We have had a crack in our house - a surveyor looked, monitored it and said there's nothing needs doing. But obviously we have had some minor subsidence. We didn't contact the insurance co. over it - the surveyor cost was well within the excess we'd have to cover anyway.
When it has come to renewal, they will now only insure us without subsidence cover. Is it likely that any other Ins. Co. would do likewise? Is it worth me phoning round?
Jim
How did the insurance company find out about the subsidence? Did you tell them at the time of renewal?
Did the surveyor actually confirm subsidence are you just assuming that every crack must have this source?
Yes. We insure through an agent and they changed their underwriter, and there was a form with the subsidence question on it.
The surveyors report said there was movement in the inner wall causing the crack, probably made worse by an inner wall void left when a doorway was converted into a window. We had a builder fill in the void with concrete blocks and replace the lintel over the window.
The report is a bit ambiguous re. subsidence.
It sounds more like settlement than subsidence, which makes quite a difference.
Chris
I seem to recall an insurance agreement created by the ABI around insuring houses that have has a claim of subsidence....
ABI = Association of British Insurers
Quick google......
Is it settlement or subsidence?
Was there a claim for subsidence?
Who paid for the builders remedial works?
You may find that if you do manage to get cover for subsidence, the excess will go up considerably as in the insurers eyes, you aheva higher risk profile given the past history you have quoted.
Is it a Victorian house? I have a friend whose house is like this and indeed a significant number in the same area move all the time as according to those who should know its common in that design of property. It does of course cause issues for decorating etc, though its not going to fall down, its in a conservation area so the options are limited on what can be done. As for insurance. In there case the problem is not considered as subsidence, more heave due to clay in the area and its been going on so many years that nobody takes much notice any more. I'm almost tempted to say, until something unfortunate does occur!
Brian
I'd be inclined to proceed, carefully, to get this sorted out. Perhaps there could be effects on future house sale price.
Yes. When I wanted to move my mortgage, they wanted to send a valuer and unfortunately he came at a time when the box-room was undecorated and with some missing plaster, leaving visible cracks where the extension joined the house. They were concerned and required an Engineer's report.
It cost me £165 (about 20 years ago), for someone to come and look at it, say that it looked like settlement and ask me had it moved in the 5 years that I'd been there. When I confirmed that it hadn't, he said that my monitoring of it was of more use than his experience and wrote it up as settlement.
I had no problems at all moving the mortgage then.
He did suggest adding a couple of lengths of stainless-steel rebar, bent at 90°, to epoxy mortar into the brickwork, but only when other work was contemplated. So I did that before I re-plastered 6 months later.
I'm surprised that the Insurance Agent knowing there was a possible settlement/subsidence issue contemplated moving your insurance.
yes that surprised me too.
Normally you should *stay* with your current insurer when an event like this occurs even at the expense of increased premiums and/or higher subsidence excess.
If you change insurer, this leaves the new insurer free to exclude subsidence claims and the old insurer won't want to take your business back.
Even if the new insurer does not exclude subsidence claims, if there is a subsequent subsidence claim, the new insurer will try to get the previous insurer to pay claiming its related to the original event and the old insurer will refuse, not our curstomer anymore! So the homeowner is left between a rock and a hard place!
SH
I genuinely wonder about reinventing myself as a surveyor. They appear to have an extremely easy job.
The house is over a 100years old.
But how old the modification from door to window? As you suggest the crack my be due to settlement after a poor conversion.
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