michelenh

Hi, Thanks for your comment. We were offered a cash settlement but it was insufficient to warrant acceptance PLUS the demo/rebuild/interation with neighbours/ever increasing costs all contribute to a very complex build so prefer to have insurance project manage to be honest.

Hi all Three years ago I posted that I had instigated a subsidence claim re my dad's 1963 semiD bungalow in Stratford upon Avon Warwickshire and had therefore had to place our extension plans on hold pending claim. Three years later, insurer (foll use of its multiple experts) has accepted full liability for claim, declared that as it is progressive subsidence and that due to extent of damage to bungalow & the challenges of the land/original foundations that the bungalow is to be fully demolished, the (new/tbc) floorplan is to be fully piled and that a new DETACHED bungalow will be built. It has been determined that detached is required due to the required repairs to ours would endanger the attached bungalow. Next door are very happy to go detached at our Insurer's cost (& us giving them c4 inch for outside wall) Insurer has elected to use our architect & our structural engineer and we await the first designs - the challenge being that the existing bungalow's width will be reduced by c1.8m (combination of: 2x exterior walls ilo one party wall, one new rear access path (we want at least 1.35m) & leave at least 0.35m between us and other boundary. Question One The good news is that we have good depth of plot both front & rear so I thought a *replacement design (for 3 beds, one lounge, one kitchen, one main bathroom, one wc, one hall) would be simple ie just go deeper and less wide.........however our architect has advised that although we are not in a conservation area that planners hate different ridge heights/ roof pitches.........so how does one go deeper/how much and keep planners happy? Question Two: Also, we are hoping to work with Insurer and have a new/bigger sqm build with us paying the difference of course - nothing major, but want to have bigger kitchen, bigger main bath (to make into wetroom with bath) plus extra spare space for a staircase (in case we ever want to go into roof & would also pay for the type of joists/materials required).........how is this best discussed/evidenced to Insurer Build 1 vs Build 2 costs (checked by a QS that we engage) & we pay difference? (Dad can decamp to my house so we would already be contributing "accommodation" costs) We already feel that we have won the lottery with Insurer accepting full liability as it has been a very rocky road and to get a detached new build is a dream BUT I want to make sure that I don't miss any opportunity to get the best/right build for us. Thanks, Michele

Thanks Guy. I didn't know that about Ash. I really appreciate your advice and thoughts. Thanks again.

Hi, I'd really appreciate your opinions please re power grouting vs piling ref our insurance claim. Dad's owned from new 1963 3-bed semi-detached bungalow has major subsidence across majority of floor plan. Eg across back of property it drops 158mm in 5000mm. Rear and front elevations have moved off damp course. External brick work has cracks through bricks in several places, tiles in bathroom are being pushed inwards off wall (front elevation), ceilings buckled throughout. I could go on.... Hysterically, Insurance after finding/fixing minor drains issues front & rear, then completing 2 months of stud monitoring declared property to be stable and wanted to send decorators in. Thinking this was utter nonsense, I instructed our own SE who discovered sand/ash fill foundations, major erosion/voids and trench footings. To our & our SE's utter surprise, Insurance has fully accepted our claim for subsidence in writing and we await their & their "experts" (360 gobalnet & shire-uk) proposed solutions for ground stabilisation & repairs below/above ground. Initially 360 proposed power grouting but this was wholly rejected by our SE not least because of the lack of a party wall agreement (subsidence is also affecting adjoining property) & that 360 offered no proposal for superstructure repairs.....which he believes should be agreed at same time. He is a very experienced 45 years+ chartered SE and his view is that PG is not a suitable fix for our issue but also that the cost of the amount of PG required ....would make it uneconomic and nor would it be the required permanent solution to make bungalow fully stable in long term. His view is that full demo, pile & rebuild is cheapest and quickest for Insurer. This is also our preferred route.....as would also rid us of a pig build rear elevation ....we gain/lose a brick across before/after a cedar board insert. Does anyone have a view of PG being proposed by Insurance companies? This was latest comm from 360: "It is impossible to know at this stage the pros and cons / costs of any scheme and this will need to be developed – obviously the economics of any solution against demo and rebuild would need to be assessed. Ultimately, this will be a decision that insurers will make and not something that Shire will determine – they can only advise us on the technical aspects. I would reiterate that no decisions will be made without being discussed with you and your father. Once Shire have been and assessed, we will be in a better position to determine the best way forward." Sorry for long post, Thanks

