Subsidence affects as many as 350,000 households in the UK and if your property has suffered from it then you will already know that it’s not straightforward to arrange household insurance. Help is at hand though, and we can guide you through the issues and arrange cover with a specialist provider to give you peace of mind.
What is Subsidence?
Subsidence is the sinking of land, in a downward direction. When it happens to a building it is caused by reduced support in the ground beneath the foundations. There can be a number of causes, including the type of soil on which the property was built, an old mineshaft which has resettled and tree roots which have spread out after a drought. The result is that buildings can crack and cause major, expensive property damage.
What Are the Signs of Subsidence?
According to experts at Subsidence Support, the following are the usual signs of subsidence:
- Vertical and diagonal cracking concentrated in specific areas and tapering in width between the top and bottom of the crack.
- Cracks extending through the damp proof course down into the foundations.
- External cracking reflected internally in the same area of wall.
- Rucking of wallpaper at corners between walls and ceilings.
- Distortions of openings (which are weak points in the structure) causing doors and windows to stick.
- Cracks appearing after a prolonged period of dry weather.
- Seasonal opening and closing of cracks.
If your property has suffered from this type of movement and has been underpinned then you may struggle to find affordable insurance as it is a higher risk than other homes. Also, it may be a condition of your mortgage that you have adequate cover for subsidence, heave and landslip. Your mortgage provider will want to ensure that you are protected if further movement occurs in the future.
Many insurance companies even go to the lengths of excluding cover for subsidence.
Here at PayingTooMuch.com we have many insurers that include subsidence, often saving customers hundreds of pounds when compared with their existing provider.
We have many specialist Subsidence Household Schemes that offer:
- Standard and accidental cover
- Subsidence excess of £2,500
- World-wide personal belongings cover
We can also cater for all types of cover including:
- New purchases
- Previously uninsured
- Recently underpinned
- Historical buildings
If your property has suffered with subsidence in the past, or you have current subsidence issues, then give our friendly team a call on 01243 219333 today and we can discuss your circumstances and give you a quote in minutes.
