Is my house falling down?

Akrasia

I've just started house sitting in my mothers house (she moved to wales)

It's about 5 years old and there are enormous cracks all over the place. The biggest ones are in the corners and along the edges at the gable ends, but there are vertical cracks above most of the door frames that are on both sides of the wall and some of the door frames themselves are being split apart.

Almost every room has some cracks, and because there's coving on the downstairs walls, i can't tell the full extent.

I also can't tell how bad it is on the outside because it has a red brick facade on the front, and pebbledash walls all around.

There are a lot of loud creaking noises and some of the plaster is falling off the walls.

Will homebond pay for a surveyor or structural engineer? or will I have to pay for someone to diagnose it first and then get on to the insurers?

The_Conductor

You need to get a structural engineer immediately.
Pay for it yourself- and figure out whether its possible to reclaim the funds later- at this instant the issue is to get the survey done- not who pays for it.......

If its only 5 years- it should be covered under Homebond (though it can be quite an experience making a claim under Homebond......)

S.

tHE vAGGABOND

My gut reaction is to tell you to get off the bloody internet and asking arm chair experts and get a professional out to see it right this second!

Dont worry about trying to save a few quid right now, find out how good or bad it is right now. Then worry about the insurance or homebond and that stuff.

Patrickof

Same as above. Get an engineer in immediately at your own cost.

I've been involved in some of these (as a valuer) and they sadly can drag on for years and years before settlement.

loyatemu

are these cracks in the external walls, or just in the plaster?

delly

These cracks sound to me like normal settling cracks in the plasterwork, but don't take my word for it. If you could post some pics it would help us to see how serious they are, one mans big crack might be another mans hairline crack.

MysticalSoul

My advice would be to contact both HomeBond and the builders regarding this, as soon as you can. How long has it been since you noticed this?

Akrasia

irishamethyst wrote: »

My advice would be to contact both HomeBond and the builders regarding this, as soon as you can. How long has it been since you noticed this?

I only moved in last week (the house had been empty before that)

I'm a student with very little money (actually, make that no money at all)
I just wanted to make sure it's serious before I contact my mother and get her all worried.

Akrasia

loyatemu wrote: »

are these cracks in the external walls, or just in the plaster?

the external walls appear to be ok, but they're pebbledash and red brick so it's very hard to tell.

The cracks themselves vary from hairline (some of which go right through the wall) to quite large (with flaking plaster around the edges)

The door frames appear to be coming away from some of the walls

microgirl

I echo what others have said - get a structural engineer *now*!

If you are a student with no money, make an appointment for a structural engineer to come and assess the damage, and in the meanwhile contact your mum and say there's a problem and prepare her to send you a cheque to cover it.

Then contact the builders.

Colonel Sanders

surely setting cracks aren't normal 5 years after it has been built (just an educated guess, I'm no expert)

getting an expert in is the way to go IMO

faceman

Without pics and expertise its hard to say obviously but i wouldnt assume worse case scenario just yet.

I had some pretty large settlement cracks in one of my previous houses too that had me worried at the time in similar places to you.

However get someone in to check. Dont bother with homebond until you know you have an issue. If you know anyone in the building trade get them in first. also ask your neighnours if they have similar problems.