'Would really appreciate opinions.... Background: Dad's semiD non dormer bungalow built 1963 (he bought new) is subsiding due to both drains (original rear soakway exhausted), insufficient original (sand/ash) foundations and ill prepared exceptional poor ground. Bungalow is also a horrendous "pigbuild" with extra brick course across partial rear of bungalow resulting in crooked house effect. Even without subsidence issue, property requires full refurb (rewiring, ch/plumbing, new kitchen/bathroom, new windows doors etc and redecoration). So we've made decision to take whatever money we can get out of insurance (due to drains issue causing damage to foundations) and demolish & rebuild. We are at drawing stage but envisage replacement will be standard dormer bungalow, with small front single storey extension (new cloakroom) and rear extension or enlargement of original footprint. We are not in a conservation area. Our structural engineer (very sensible & experienced in our specific area) has advised, following inspection pits etc, that whole footprint will need to be piled and to considerable depth or property would only be ever worth land value only....hence we've decided to go demolish/rebuild route and take advantage of 20% vat reclaim. Fortunately we have some spare cash to do this....not bottomless pit but enough to rebuild. During rebuild Dad will move in with me. So the adjoing bungalow (right in image) was partially underpinned in 1990 when the current owner bought property (it was unmortgagable due to subsidence/ground issues in 1990). However adj property was not piled along or near the party wall and visually to the naked eye appears to be sinking where it joins Dad's bungalow. (Dad's internal party wall is showing evidence of movement.) Neighbour makes contradictory statements re his property being stable versus its moved an inch in 30 years since piling. The photo does not show that the neighbours front window nearest the PW slopes majorly towards the PW. Neighbour has rented out property for 20+ years and his current tenant has been resident for 10yrs. Neighbour views his property as rental property and as such (understandably) only wants to spend to maintain property to a rentable standard. We are at initial discussion/pre appt stage with potential architects but a couple have mooted that going detached may be an option to separate the properties so that our fully piled property is independent from next doors partially piled property OR stay semiD but with expansion gaps/structural ring (sorry forgot tech term) to protect our property from any subsidence issues that may continue to occur with neighbours property. We fully expect non consent from neighbour to PW notice so agreement will be needed. In addition non adjoining new neighbour has just had to demolish their 1970s extension (built by prev owner) due to it being classed as dangerously unstable due to poor foundations and ill prepared ground...they are using same struc engineer as us and his investigations showed that piling will be needed at least 12ftdown. Questions: Do I use PWA to hold adjoing Neighbour responsible for any repairs to his foundations if they are found to be insufficient and would affect the stability of our replacement dwelling? What are your thoughts re detached versus expansion gap option in such circumstances? Is compensation due to neighbours tenant for nuisance during my building work? (Owner Neighbour is already implying that their tenant will ask for compensation from his as the Landlord for noise/nuisance during build work and that they will seek to pass on those costs to me.......am I correct that so long as all my works are carried out compliant to all planning/build regs/local authority rules (builders keeping to allowable working hours etc) that applying the current applicable case law (1937 case: ? V Selfridge & Co) that no compensation for building work is due to neighbours? (I am excluding any damage caused to neighbours property which I would of course expect to pay for.....if genuine and evidenced of course). My building work will be starting no earlier than Spring 2023 and possibly even later as rebuild designs not even finalised yet let alone submitted to planning. I want to be a responsible neighbour but I don't want to be taken advantage of either. All thoughts welcome. Thanks so much

Hi So a (failed) subsidence claim, a full ground & building survey has determined that my father's 1963 semi detached bungalow (3 bed 86 sqm) is subsiding due to: 1) original insufficient foundations (sand/ash & inappropriate sized hardcore ie with huge gaps) & 2) multiple above-ground original 1963 quality of build (ie pig build inc different number of brick layers at various stages aroundf the property). Our independent structural engineer after multiple trial pits has advised that the property requires underpining across its entire footprint to make it stable before we even think of trying to correct the horrendous pig build. The property is long overdue to be refurbed (wiring, heating, decoration etc) and hence we THINK we have concluded that a demo/rebuild/minor extension is better than trying to repair the existing - subject to planning permisson of course. Our rationale: Bungalow Values £380k - New Bungalow (115 sqm) new foundations, fully mortgageable (Rebuild (inc vat claimback) £135k max (no rehousing as we have FOC options, cost 100% funded from savings) £140k - Existing Repaired/refurbed Bungalow inc = £90k Am I over assuming when I conclude that if the new bungalow is built to all required building reg standards and on new fully piled foundations (with expansion joints between us and adjoining bungalow ((only partly underpinned in 1990) that this would wipe the slate clean for Insurers and Mortgage providers OR would the property still have a a proverbial alabtross around its neck? (The owner of the adjoining bungalow uses it as a long term rental property and has done for 2o years plus, as such he has no wish to spend money on his property other than maintaining a safe (but crooked) property for his tenant to reside in. Also, please can you recommend the best book for planning a demo/rebuild. Thanks, M

Hi Many thanks for accepting me into your wise comunity!! I fear I am going to be picking your brains for advice as I have (to me) a difficult challenge plus I have never had to oversee any building work ever! SHORT VERSION: So, where do I start, the original plan was to do a single storey 5m by 4m rear extension (kitchen/diner/lounge bog standard) and a small 3m by 1.5m front extension (extra wc/wet room) to dad's 1963 semi detached 3 bed bunglow (90 feet by 40 feet plot) in a small cul de sac in Stratford upon Avon. Great location, quiet & close to town so extension seems good investment plus quality of life improvement etc etc. However the property is now being monitored for subsidence (studs with inspection pits to follow) due to diagonal cracks, bathroom tiles beng pushed off walls, walls moving off damp course where adjoins property next door (which was piled in 1990 and has moved at least further one inch since!!!) Interestingly, Dad's then Insurance said there was no subsidence on the bungalow in 1989 - instead citing lack of sufficient reinforcement in the lounge floor, which desoite not being an insured peril they paid to be corrected!! I should add that the original buildig work was of a very poor standard - the back corner (lounge) appears to have at least one brick course more than rest of bungalow - I suspect that the1989 insurer focussed on this & fobbed off my trusting Dad with a new lounge floor, anyways......................... So, whilst we await the current Insurance verdict, I am planning the extension and rework of existing kitchen/hall/only bathroom/current lounge/diner) as I hope to be able to combine this with the expected building repairs following subsidence repairs. I have shared this with Dad's current insurers who have indicated this would be possible (caveat of claim progression etc etc) Adjacent & Opposite identical properties secured planning permission for very similar rear & front extensions so I am not envisaging any issues. (never say never) So I have engaged an architect (foll numerous quotes & recommendations) to: Im not planning on a "Grand Designs" statement merely to make the existing property more useable for Dad (88 years). We are fortunate that we can decamp to my house whilst work is carried out. I would be grateful for any suggestions re: "Must Read" guides or books on how to approach a building project - my partner is a project manager (although in automotive) Managing Insurance Claim & additional building projects If you're still with me, Thanks, Michele