DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I viewed an end terrace today,the boundary is the gable wall and so there is no access front to back other than through the house.To the side of the house there's a raised area to a height of about 6 feet to 8 feet. this lies directly against the gable wall and is causing serious damp problems in the kitchen.I could tank the wall,but i'd rather remove or have removed the soil so that its not touching the house. has anyone come across this type of problem,it does need sorting out because as it stands,i doubt the house could get a mortgage

you could remove the material and build the wall but the land owner would need to consent to it and the wall needed to hold back the soil will need to be substantially reinforced. You would need to pay for a structural engineer, and if you want a mortgage then the bank would normally agree on giving you some money on the understanding the work would be completed on a set date then release the rest of the money once the agreed work is done.

thanks for the advice, it sounds like major work and getting the landowners advice could be the problem,but i do wonder what the legal position would be, after all the garden is damaging the property and over time i think the weight of it could even do structural damage

if your considering buying the house then use a structural surveyor he will give you a written assessment for the recommended works, then get a builder to give you a quote this can then be used to reduce the price of the property. Also contact the council they may allow you to do the work as its detrimental to the house condition so you could claim compensation against the land owner for damages. Do your ground work before dismissing it. It will save you thousands