Selling your home
Selling a house that once had cracks repaired
Find out what buyers and their surveyors ask about repaired movement. Read the detail below, then send an enquiry if you need paperwork gathered or a fresh report arranged. There is no charge to ask.
What a buyer wants to know first
A buyer looking at a home with repaired cracks will want to know why the walls moved in the first place. The cause matters more than the repair itself because it tells them whether the ground under the footings has settled or is still shifting.
If the movement was caused by a leaking drain, the buyer will ask for proof the pipe was fixed before the brickwork was made good. If a tree on clay soil was the reason, they will want to see records of its removal or pruning. A surveyor working for the buyer checks these details against the visible state of the walls. Fresh plaster over old cracks without supporting paperwork tends to raise questions rather than settle them.
Homes built on Weald clay or Gault clay move seasonally as the ground dries and wets. Buyers in Kent often expect some hairline cracking, but wider gaps that have been filled and painted over need a clear explanation. The difference between seasonal shrinkage and ongoing subsidence determines whether a mortgage lender will release funds.
The paperwork that answers most questions
Surveyors acting for buyers and lenders look for specific documents when a home has a history of structural movement. An engineer's report stating the cause of the cracking is usually the first thing requested. This report should name the soil type, describe the damage pattern and explain why the chosen repair method was appropriate.
If underpinning was carried out, the buyer will want the specification, the building control completion certificate and any guarantee from the contractor who did the work. Resin injection or screw piling comes with its own paperwork, including depth logs and load test results where applicable. Missing certificates slow down sales because the buyer's solicitor cannot confirm the work meets regulations.
Crack monitoring records show whether the walls were still moving when the repair took place. Readings taken over several months prove the ground had stabilised before the specialist firm started work. Without those readings, a buyer might reasonably worry the repair was done too early and the walls could open up again. Drainage CCTV surveys also help, particularly where broken pipes washed soil away from the footings.
Insurance claims and how they follow the sale
When subsidence was handled through a buildings insurance policy, the paperwork trail is longer but generally more complete. The insurer appoints a loss adjuster and a structural engineer, so reports tend to be thorough. A buyer will ask whether the claim is closed or remains open, and whether the existing insurer will continue cover after the sale completes.
Some insurers transfer the policy to the new owner. Others close it and leave the buyer to find fresh cover, which can be difficult and expensive for a home with a known movement history. Sellers should request a letter from their insurer confirming the position before marketing begins.
If the repair was paid for privately, there is no insurance file to hand over. In that case, the seller needs to gather every invoice, report and certificate independently. A home buyer subsidence report commissioned specifically for the sale can fill gaps where original documents are lost. It gives the incoming buyer a current assessment of the structure and states plainly whether further movement is likely.
Why the repair method changes the conversation
Different repair methods leave different evidence behind. Underpinning involves excavating beneath the existing foundations and pouring new concrete in sections. It is disruptive and permanent, so buyers want to see engineering calculations showing the new depth reaches stable ground.
Resin injection is lighter. A specialist firm pumps expanding material into the soil to compact it and lift the footing back toward its original level. The paperwork here focuses on injection volumes, pressures and the degree of lift achieved. Buyers unfamiliar with this method sometimes need reassurance that it is an accepted alternative to digging.
Screw piling drives steel shafts deep into firmer strata, bypassing weak upper layers entirely. Completion certificates and torque records prove each pile reached its design load. Wall tie replacement addresses a different problem, where the inner and outer leaves of a cavity wall have separated. The surveyor will check that the ties match the cavity width and that the old corroded ones were treated or removed. Each method has its own standard of proof, and the buyer's surveyor knows what to ask for.
Getting a home ready for the surveyor's visit
Sellers benefit from preparing before the buyer's surveyor arrives. Move furniture away from walls where repairs are visible so the surveyor can see the skirting boards and ceiling junctions clearly. If cracks were filled and redecorated, note exactly where on a simple floor plan. Hiding the work makes the surveyor suspicious; marking it out shows confidence.
Check the outside of the home too. Look at the brickwork around windows and doors where movement often shows first. Clear soil or mulch piled against the lower courses, since damp penetration can look like structural distress. Make sure gutters and downpipes are flowing freely, because blocked drainage is a common reason for soil softening near footings.
If trees stand close to the house, note their species and distance from the walls. Lime, poplar and willow draw large volumes of moisture from clay soils, and a buyer's surveyor will factor them into the risk assessment. Having photographs of the property taken before and after the repair helps demonstrate that the walls have stayed put since the work finished.
When a fresh report makes the sale smoother
Sometimes the original paperwork is incomplete, the engineer who wrote the report has retired, or the repair happened so long ago that the documents feel outdated. In those situations, commissioning a fresh structural movement survey gives the buyer something current to rely on.
A specialist firm visits the home, inspects the repaired areas, checks levels and compares the present condition against historical records. The resulting report states whether the structure is stable now and whether the earlier repair remains adequate. For a buyer nervous about inheriting a problem, this independent view carries weight.
Where doubt lingers about drains, a CCTV survey traces the runs beneath the garden and the house footprint. Leaks that went unnoticed during the original repair can undermine new work, so ruling them out removes a common objection. Sellers who arrange these steps before listing avoid delays later, when a buyer's solicitor starts requesting information that takes weeks to produce. Early preparation keeps the transaction moving.
Ask about selling a home with repaired cracks
Send details of the work done and the paperwork you hold. A specialist firm reviews what you have and advises whether a fresh report would help the sale progress. There is no obligation to proceed.
- No fee to enquire
- Independent specialists only
- Your details stay private