Oh dear, I love my house but I think I want to move!

[pinkbubble]

Popped to a neighbours today, one that I have never met before, her house backs on to the side of my garden. I went there to apologise about the 2 fence panels being blown over and that we knew they were ours to fix. Got talking and she told me they had to move out for a month because they had subsidence!!!!! I cant get this out of my head. If they have subsidence does that mean we have too?

I do so love my house, we are in the middle of firring a new kitchen, have got all the girls rooms looking nice. The house so suits us, it is plenty big enough, but not overly large, just right if you know what I mean!

Nice area too.....

How do we find out if we have subsidence too?

get a surveyor in?

That should read fitting a new kitchen!!!!

Also we are not joined to her house and her house was built at least 12 - 15 yrs later than ours. Would that make any difference?

some advice

We only bought the house just over 2 yrs ago, and did all the correct things such as surveyor.

We do have a crack in DD1 bedroom, but it is not on the outside wall, the windows don't stick and everything else seems ok.

then perhaps either it isn't subsiding or it may be something they should have spotted at the time, in which case they'll have to take some financial responsibility? it can be fixed, anyway, you don't have to move (permanently). my colleague is having his fixed for the second time since living in the house, and is staying there for the duration of the work. horrid, but possible.

Thanks GS, just want a nice house that is safe!

I think it can be very localised. Friends had it due to a tree growing too close to their house sucking all the water out of the soil thus causing excessive shrinkage of the soil which made the walls start to move a bit. Or something like that. Obviously that kind of thing is unlikely to affect anyone else.

Ahh. Here. A random google quote (so obviously from a reputable source!) 'Some subsidence conditions are very localised - for example, that caused by a water mains or drains leak. Others are more general - perhaps due to clay soil expansion/contraction, or a rise/fall in water table.'

Might be worth finding out why theirs is subsiding before you panic!

When we bought the property, we looked very carefully at the deeds and plans etc. as someone had told us some of the houses had been built on a land fill site. The plans showed that the site was about 3 ft away from out garden, so hence our garden/house was not part of it.

I wouldn't worry - if you had it surveyed two years ago and there are no signs of subsidence then you probably don't/won't have it any time soon. If your house was slipping into a landfill pit, you'd know about it.

If you have subsidence you get your house underpinned and your buildings insurance bears the cost of the work. If you have to move out temporarily - they will also bear the cost of the rent and moving to and from the rental property. Where is the big worry?

You'd know it if it was subsiding! Big cracks everywhere...

all houses move, cracks are normal.
HUGE cracks are a worry but there would be no missing them!
You are probably fine!

I honestly wouldn't worry too much about it.
We completed on a flat last week,that although didn't have any subsidence,one of the other blocks does.
Like Swedes said,IF you do get any subsidence,your insurance will deal with it,under pin it and it shouldn't affect any future sale at all.Infact,knowing it has been underpinned etc...may even be in your favour.
If you love your house,then I would stay put.