Property Search shows moderate to high potential for natural ground subsidence and radon! Would you buy?

[ErlingHaalandsManBun]

The searches have come back on a property we are buying. There have been 2 areas identified as being at risk. One is that the property shows moderate to high potential for natural ground subsidence and the other is that the property is an area where elevated radon levels in 30-100% of properties within the area.

What would you do? Do we investigate the subsidence issue further? Do we need to worry about the radon? We have messaged our solicitor with no reply so far so just seeing if anyone else on here has experienced similar.

Are either of these likely to put you off buying?

Both would put me off but the subsidence would be a total deal breaker. Not going to risk that nightmare again.

No. Radon can, I think be managed, but subsidence is a nightmare and you might not be able to sell onwards

Its the subsidence that is worrying me. It has been a sucker punch getting that report today. We have a survey booked so maybe we go ahead with that and see what the surveyor reports first. But I admit its a worry. 😬

save your money on the survey, if they won't refund perhaps they will hold it over for an alternative property when you find one.

Also consider what happens when you come to move on, any potential buyer is going to be faced with the same and many will run making it more difficult to sell.

How old is the house? A Victorian terrace with no history of movement wouldn’t bother me, if it was 10 years old, I don’t think I’ll touch it

Built in 2004. Not on a development site or estate, just a house that was knocked down and rebuilt by the owners.

Almost the whole of London has a high risk of subsidence. “risk” is not the same as having subsidence. So don’t panic on that. Get your survey done and ask them to comment specifically of signs of movement, cracking and subsidence as you’re concerned. The house might get the all-clear or if there’s a lot of historic movement then you may prefer to walk away

Also ask the surveyor to comment on radon. You can get tests done to establish if there’s a problem. Also ask the seller if they have had issues or installed remedials.

if you like the house it’s worth getting the facts before deciding

High risk of subsidence would literally rule out the majority of London. Anywhere built on clay comes with this blanket (pointless) statement.

Radon risk is simply geographic again. For instance the whole of Cornwall, large swathes of Kent. It’s quite meaningless.

With regards to this type of geographic survey the issues that concern me when scoping properties are: ex mining land, any kind of contaminated or brownfield land, anything with springs underneath, houses at the bottom of valleys or sewage treatment nearby.

I would expect a house built in 2004 to have radon barrier membranes if necessary. It’s new enough you can probably find the actual plans and radon levels for the site if you wanted.

Neither point in your survey would put me off unless an expert had a specific reason to think your actual house was affected - ie the surveyor saw signs of subsidence.

Radon can be dealt with using a radin extract fan but subsidence is another issue...

insurance may be difficult, expensive or they may exclude subsidence now it has been identified as a potential risk.

That is interesting. I’d be asking why they knocked it down and rebuilt? That’s an expensive thing to do so I’d want to know why? Did the previous one fall down due to subsidence?

Well, they’ve probably massively increased the square footage. Buy a good plot with a questionable house and create the house of your dreams. It’s very normal practice.

Houses don’t tend to “fall down” from subsidence. Especially detached houses - which presumably this is. Much more likely they wanted to create a bigger house to their own spec.

Thank you. I am definitely going to do my homework before I make any rash decisions that's for sure.

Thank you for this, it's really useful. We are going ahead with the survey and have specifically asked our surveyor to look for visible signs of subsidence and for his opinion on it. Then we will do our homework and make an informed decision at that point.

Hmmm interesting point and certainly something to question. Thanks for this.

https://www.ukradon.org/information/ukmaps
You can order a property specific report. Cost £3.90.

Agree with all of this. Pay for a decent survey and make sure you get decent insurance.
If you want to live in that area all the properties will have the same radon risk unless they have protective measures built in

I was wondering that too. Normally you would just extend or modify. Not start from scratch surely.

Thanks to everyone who has replied. Certainly food for thought. We were overjoyed when we found this house as its perfect and in the perfect location for us. It really is a dream home. So we won't be just throwing the towel in without doing the right research and asking the right questions and looking a little more into it. It could be that all the houses are built on the same grounds so we would only come across this again wherever we buy.

Some good info here though and its good to get others thoughts and opinions on the matter.

There are lots of good reasons why someone might demolish and rebuild - it there are also some not so great! Just have to ask and not assume 😊 I once saw a country house where we were told they’d just “taken the top floor off” because they didn’t need the space…. err WTF? A bit of digging about and I found the potential for landslide on the geological maps… Our client pulled out as part of their business plan was to add another floor… The rules are lots of chatting to anyone and everyone on or around a site. You pick up the most useful info

Good luck with it - sounds like it’s worth finding out more

If you look at the planning application for demolition and rebuild, it will probably set out why the first house was demolished. If you did have to flatten a house because of subsidence, anyone sane would rebuild with foundations that reached the earth core, so it should be ok anyway.

And radon just depends on where you are. Every house for miles around us would show a risk, because they're all built on granite!

More issues 🙄

So, our buyers knocked down the previous building as it was a chalet type construction to build a brick bungalow in its place. All planning submitted and approved by the council. This was done and built in 2004 and it now transpires that no completion certificate is available so it was never checked. I am not sure building regulations were a thing back in 2004 but we are nervous to buy a house when we have no idea who built it and if it was built safely and to standard. It seems too much of a risk, especially knowing that the ground is of a moderate to high risk for natural subsidence!

So we are now also making enquiries on this also. It never rains but it pours.

I am beginning to think the universe is telling us to walk away from this house but there really isn't anything else we want in that area 😕

There was a similar thread that mentioned no completion certificate. Apparently one of the answers said without the certificate the property is unlikely to be eligible for a mortgage. So in these circumstances I personally would not purchase this property.