Sink-holes: plunging new depths
Discover what causes sink-holes, how they impact property transactions, and what steps you can take to safeguard your home investment.
The phenomenon of sink-holes has come back into the public consciousness with the news of two large holes that recently opened up in a street in Godstone, Surrey on 17 February. With little to no warning, they appeared outside homes taking a large section of the road into the hole that was created, with the impact being such that residents, evacuated for their own safety, are unlikely to be allowed back in their homes for several weeks.
Quite aside from the disruption to their lives of having to find suitable temporary accommodation, there is the worry about what it means to the stability of the area for the future, as well as the impact on insurance premiums and even on the resale value of the home when they get to the point that they can sell.
What are sink-holes?
The British Geological Survey (BGS) confirms that there are three principal causes for the creation of sink-holes:
- Dissolving surface rock – where the constituent of the surface rock is soluble, such as chalk or limestone, it can be quickly eroded by rainfall or groundwater, especially if the content of that water is particularly acidic, which is an increased problem where those areas are also susceptible to pollution.
- Collapse – underneath the surface of many parts of the country are systems of caves, both natural and manufactured (such as coal-mining shafts). Over time, with geological changes and other causes of erosion, the structure can suddenly no longer sustain the weight of the soil and structures above it. Quite common, too, according to the BGS, is a combination of both dissolution of the surface rock and collapse of deeper structures.
- Erosion – this is different from the first two types in that weaker materials beneath the surface are washed away by water, perhaps caused by an underground leak or changes in the water table, creating weakness above and then giving way and opening up the hole.
What causes sink-holes?
There are several causes of sink-holes in the UK, but the BGS suggests that common factors are heavy rain or surface flooding, leaking underground pipes and sewers, burst water mains, construction above ground altering the loads beneath, changes in the water table and mining.
What does it mean for buying and selling homes?
When you are planning on buying a home, your conveyancing solicitor will order a number of searches that include checks in water, drainage and sewerage, history of industry, environmental status, and other information regarding not only the property itself but its location and environs to establish the issues that might be facing you as the purchaser.
In addition, it’s always wise to take out a detailed survey that looks at the structural problems that might exist with the property and its grounds, so that any symptoms of potential underground problems are noted.
From all these pieces of information, your conveyancing solicitor might suggest that further, more expert, analysis is required to verify the position.
For example, if there is a history of coal-mining in the area, your solicitor may recommend that a Coal-Mining Report be ordered to verify the position and the level of risk that you might be running with your property, since they will identify where the shafts and other underground spaces are in relation to the location of your planned property purchase.
Similarly, if there is a history or clear evidence of flooding in the area, or even an increased risk of flooding occurring, you might want to extend the searches to include a specialist flood report, which will detail the impact of flooding to the local area and your planned property purchase in particular.
When it comes down to it, you’ll want the peace of mind that the risk to your financial investment in your next home is understood. Or it might help you to make your mind up to back out of the transaction.
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