Avoid Subsidence for a Better Home Insurance Quote

One thing that is sure to get an insurer shaking his head and busily sucking air through his teeth is the word ‘subsidence'. Reasonable home insurance quotes can suddenly rocket into the realms of extremely expensive if your home shows any signs of subsidence. In extreme cases, insurers may retract home insurance quotes altogether if your home is deemed to be to great a risk. However, there are some precautions you can take in order to make your home insurance quote cheaper and more viable.

Subsidence is caused when there is a downward shift in the foundations of a building as opposed to ‘heave' which is an upward shift in the foundation movement. Although not the only reason, subsidence usually occurs because of a change of moisture content in the soil. As soil gets more saturated with moisture it swells, whereas as it loses moisture it contracts. The swelling and contraction is what causes the foundations to move up or down accordingly. According to figures from Which? around 70 per cent of all subsidence cases are caused by tree roots sucking moisture from the soil.

If you are looking to buy a house and are worried about what subsidence will do to your home insurance quote, then look for telltale signs. Whilst it is perfectly normal for a house to obtain a few cracks here and there, subsidence cracks are generally diagonal, over 1 millimetre wide and are often wider at the top than the bottom. When a house shifts it causes a distortion to the frames of doors and windows. If any doors or windows stick or are especially difficult to open then the house could be subsiding. Houses which are built on clay soil are more susceptible to subsidence, as are houses with poor drainage and lots of trees close to the building.

If you already own a house and are worried that your home may be subsiding, you can do a few things to reduce the problem. Most trees need to be a good 25 metres away from the side of the house whilst shrubs should be planted at least 10 metres away to be at a safe distance. Regular pruning of trees and shrubs will also mean they require less moisture from the soil, which will stop the roots extracting too much water. By planting trees and shrubs at a safe distance and maintaining them properly you can dramatically reduce your chances of subsidence which will make home insurance quotes a lot easier for you.