Can anyone tell me roughly how much underpinning can cost please? It is a bog-standard brick 1930's house, 3-bed detached. The previous owners told me that it had been 'monitored' but nothing was found. A couple of the walls are a little out of true, but not massively so. Plus there are no significant signs of cracking (though it looks to have been pointed in the last 10 years). The area has other houses with significantly more obvious signs of subsidence (clay soil).

The valuation report said that there appeared to be signs of historical movement, but nothing on-going, which would be consistent with the off-level floors (very slight, but just noticeable).

I'm getting the property cheap, so can allow for any future cost of under-pinning if not too prohibitive. Alternatively, I could give up and walk away from the deal. TIA.

On 01/05/2021 21:58, Kal Ico wrote:
Can anyone tell me roughly how much underpinning can cost please? It is a bog-standard brick 1930's house, 3-bed detached. The previous owners told me that it had been 'monitored' but nothing was found. A couple of the walls are a little out of true, but not massively so. Plus there are no significant signs of cracking (though it looks to have been pointed in the last 10 years). The area has other houses with significantly more obvious signs of subsidence (clay soil).

The valuation report said that there appeared to be signs of historical movement, but nothing on-going, which would be consistent with the off-level floors (very slight, but just noticeable).

I'm getting the property cheap, so can allow for any future cost of under-pinning if not too prohibitive. Alternatively, I could give up and walk away from the deal. TIA.

If the current owner has reported the subsidence to his buildings
insurance, you can apparently get the get the current insurer to insure you.

I would imagine the premium will be high as if you go elsewhere for
buildings insurance.

If you do make a claim for underpinning without taking out a policy
wiothe current owner's insurance company, the new insurer won't want to
know as it happened pre-inception of the policy and the previous insurer
won't be interested as you are NOT their customer.

You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

SH wrote:
You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

I'd have thought the surveyor would be able to provide a ballpark price for
underpinning, given the situation they find. That would likely be more
accurate than any random number we might generate.

If there's anything dubious about the structure then a proper survey would
be worth its weight in gold, I'd have thought.

FYI, for what little they're worth:
https://job-prices.co.uk/underpinning-house/
https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/costs/underpinning-a-house

Theo

On 01/05/2021 22:07, SH wrote:
On 01/05/2021 21:58, Kal Ico wrote:
Can anyone tell me roughly how much underpinning can cost please? It is a bog-standard brick 1930's house, 3-bed detached. The previous owners told me that it had been 'monitored' but nothing was found. A couple of the walls are a little out of true, but not massively so. Plus there are no significant signs of cracking (though it looks to have been pointed in the last 10 years). The area has other houses with significantly more obvious signs of subsidence (clay soil).

The valuation report said that there appeared to be signs of historical movement, but nothing on-going, which would be consistent with the off-level floors (very slight, but just noticeable).

I'm getting the property cheap, so can allow for any future cost of under-pinning if not too prohibitive. Alternatively, I could give up and walk away from the deal. TIA.

If the current owner has reported the subsidence to his buildings
insurance, you can apparently get the get the current insurer to insure you.

I would imagine the premium will be high as if you go elsewhere for
buildings insurance.

If you do make a claim for underpinning without taking out a policy
wiothe current owner's insurance company, the new insurer won't want to
know as it happened pre-inception of the policy and the previous insurer
won't be interested as you are NOT their customer.

You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

It's not so much the premium which is loaded for an underpinned
property, it's the excess. The bungalow I live in was underpinned in
95/96. The buildings premium I pay is actually less than I paid for our
previous house. However, any repairs for subsidence/heave is subject to
a £2500 excess.

Note also that it can be difficult to find a new insurer who will quote
for an underpinned property. When we moved in over eight years ago the
previous owner notified her insurance company that the property was
being sold, and we would be taking over the policy. After hearing
nothing from that insurance company (who had assured the previous owner
we could take over the policy), they changed their minds and said that
although the property hadn't changed, the owner had, and they weren't
going to continue with the insurance! It took some searching on the
internet and phoning around to finally get someone who could give us a
quote. For a week we had no insurance on the building, which was quite a
worry.

