Subsidence Insurance
Home owners with properties that have been underpinned due do subsidence can find it very difficult to obtain home insurance cover for their property. We have specialist property insurance brokers and underwriting agents that can quote for all types of subsidence insurance and buildings that have been underpinned.
With over fifty percent increase in the number of home owners logging subsidence claims with their house insurance providers it is imperative to make sure that your buildings policy has sufficient subsidence insurance cover. According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), UK home insurance companies receive around forty thousand subsidence related claims each year. Some are false alarms and others need some form of remedial work including underpinning. Home buyers that are purchaing a property with previous subsidence history should check with their home insurance provider to see if they will cover this type of property.
What is subsidence and how does it affect your home?
Buildings can suffer from subsidence due to a number of different reasons with the most common cause being the ground beneath the home sinks. This in turn affects the properties foundations also to move which subsequently can cause cracks to appear in the walls of the property. An important point to note is that not all cracks on building walls are due to subsidence. A specialist property survey can advise on the nature of these cracks.
Home owners can look for tell-tale signs of subsidence where their building has sudden diagonal cracks in the brickwork both inside and outside. Subsidence occurs on properties that have been exposed to a long period of dry weather with the moisture from the ground drying out and the water tables depleting, causing the ground to shrink. If your property is suffering from subsidence then the building starts to show cracks around doors and windows with the larger cracks appearing at the top. Another common sign that your property may have potential subsidence problems is that windows and doors may not shut properly due to movement in the property.
Trees and shrubs look beautiful around houses and give the property a very cosy and homely look. However one of the most common causes of subsidence is trees that are planted within close proximity of residential properties. These trees can suck all the water from the soil beneath a house causing the soil to shrink and the property to fall. Some types of soils, particularly clay has a tendency to dry up very quickly and shrinks causing a property to subside.
Water is another element that can cause subsidence especially leaking and burst pipes which can erode and wash away the soil beneath the house.
The good news is that most subsidence related problems can be fixed relatively easily and if detected early the costs can be reduced considerably. The bad news is that many home insurance providers will not offer any form of cover for homes that have suffered from subsidence and been underpinned due to subsidence related claims.
We are able to provide underpinned insurance for properties that have suffered from previous subsidence insurance claims. We have a panel of brokers that offer comprehensive subsidence insurance cover for most UK homes. Simply complete our online subsidence home insurance quote form and one or more of our specialist property insurance brokers will contact your directly.
