Nathan Knows: When Did You Last Check Your Ground Stability?

Living with mole men sounds cooler than it is…

We previously covered coastal erosion and impromptu aquarium homes, but what about further inland?  Isa surprise career in mining in your future?

In residential conveyancing in England and Wales, checking ground stability as part of an environmental search is important because it helps identify whether the land on which a property stands, or the surrounding area, may be susceptible to ground movement that could affect the property's structural integrity, value and future saleability (we know you are only just buying it, but who knows what the future holds!)

Ground stability is a key consideration because some risks are not immediately visible during a viewing or a routine property inspection. An environmental search can highlight potential hazards that may require further investigation before a buyer commits to the purchase.

Identifying potential ground stability hazards

An environmental search may identify risks associated with several types of ground movement, including:

• Subsidence: Downward movement of the ground that can cause foundations to move and lead to cracking in walls, uneven floors and structural damage.
• Shrink–swell clay: Clay soils that expand when wet and shrink during dry periods, potentially causing foundations to move.
• Mining and quarrying: Historic or current underground workings that may lead to ground collapse ,settlement or instability.
• Natural cavities and dissolution features: Voids or weakened ground associated with certain geological formations, which can increase the risk of subsidence or collapse.
• Landslides and slope in stability: Movement of soil or rock on sloping land that may affect a property, its foundations, access routes or boundaries.

These risks vary according to the property's location, geology, history and construction. A search indicating a potential hazard does not necessarily mean that the property is unstable or that damage has occurred (nor does it account for the possibility of mole-people digging through your foundations one day, obviously as part of the underground uprising).

Protecting the buyer from financial loss

Ground instability can have significant financial consequences for a property owner. Identifying potential risks before exchange of contracts allows the buyer to make an informed decision and reduces the likelihood of unexpected costs after completion.

The main financial considerations include:

• Repair costs: Subsidence or other ground movement can require underpinning (extending/strengthening existing foundations, like a foundation bodybuilder workout!), structural repairs or specialist ground stabilisation, which can be expensive.
• Buildings insurance: A property with a history of subsidence or a significant ground stability risk may be more difficult or costly to insure.
• Mortgage lending: A lender may require further investigations, a satisfactory structural report or evidence of suitable insurance before agreeing to lend.
• Property value and resale: Known ground stability issues can affect marketability and may deter prospective buyers or their lenders.
• Future development costs: Extensions or other building works may require specialist foundations, which can increase the cost to do so.

The UK government's guidance on land stability recognises the potential for unstable ground to harm buildings and infrastructure and recommends appropriate technical assessment where instability is suspected.

Helping you decide whether further enquiries are necessary

An environmental search covers multiple risks across different environmental factors, but in regards to ground stability and mining factors they use geological information, historical records and other available datasets to identify potential concerns. It does not, by itself, establish whether a particular building has suffered damage or whether its foundations are safe.

If the search reveals a potential ground stability issue, most searches will provide you with additional information on how to investigate these issues further. This can either take the form of more specialised further search enquiries, or pointing you to the relevant authorities in which you can follow up as necessary.

Don't let ground stability catch you off guard!

Your client might not need to worry about an underground mole-person uprising just yet, but ground stability is certainly worth checking! Identifying potential risks early can help protect buyers from unexpected costs and support informed decisions. An environmental search help uncover potential issues beneath the surface, giving you and your clients greater confidence throughout the conveyancing process.

Order your searches from Geodesys today! Have questions? Get in touch with our friendly team – we're always happy to help dig a little deeper!