Sell an inherited house with subsidence - cash offer, no repairs needed

Yes, you can sell a house that has had subsidence, whether it is historic (previously repaired) or ongoing. However, it can be significantly harder to sell on the open market because most mortgage lenders are reluctant to lend on properties with a history of subsidence. This dramatically reduces your pool of potential buyers. Cash buyers like HouseBought4Cash are not reliant on mortgage lending, which means we can purchase subsidence-affected properties without the complications that come with traditional sales. We buy inherited properties with subsidence in any condition across the UK.

Subsidence typically devalues a property by around 10 to 25 percent, depending on the severity, whether it has been repaired, and whether monitoring is complete. A property with ongoing or active subsidence will see a larger reduction than one where historic subsidence has been fully repaired and signed off by a structural engineer. The devaluation also depends on location and the local property market. Even after successful underpinning and a certificate of structural adequacy, some buyers and lenders remain cautious, which keeps values below comparable properties without a subsidence history.

There is no time limit on declaring subsidence when selling a property in England and Wales. If you are aware that the property has experienced subsidence at any point, you are legally required to disclose it on the TA6 Property Information Form. This applies whether the subsidence happened last year or thirty years ago. Failure to disclose known subsidence can result in the buyer taking legal action against you after the sale. If the property was inherited and you genuinely do not know whether subsidence has occurred, you should answer honestly on the form and state that you are not aware. Your solicitor can advise you on the correct way to complete the disclosure.

Yes. Under English and Welsh property law, sellers must disclose any known subsidence issues on the TA6 Property Information Form, which is part of the standard conveyancing process. This includes past subsidence that has been repaired as well as any ongoing movement. You must also disclose any insurance claims made for subsidence. Deliberately concealing subsidence is considered misrepresentation and can lead to legal action from the buyer. If you have inherited a property and are unsure whether subsidence has occurred, your solicitor will help you answer the form honestly based on the information available to you.

Subsidence is the downward movement of the ground beneath a building, causing the foundations to shift and the structure to become unstable. The most common causes in the UK are clay soil shrinkage (especially during dry summers), tree roots drawing moisture from the soil near foundations, leaking drains washing away supporting ground, and former mining activity. Warning signs include diagonal cracks in walls (especially around doors and windows), cracks that are wider at the top than the bottom, doors and windows that stick or no longer close properly, and rippling or cracking in wallpaper. If the inherited property shows any of these signs, a structural survey can confirm whether subsidence is present.