Underpinning in houses in ED

[Lottie1983]

Hello,

I'm currently trying to buy a flat in the area, but the one I have my eye on has been underpinned. My first thought was to walk away, but from doing a lot of research into the area it seems that a significant amount of properties seem to be underpinned due to the area being mostly built on clay.

I'm not so worried about the structural side of it as the udnerpinning was done 4 years ago and there are no side of cracks, but I am concerned about selling on in 5 or so years time. Has anyone had experience in this area or found it a problem?

Thanks

[????]

south London is built on clay - it moves a fair bit...the first time you buy a property here this is scary stuff. On the whole, in the grand scheme of things, it don't matter too much most housing stock here is 100+ years old and still standing but surveyors etc like to point it out as they'll petrified get sued if not. If you can get a mortgage on it it's probably alright and indeed the problem should have been put right. Is my NON-professional opinion.

[Sue]

Better a house that's already been underpinned than one that you might have the trauma of finding cracks in some time after you've bought it?

[Mark]

Check to see how long the underpinning's guaranteed for, it maybe quite a while (ours is guaranteed for 25 years).

[computedshorty]

?

[Pickle]

I think as long as you've got the paperwork you're fine. We almost bought an underpinned house on Keston Rd a few years ago but the paperwork wasn't complete and it was a battle to get insurance - so in the end we walked away. But I think it was an exception, most are no problem.

[Sue]

Mark Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Check to see how long the underpinning's

> guaranteed for, it maybe quite a while (ours is

> guaranteed for 25 years).

xxxxxxx

That's OK as long as the company who did it doesn't go out of business (as a surveyor advised me re a damp guarantee on a flat I was going to buy once)

[nunhead_man]

Hmmmmm - underpinning sometimes causes more problems than it solves, depending how it is done.

Fixing (i.e. stopping the movement to some extent) of one house in a row can cause it to move away from the non underpinned others and cause more probs all around than if not done at all.

You need a view from a surveyor (and I'm not one!!) who knows the area and takes a view on anything that may cause damaging ground movement local to your proposed flat given the particular underpinning treatment - e.g. trees and concrete driveways have a surprising impact IMHO

[ruffers]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mark Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Check to see how long the underpinning's

> > guaranteed for, it maybe quite a while (ours is

> > guaranteed for 25 years).

>

> xxxxxxx

Underpinning is often guaranteed by a third party.

My personal view is that if a house needed it, and someone fixed it and guaranteed it for 25 years, it's probably the most solid house on the street...

>

> That's OK as long as the company who did it

> doesn't go out of business (as a surveyor advised

> me re a damp guarantee on a flat I was going to

> buy once)