I suspect our house might have subsidence. What do I need to do? What should I know?

[ChristmasBallBall]

Can anyone please tell me everything I need to know about subsidence? Am clueless. And worried.

Get a building survey done to understand if it is what you think it is. Ensure they hold RICS accreditation. A good surveyor will then recommend next steps.

Do you know if we had a survey done and it did find subsidence would it trigger some kind of insurance alert?

We planned to sell in the next couple of years and I just want to know how much it would fuck us.

If you have identified subsidence it will require remediation or you will struggle to sell. But if you sell the buyer's survey will pick it up anyway.

What makes you think you have subsidence?

My friend employed a structural surveyor to identify subsidence in the bungalow she was interested in. It cost her £500 and she withdrew from the sale, so good to know before you go on the market.

If you have household buildings insurance it is likely to be covered. Check that. If you are covered have a look and see what the process is…give them a ring or (probably quicker) use an online chat service. You may well need a survey before you can claim but I’d check the process first in case they find it (or refund if you use their surveyor and there is subsidence). Each insurer may have a different approach.

My old house developed a crack where the extension met the main house. I contacted my insurance company and they arranged a survey.

They fitted monitor bars on the wall for 6 months which established it was subsiding. They arranged for remedial work and monitored for another 6 months to make sure it was fixed and then filled in the crack. The remedial work consisted of digging a hole under the wall and pumping concrete into it. It only took a few days.

When I sold the house I declared it, and included the reports in the pack to the conveyancers. Sold no problem, and the insurance premium didnt go up all that much.

I've recently noticed big cracks on the outside wall at the front of the house and also new cracks on interior walls on the middle of the house. They're bigger than hairline but not massive cracks either. But they're definitely recent. And I can't see any obvious cause. It's like the whole front of the house has shifted a bit.

This is really useful. Thanks.

You need a structural engineer not a surveyor. Monitor the movement and speak to your building insurer for advice.

@ChristmasBallBall
I agree. Structural Engineer. Get a report. Then contact your insurance company. A good structural engineer will advocate for you if the insurance company are tardy.

it is worth knowing that not all cracks are subsidence. It could be heave. You need an expert to decide what the issue is and what’s causing it. Insurance companies often don’t use the best and get loss adjusters to dodge the claim. So don’t let them. It shouldn’t take long after diagnosis of the issues to get a plan drawn up to rectify them.

Cracks between new and older buildings is common. Often differential foundations and no movement joints.