--

Jeff

On 01/05/2021 23:52, Theo wrote:
SH wrote:
You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

I'd have thought the surveyor would be able to provide a ballpark price for
underpinning, given the situation they find. That would likely be more
accurate than any random number we might generate.

If there's anything dubious about the structure then a proper survey would
be worth its weight in gold, I'd have thought.

FYI, for what little they're worth:
https://job-prices.co.uk/underpinning-house/
https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/costs/underpinning-a-house

Although it probably won't affect the OP, another cost which might have
to be added is that of hotel/renting if the house owner has to move out
while the underpinning work is being done.

--

Jeff

Jeff Layman wrote:

another cost which might have to be added is that of hotel/renting if
the house owner has to move out while the underpinning work is being
done.

Back in the 70's we lived upstairs while underpinning was done by
pumping concrete under the floors (part estate was built on land that
hadn't been drained/filled properly).

On 02/05/2021 08:55, Andy Burns wrote:

Jeff Layman wrote:

another cost which might have to be added is that of hotel/renting if
the house owner has to move out while the underpinning work is being
done.

Back in the 70's we lived upstairs while underpinning was done by
pumping concrete under the floors (part estate was built on land that
hadn't been drained/filled properly).

Living upstairs in a bungalow isn't really an option! :-)

From the full info we have on the underpinning and what the previous
owner told us, the work took the best part of 6 months to complete. All
load-bearing walls - external and internal - were underpinned. That
required removing floorboards, and sorting out pipes and drainage.
Redecorating was also required where necessary. Not only were the
footings reinforced/replaced, but as part of the stabilisation process
all around the outside walls are concrete rafts, 2 - 3 metres long, 80
cm wide, and about 12 cm thick. The previous owner said that in total
(including living in temporary accommodation) the cost was £60K!

When we had the survey done, the surveyor said that if one property in
the road was not going to move it was this one.

One other point of interest is that when we had a conservatory built (60
cm brick walls with cavity), both the architect and structural engineer
recommended footings which matched those used for the underpinning. This
added a considerable expense (the footings are almost 2m deep!), but
they said that this would mean that if there was any movement, the
conservatory would move with the bungalow, and wouldn't come away from
its walls. With the extreme droughts we seem to be getting now, and with
a neighbour's house showing signs of subsidence, I'm satisfied we made
the right decision.

--

Jeff

On 01/05/2021 21:58, Kal Ico wrote:
Can anyone tell me roughly how much underpinning can cost please? It
is a bog-standard brick 1930's house, 3-bed detached. The previous
owners told me that it had been 'monitored' but nothing was found. A
couple of the walls are a little out of true, but not massively so.
Plus there are no significant signs of cracking (though it looks to
have been pointed in the last 10 years). The area has other houses
with significantly more obvious signs of subsidence (clay soil).

The valuation report said that there appeared to be signs of
historical movement, but nothing on-going, which would be consistent
with the off-level floors (very slight, but just noticeable).

I'm getting the property cheap, so can allow for any future cost of
under-pinning if not too prohibitive. Alternatively, I could give up
and walk away from the deal. TIA.



I cant remember if its £1000/meter or £3000/metre. I think back in the
day when my niece bought a doctors surgery that's what she paid. £1000,
but wages have gone up.

Its a quite precisely calculated cost. I'd say if you can afford
£3k/metre, buy the place.

A short chat with a structural engineering firm should net you a more up
to date figure, and I would absolutely have them involved in the job,
because the sort of paperwork they produce will be loved by estate
agents and insurance companies both.


--
A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on
its shoes.

On 02/05/2021 08:44, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 01/05/2021 23:52, Theo wrote:
SH wrote:
You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

I'd have thought the surveyor would be able to provide a ballpark
price for
underpinning, given the situation they find.Â* That would likely be more
accurate than any random number we might generate.

