Homeowner Stress

[hulahoop09]

Hiya

I am just really looking for reassurance as I feel stressed to my eyeballs. We have had our mortgage along with building and contents insurance with Halifax since 2008. We have never claimed for anything. Our house needs things doing but in the past 6 years we got married and had 2 children. Lol.

On friday I noticed a line in under our living room carpet. It wasnt there before and so I am obsessed with it and what is wrong. I can only think it is a crack in the concrete of our house. We havent moved furniture etc. British Gas were working on a house over the road from us Friday so I blame them lol (we dont have a gas supply, eco 7 heaters). It feels hard in places and softer in others, it goes across near sofa changes direction and across front of sofa then changes direction again and goes down the centre of the room. I dont think it is the underlay unfortunately. We have a small house and a small room and both work full time and have 2 children under 3 so at the minute we havent had chance to bring the carpet up yet (I dread this as we had it fitted) to check exactly what is going on.

We are due to go on holiday in 2 months and with both kiddies birthdays and christmas coming up and me just recently going back to work from maternity leave money is v.v.tight. I think our insurance excess is arpprox £200-£250. What are the options in regards to claiming on insurance, will our premium each month go up by a lot, when would we need to pay the excess etc? If it is a crack in the concrete how long is it possible to live with it until we risk our house falling down

Stressed doesnt come close

TIA everyone.

Sorry just checking Halifax Building Insurance and it says

8. Subsidence or heave of the site on which your buildings stand or by landslip.


is covered.

But, is not covered:

Loss or damage

• To, or resulting from the movement of solid floors unless the foundations beneath the external walls of your home are damaged at the same time by the same cause.
• That is covered under an NHBC Certificate or other similar guarantee.
• Resulting from the bedding down of new buildings or settlement, shrinkage or expansion of the buildings.

 

[seoj]

I have no great insite- sorry. I'm sure all insurance companies vary in what they cover- but if there is a chance it was caused by something (and you can prove it)- then hopefully the insurance can help?

If you can- maybe hire a contractor to at least come take a look and estimate the damage (how much to fix) so you have that information and go from there? We've gotten bids on work before and the bid was free- obviously the work wasn't, but if it's a reputible company or person, they should typically offer to check it out and offer a bid at no (or little cost). A crack in the foundation, depending on how far down it goes- could really vary cost wise.

Sorry I'm of no reassurance- I just personally find that knowing what I'm dealing with and the cost at least help me get a game plan together. We recently (finally) settled on a house lawsuit against the builders. They didn't waterproof the outside of the house properly- go figure!- so the siding was molding and water was getting in under the "protection" layer. We were lucky we found it when we did and the damange wasn't worse. But still- not fun. End of the day though- all was Ok, we were lucky to afford the difference between our settlement and cost of repairs... and our house is now good! Least we got new siding and paint! haha. Gotta see a silver lining right

Best of luck hun it's all sorted soon! I always say- homeownership is great, until something goes wrong! ha!

 

[Quartz]

You need to call the building insurance and have them come out and look as it. They will send someone round who will access it and then you pay them the excess and they sort out all the contractors to come round and fix it. Depending on what caused it you may have to pay to get it fixed and they sort out repairing the damage. At least that is what happened with us

We had a leak in our old house (a stopcock got knocked and dripped) causing damage to the kitchen floor and the bottom wooden part of the unit and then we had a shower leaking into the wall. We fixed both (we were having our bathroom done) but they fixed all the damage (plastered the wall, dried out and fixed the floor replacing the rotten kitchen) apart from the hall carpet that contents did.

Really I think you need to call insurance first and see what they say

 

[Quartz]

Oh with us we paid excess at the time. Our premiums did not go up and we moved 3 years later and redid our insurance and it has been removed as it was (just over 3 years) so we nver paid more

 

[hulahoop09]

Thanks! Called the insurance and they have said if its subsidance its a 1k excess but if its accidental? or collapsed drain its 200 voluntary excess. I have pushed a think probe down and it doesnt seem there is a gap but just a crack. We need to take the carpet up and look the weekend. It feels as though the concrete has cracked but its pushed together if anything. Theres nothing we have done or can think has caused it apart from maybe heat on the carpet but we have lived here for yeara. Lol. I will struggle to get the 200 excess never mimd the 1k if it was subsidance. Lol. I think we may end up having to live with it for a few months so we can get the 200 and hope that will then cover all that needs doing! Feel so stressed. It couldnt of come at a worse time. We have holiday coming up and then kiddies birthdays and xmas then we were going to spend 2 years clearing debts so we can be debt free for whwn kiddies are 5/6 and 3/4 and we can live life a bit more and then save for an extension or move to a bigger house! Could cry.

 

[lilyd]

How old is your house?