Subsidence poses a potential threat to nearly every home in the United Kingdom. Insurance companies have estimated the total cost of subsidence claims to date at over £400 million. When the ground beneath your property drops suddenly, due to natural or man-made influences, signs that you have a subsidence problem include:

• cracks in plasterwork or external brickwork
• sticking doors or windows
• buckling wallpaper not due to dampness

If your property suffers from subsidence, selling it by the traditional method of going through an estate agent can be daunting, if not impossible. Most buyers require a mortgage to purchase, and almost no lender will provide a mortgage on a property with a history of subsidence. Even when your subsidence problems have been rectified, sometimes at a cost of up to £50,000, the subsidence stigma haunts the property and can mean delays or difficulties in selling, and lower prices for your property than comparable properties without subsidence problems.