Don't let your dreams of a perfect home sink away

News of the sinkhole appearing in St Albans last week has prompted many people looking to buy a new home to consider the stability of the land where their future home sits. Sarah Brooks, Residential Conveyancing Partner advises here that purchasers may to wish consider investing in thorough checks as these types of concerns are impossible to identify with the naked eye.

“It appears the sinkhole in St Albans was due to historical use of the land as a brick field and clay pit,” explains Sarah. “This caused a man-made cavity to sit below the surface, making it instable and so a collapse was inevitable. Man-made cavities are not the only cause of a sinkhole; natural causes include a proximity to chalk, gypsum, limestone or salt, or years of water erosion and heavy rainfall.”

All is not lost if you’re considering buying a property and you’re concerned about the stability of the ground. “Stability reports are an excellent way to identify potential risks through the use of digital and historical mapping,” continues Sarah. “While these are not a part of the usual searches conducted when buying a property, they are able to be purchased through affiliate partners, and we currently use Landmark Information Group to conduct our reports.”

Sarah concludes, “Not only can these reports identify any risks surrounding the property but they also recommend the next steps that can be taken in terms of prevention. We would highly recommend investing in this initial search as it could save money and upset in the future.”

If you’re looking to buy or sell your home, you can contact Sarah or the Conveyancing team on 01329 222096 or email conveyancingquote@warnergoodman.co.uk.

ENDS

This is for information purposes only and is no substitute for, and should not be interpreted as, legal advice.  All content was correct at the time of publishing and we cannot be held responsible for any changes that may invalidate this article.