Structural Secrets for UK Property Investors

Expat Property Story

#225

Do you know your bitumen from your Bressummer Beams? Your helical bars from your horizontal beds? Or your cavity walls from your crack monitoring studs?

This week, we fill one more gap in the back catalogue with a deep dive into all things structural.

Paul Fowler is a surveyor with 20 years experience and a particular interest in subsidence.

We discuss:

· Key Warning Signs Outside the Property:
Start your property viewing before leaving the car! Find out how cracks and distortions on surrounding buildings can indicate (or rule out) costly issues like subsidence.

· How Trees Affect UK Properties:
Learn why trees, especially on clay soils, cause 60–85% of UK subsidence claims—and when removing a tree might create a bigger problem called ‘heave.’

· Roof and Damp Risks:
Discover why replacing slate with concrete roof tiles can cause ‘roof spread,’ how to identify potential damp issues from outside, and what the damp proof course should look like.

· Crack Types (and When to Worry!):
Paul breaks down different cracks: harmless thermal movement and decoration cracks, versus those diagonal cracks (especially wider at the top around doors and windows) that could signal structural movement or subsidence.

· Inside Inspection:
Tips for checking the loft for spray foam insulation (a growing problem for mortgage lenders), identifying asbestos, and what cracks inside the house actually mean.

· Crack Monitoring & Insurance:
How surveyors track structural movement using crack-monitoring studs, when to involve insurers, and what coverage is typical for UK property owners—including excess amounts and exclusions.

· Renovation and Remediation Costs:
From simple repairs to advanced underpinning or resin injection, get a sense of what fixing serious structural problems might cost—and why these issues can represent a genuine opportunity for savvy investors.

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