The word 'subsidence' instils panic into the most even-tempered of home owners, but that's no surprise – subsidence means hassle, expense and disruption for a home owner. And as if that's not bad enough, one of the biggest headaches is not the subsidence itself, but rather insuring a home with a history of structural collapse.
To make matters worse, sources of information and advice for people who experience subsidence within their homes are pretty thin on the ground. The government offers little help and all other guidance will normally have to be paid for, unless you have a surveyor in the family prepared to help.
This is all the more surprising as subsidence claims have been rising rapidly since the mid-1970s (from £5m then to £350m today) as more and more homes are built on land prone to slippage.
At the moment, the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions is doing its best to make planning authorities call a halt to building on unstable ground and near rivers, but for many home owners this action comes too late.
Subsidence can happen in almost any home, largely because the ground below our feet is always on the move. A variety of human activities including mining, water extraction, tree planting or removal and road building contributes to the problem, as do natural phenomena caused by major geological faults.
As soon as any signs of subsidence occur, including cracks in walls, ceilings and floors, it is highly advisable to get a surveyor in to have a proper look around and contact your insurance company, who may also organise an inspection.
If your home does need major work to correct a subsidence problem, this may include underpinning. This is when your home's foundations need to be dug out and replaced with sturdier 'fill' materials to stabilise any 'sag' or 'heave'.
This causes temporary disruption to your life – but one thing very few people realise is that once a property has a history of subsidence, insurance problems follow forever more.
Many insurance companies claim that once remedial work has been completed and approved then they will offer insurance. But anecdotal evidence would suggest that this is not the case. Only a few specialist insurers are keen to get involved with 'previously underpinned properties' (PUPS).
Insurance problems are not usually experienced by an existing owner, who may simply pay more for insurance following a subsidence claim as an insurer will normally continue to provide cover following remedial work. The hitch comes when a house is sold and the new owner tries to secure home and contents insurance.
So, what to do? One of the limited ports of call is the Subsidence Claims Advisory Bureau (01424 733727) which offers a free telephone advice service to the public – although its commercial arm, Bureau Insurance Service, charges a £250 fee to come out and visit your property. This may be money well spent if you are worried about the impartiality of the survey carried out by your insurance company or want some peace of mind following local problems with subsidence.