the tree alone, I had three huge trees in my last garden and even though I've moved to a place with a courtyard garden I still have one big tree and two other tall and straight ones. we can't live without beautiful trees. Why do people treat them like the enemy?

Don't be so dramatic. Nobody has said trees are the enemy, and no you would not go out and spent thousands or hundreds of thousands on a house just for a tree OP wants to know if it could cause damage to the house, structurally now by the roots or in the future. This happens all the time so is very sensible to look into. OP has already said they won't be taking the tree down unless it's going to cause major issues. HTH

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

I'd buy it for the tree alone, I had three huge trees in my last garden and even though I've moved to a place with a courtyard garden I still have one big tree and two other tall and straight ones. we can't live without beautiful trees. Why do people treat them like the enemy?

Honestly this is just cringe. Please try to have some common sense. Of course the op needs to assess the risk, and no one buys a house just for the tree, not caring about the property itself.

Trees do need to be maintained properly to ensure their health. They are home to lots of species and should be protected. There is a need to design buildings around them and it’s important foundations are correctly assessed and designs take the tree into account. With a mature tree, the roots are already large!

Thanks again for all the replies.

Investigating this sounds expensive, albeit necessary.

Can I ask if the sellers would get an arborist to assess? As I assume any buyer would have the same concerns? Or is it down to me to pay up?

@Kitchy40

Oak tree outside our 70’s house too, no problem apart from leaf picking up in the Autumn. Oak roots mostly go straight down rather than out wide like a Willow tree. We had a drain survey done as I was worried about roots seeking moisture and no problems at all. I love our Faraway tree!

This isn't true. A lot of an oaks are shallow and are many times the width of the tree's crown.

I'd be put off I'm afraid, OP, although I would research thoroughly. My dad has a neighbour opposite him who has an absolutely massive oak just behind her back garden, at least 15m away. The house was built in the 50s, tree obviously was there prior. She has had massive issues with subsidence, she renovated the house, then sold not long after. She wasnt flipping the house, pretty sure she moved due to the tree issue.

The previous comments with posters saying they'd love a tree etc, are very naive. Yes, trees are beautiful, but certain trees can be a worry if to close to a building. Oaks are 1 of them as they grow so big their root systems can be massive.

Too*

The other thing to bear in mind is that in October you will spend hours and hours raking leaves and disposing of them. You will find them in your car's front grille (if you have a drive). Every time you open the front door on a windy day, leaves will blow into the house. We have three giants about 20 metres from our front door and it is a huge effort each autumn to clear up. They are beautiful old trees, but they come with some work attached to them.

Personal experience (in rented thankfully)- I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole that close and that mature a tree unless the house has been constructed in a way that mitigates the impact of the roots.
Landlord sold it having quite literally papered over the cracks and I hear on the grapevine the new owners are now finding out the difficulties you get when tree roots decide they're extending further towards your house.

Tree sap, shade, and billions of acorns in some years were minor things that I would have loved with because the wildlife in the tree was brilliant to live alongside but the slow, insidious damage to the house would have been too much to live with had we owned it.

@Kitchy40

Oak tree outside our 70’s house too, no problem apart from leaf picking up in the Autumn. Oak roots mostly go straight down rather than out wide like a Willow tree. We had a drain survey done as I was worried about roots seeking moisture and no problems at all. I love our Faraway tree!

Not true.

The root system will be huge. The lateral root system will be much bigger than the tap roots. The system will be two or three times wider than the tree itself.

If it is a very old and established tree it's growth will be very slow. If you're really worried then get a full structural survey and speak to a tree surgeon.