Buying a house with cracks

Buying a house with cracks: what to look for

Cracks do not have to be a reason to walk away from a house. But you want to know whether they are stable or growing, and what a repair would take, before you sign.

Report your cracks Subsidence survey

What to look for on a viewing

Stepped cracks in brickwork, inside and out
Cracks above windows and doors
Doors and windows that stick
Floors that slope (a marble or spirit level helps)
Fresh plaster or paint in one spot: sometimes a crack is hidden
Trees close to the façade and the condition of the drains

Ask about the history

Since when have the cracks been there? Have they grown? Has anything been repaired, and is there a report? Have the drains ever been checked by camera?

Have a subsidence survey done

If in doubt, we map the crack pattern, the soil and the foundation and advise whether repair is needed or monitoring is enough. With a repair quote you know what to expect, and you negotiate from a stronger position.

Selling a house with cracks?

A report and, if needed, a completed repair with an installation record per pier give a buyer confidence.

With serious damage, have a structural engineer assess the situation. Soiltek is a specialist contractor: we record, measure, propose a technique and carry out the repair, in consultation with your engineer.