Hello,
In September 2021, my partner and I moved into a house in Spånga that was built in 1951. We paid for an inspection report review, and nothing unusual came up. In the winter of 2021, we renovated the entire ground floor and were satisfied. However, in the summer of 2022, we experienced a massive settlement damage on the ground floor and had a structural engineer come out to look at the damage. It turns out that a quarter of the house has been piled, which is the reason for the settlement damage. We were aware of this but didn't know it was negative as it wasn't mentioned during the review, which we paid a neutral party for when we bought the house. Since the summer of 2022, we have been struggling with the sellers' insurance company (hidden defects), but they will not cover the cost of the remedy - they argue that we must prove that the damage resulted from the partial piling... How does one do that without starting the work on the remedy? Therefore, we now have to take out a new loan to fix the error ourselves and have received quotes for both piling and geopolymer. There is an extremely large price difference, and honestly, we cannot afford piling right now. We are therefore wondering if it is even worth it to spend money on geopolymer (the current piles are not loosened), or if it is better to wait another year in hopes of a better economic situation? Best regards, Lisa
In September 2021, my partner and I moved into a house in Spånga that was built in 1951. We paid for an inspection report review, and nothing unusual came up. In the winter of 2021, we renovated the entire ground floor and were satisfied. However, in the summer of 2022, we experienced a massive settlement damage on the ground floor and had a structural engineer come out to look at the damage. It turns out that a quarter of the house has been piled, which is the reason for the settlement damage. We were aware of this but didn't know it was negative as it wasn't mentioned during the review, which we paid a neutral party for when we bought the house. Since the summer of 2022, we have been struggling with the sellers' insurance company (hidden defects), but they will not cover the cost of the remedy - they argue that we must prove that the damage resulted from the partial piling... How does one do that without starting the work on the remedy? Therefore, we now have to take out a new loan to fix the error ourselves and have received quotes for both piling and geopolymer. There is an extremely large price difference, and honestly, we cannot afford piling right now. We are therefore wondering if it is even worth it to spend money on geopolymer (the current piles are not loosened), or if it is better to wait another year in hopes of a better economic situation? Best regards, Lisa
1951 to 2022 = 71 years
Was there no indication of settlements before?
If the house stood for 71 years without problems, the construction should have been good.
What happened in 2022 that caused the settlement? Drainage? Groundworks? Blockage in stormwater? Pipe break?
It can hardly be the partially piled foundation that is the cause of the settlement. The construction might, however, be the reason the damages were as they were. But why did the ground start moving after 70 years?
Was there no indication of settlements before?
If the house stood for 71 years without problems, the construction should have been good.
What happened in 2022 that caused the settlement? Drainage? Groundworks? Blockage in stormwater? Pipe break?
It can hardly be the partially piled foundation that is the cause of the settlement. The construction might, however, be the reason the damages were as they were. But why did the ground start moving after 70 years?
The previous owners piled the house due to settlement damage - floors are uneven, doors don't close, the facade has small cracks, a large crack has appeared in the laundry room, etc., but nothing extreme and we were aware of this. The house is built on a mixed foundation with clay, so it's impossible to completely avoid settlement damage. It was sold to us that the house had been piled, and we specifically asked about this during the review, but no one mentioned that partial piling could be bad, as the structural engineer we later hired explained to us. According to him, it is the partial piling that is the cause, as the house is being torn apart - and we got a lot of snow in 2021-22, followed by an extremely hot summer.H HSP said:
It is not a hidden defect.....
This can either be pursued against the seller, through claims that have proven to be untrue. We need to know more about exactly what was promised in documents from the sale......
Or this can be pursued against the inspector by claiming they did not do their job.
Based on what you have told me so far, I think it will be difficult to get any money from anyone here....🤔
This can either be pursued against the seller, through claims that have proven to be untrue. We need to know more about exactly what was promised in documents from the sale......
Or this can be pursued against the inspector by claiming they did not do their job.
Based on what you have told me so far, I think it will be difficult to get any money from anyone here....🤔