If there's anything dubious about the structure then a proper survey
would
be worth its weight in gold, I'd have thought.

FYI, for what little they're worth:
https://job-prices.co.uk/underpinning-house/
https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/costs/underpinning-a-house

Although it probably won't affect the OP, another cost which might have
to be added is that of hotel/renting if the house owner has to move out
while the underpinning work is being done.

I doubt that would be necessary

All it is is carefully trench alongside the property a very small
section at a time to prevent collapsing, digging under what foundations
there are - if any - and filling the hole with concrete.

Mostly by hand

--
"Women actually are capable of being far more than the feminists will
let them."

Yes in this road we are on the top of a hill and pretty immune but elsewhere
on the sloping ground there have been problems with this, since its clay and
used to have quarries nearby which wer filled in. The whole problem was made
worse by an obviously concave load bearing garden wall of stout
construction was breached and the soil dug out to make a hard standing for
the owners car. I noticed within 6 months cracking on the steps down to the
hard standing and I do honestly wonder if anyone actually thinks before they
do thing s these days.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"SH" wrote in message
...
On 01/05/2021 21:58, Kal Ico wrote:
Can anyone tell me roughly how much underpinning can cost please? It is
a bog-standard brick 1930's house, 3-bed detached. The previous owners
told me that it had been 'monitored' but nothing was found. A couple of
the walls are a little out of true, but not massively so. Plus there are
no significant signs of cracking (though it looks to have been pointed in
the last 10 years). The area has other houses with significantly more
obvious signs of subsidence (clay soil).

The valuation report said that there appeared to be signs of historical
movement, but nothing on-going, which would be consistent with the
off-level floors (very slight, but just noticeable).

I'm getting the property cheap, so can allow for any future cost of
under-pinning if not too prohibitive. Alternatively, I could give up and
walk away from the deal. TIA.

If the current owner has reported the subsidence to his buildings
insurance, you can apparently get the get the current insurer to insure
you.

I would imagine the premium will be high as if you go elsewhere for
buildings insurance.

If you do make a claim for underpinning without taking out a policy wiothe
current owner's insurance company, the new insurer won't want to know as
it happened pre-inception of the policy and the previous insurer won't be
interested as you are NOT their customer.

You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

On 2 May 2021 at 09:49:50 BST, "The Natural Philosopher"
wrote:

On 02/05/2021 08:44, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 01/05/2021 23:52, Theo wrote:
SH wrote:
You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

I'd have thought the surveyor would be able to provide a ballpark
price for
underpinning, given the situation they find.Â* That would likely be more
accurate than any random number we might generate.

If there's anything dubious about the structure then a proper survey
would
be worth its weight in gold, I'd have thought.

FYI, for what little they're worth:
https://job-prices.co.uk/underpinning-house/
https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/costs/underpinning-a-house

Although it probably won't affect the OP, another cost which might have
to be added is that of hotel/renting if the house owner has to move out
while the underpinning work is being done.

I doubt that would be necessary

All it is is carefully trench alongside the property a very small
section at a time to prevent collapsing, digging under what foundations
there are - if any - and filling the hole with concrete.

Mostly by hand

That's how a guy explained it to me when I had a quote for a cellar
conversion, and the need for an additional metre under the footings (or
whatever counts for a foundation in my house). He quoted £20,000 for a basic
c.10m x 5m room with tanking.

The key, or his USP as he would have it, is excavating without disturbing the
occupants upstairs. He had a conveyor belt thing and a plan.

--
Cheers, Rob

Some floors in my house are very slopey,
some walls had a lot more foundations than others,
but I guess most of the sinking happened in the first few decades,
doesnt appear to be moving any more,
so I'm leaving it as a 'feature'

[g]

On Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 11:26:00 AM UTC+1, RJH wrote:
On 2 May 2021 at 09:49:50 BST, "The Natural Philosopher"
wrote:
On 02/05/2021 08:44, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 01/05/2021 23:52, Theo wrote:
SH wrote:
You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

I'd have thought the surveyor would be able to provide a ballpark
price for
underpinning, given the situation they find. That would likely be more
accurate than any random number we might generate.

