Protect Yourself
There are a couple of things you can take into account if you’re interested in keeping subsidence at bay. For one, any vegetation you plan on planting should be as far as possible from your house or any outbuildings you have on your property. Any trees should really be as far from the house as their expected height. You should also be wary of the particularly high risk trees outlined in Part 1.
Regarding existing trees that are close to the property, your next move depends on the age of the tree. Any vegetation planted after the house was built should be removed, unlike trees that are older than the property. Removal of these trees can actually make your situation worse, leading to swelling in the soil, an unfortunate development known as ‘heaving’. An expert should be called when sorting out any older vegetation. The management of this is a specialist business.
When it comes to being covered, building insurance should be enough for damage caused by subsidence. If you begin to notice cracks, you should contact your insurer and check what it is you’re insured for. From here, a structural engineer will be sent to your home that will assess the situation. Sadly, this can take an incredibly large amount of time, at least twelve months worth of monitoring in most situations.
Along with this, the excess on a subsidence claim is usually very high. It can be as much as (USD $)1000 in many situations and even (USD $)5000 if your house was built in what is deemed a ‘high-risk area’. You’re best checking the details of your policy regarding this. It’s also best to bear in mind that most policies will not cover damage to garden walls, gates or fences.
Any known subsidence issues that a property has had in the past, including history or risk, must be disclosed with your insurer before any policies are agreed upon. This will limit your choice of insurers and you will likely pay higher premiums in relation to a house with no history of subsidence. An insurer also has the right to refuse you an insurance renewal if you’ve made a subsidence claim in the past.
You should take note that if you believe yourself to be in an at-risk area or property and you’re looking for both building and contents insurance, it could be simpler to arrange for both of these together.