Homeowner Business Infrastructure Company 0800 084 3503

Restoring a home's value and a homeowner's future in just one day

Challenge

A homeowner was unable to sell her home, valued at half its market rate, due to unresolved subsidence. Buyers could not get a mortgage, and traditional underpinning was too slow and expensive.

Solution

Our team stabilised 13 linear metres of walling to a depth of 2 metres. The work was completed in one day, restoring the home's value and making it mortgageable again.

1 day

Time on-site

£15,000

Estimated saving compared to traditional underpinning

18 months

Prevented of additional monitoring and construction time.

Background

A homeowner was facing significant challenges with her 3-bedroom semi-detached house in Towcester, Northamptonshire.

The property had been subject to subsidence due to the area's geology and the presence of large trees nearby.

Previous attempts to solve the issue, including two years of monitoring and the removal of two large trees, had not resolved the problem.

Challenge

 

The homeowner was in an extremely worrying situation. Following the death of her husband, she wanted to sell the home to move closer to her children. However, a survey valued the property at half its true market value due to the unresolved subsidence.

Buyers were unable to get a mortgage or home insurance, making a sale impossible. With her previous home insurance policy no longer available, the prospect of traditional underpinning—which would have cost an additional £15,000 and taken 18 months longer—was a source of immense stress, frustration, and uncertainty.

My house was actually lifted by the procedure and many of the cracks closed up considerably, bedroom doors now shut properly and a window that had a gap in the frame is now gap free!

Solution

Geobear's solution was designed to be fast, effective, and minimally disruptive. We first reviewed a site investigation report to fully understand the ground conditions, particularly the plasticity of the clay soils.
 
Although a site visit identified restricted access to the affected area, this was not a problem as the hoses from our self-contained mobile unit can reach up to 100m. 
 
Our expert team stabilised 13 linear metres of the property's walling to a depth of 2 metres below the foundation. The entire process was monitored with lasers to indicate when the ground was fully stabilised, and the work was completed in just one day.
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Results

The Geobear solution transformed the homeowner's situation. With the ground improved, the property was once again open to mortgages and insurance, restoring its market value.
 
Compared to the alternative of traditional underpinning, the homeowner saved an estimated £15,000 and 18 months of additional monitoring and construction time.
 
We also provided our 10-year warranty for the design, workmanship, and material, which was a huge benefit as it can be passed on to the new owner in the event of a sale.
 
 
The client was able to move forward with her plans, with real hope of selling her home and moving closer to her family.
 
In her own words:
 
"I was very pleased with the results of the procedure... the guys who did the work were great, my house is very difficult to access but the guys found a solution, they kept me informed throughout the day... when they left there was very little evidence that they had ever been here, my house was actually lifted by the procedure and many of the cracks closed up considerably, bedroom doors now shut properly and a window that had a gap in the frame is now gap free! Very pleased with the results, would highly recommend Geobear to others."

Is subsidence stopping you from selling your home?

Our fast, guaranteed solution can help restore your home's value and make it mortgageable again.

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