If there's anything dubious about the structure then a proper survey
would
be worth its weight in gold, I'd have thought.

FYI, for what little they're worth:
https://job-prices.co.uk/underpinning-house/
https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/costs/underpinning-a-house

Although it probably won't affect the OP, another cost which might have
to be added is that of hotel/renting if the house owner has to move out
while the underpinning work is being done.

I doubt that would be necessary

All it is is carefully trench alongside the property a very small
section at a time to prevent collapsing, digging under what foundations
there are - if any - and filling the hole with concrete.

Mostly by hand
That's how a guy explained it to me when I had a quote for a cellar
conversion, and the need for an additional metre under the footings (or
whatever counts for a foundation in my house). He quoted £20,000 for a basic
c.10m x 5m room with tanking.

The key, or his USP as he would have it, is excavating without disturbing the
occupants upstairs. He had a conveyor belt thing and a plan.

--
Cheers, Rob

On 01/05/2021 21:58, Kal Ico wrote:
Can anyone tell me roughly how much underpinning can cost please? It is a bog-standard brick 1930's house, 3-bed detached. The previous owners told me that it had been 'monitored' but nothing was found. A couple of the walls are a little out of true, but not massively so. Plus there are no significant signs of cracking (though it looks to have been pointed in the last 10 years). The area has other houses with significantly more obvious signs of subsidence (clay soil).

The valuation report said that there appeared to be signs of historical movement, but nothing on-going, which would be consistent with the off-level floors (very slight, but just noticeable).

I'm getting the property cheap, so can allow for any future cost of under-pinning if not too prohibitive. Alternatively, I could give up and walk away from the deal. TIA.


You, or future owners, may have problems getting a mortgage so you may
also have to factor the cost of selling cheap at a later date,
especially if neighbouring properties are showing obvious signs of
subsidence.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 02/05/2021 11:48, George Miles wrote:
Some floors in my house are very slopey,
some walls had a lot more foundations than others,
but I guess most of the sinking happened in the first few decades,
doesnt appear to be moving any more,
so I'm leaving it as a 'feature'

[g]

On Sunday, May 2, 2021 at 11:26:00 AM UTC+1, RJH wrote:
On 2 May 2021 at 09:49:50 BST, "The Natural Philosopher"
wrote:
On 02/05/2021 08:44, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 01/05/2021 23:52, Theo wrote:
SH wrote:
You mention you had just a valuation? I'd be thinking about having the
full survey done.

I'd have thought the surveyor would be able to provide a ballpark
price for
underpinning, given the situation they find. That would likely be more
accurate than any random number we might generate.

If there's anything dubious about the structure then a proper survey
would
be worth its weight in gold, I'd have thought.

FYI, for what little they're worth:
https://job-prices.co.uk/underpinning-house/
https://www.myjobquote.co.uk/costs/underpinning-a-house

Although it probably won't affect the OP, another cost which might have
to be added is that of hotel/renting if the house owner has to move out
while the underpinning work is being done.

I doubt that would be necessary

All it is is carefully trench alongside the property a very small
section at a time to prevent collapsing, digging under what foundations
there are - if any - and filling the hole with concrete.

Mostly by hand
That's how a guy explained it to me when I had a quote for a cellar
conversion, and the need for an additional metre under the footings (or
whatever counts for a foundation in my house). He quoted £20,000 for a basic
c.10m x 5m room with tanking.

The key, or his USP as he would have it, is excavating without disturbing the
occupants upstairs. He had a conveyor belt thing and a plan.

--
Cheers, Rob

I'd guess this mucked up his tv aerial alignment too -

https://www.insurancechoice.co.uk/bl...nce-risk-homes